So just how real is the Illuminati?

[shamrock_uk]

Inspired by a post of Timber's, I thought I'd pose the question. It's not a 'current event' as such (unless TL was right of course ) but we all know each other here and I know virtually no-one in Gen Con so hope this will be ok.

My own feelings are that its a conspiracy theory and has almost no foundation in reality. I can accept that the original organization existed, but the idea of it continuing in the modern day I find implausable.

Having looked at a few links, their explanations seem to degenerate into religious ramblings about Satan and how its connected to the Masons who allegedly perform Satanic rituals etc etc. All in all, not what I would call reliable sources.

This isn't a bad one from the trusty wikipedia with lots of historical info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati

An example of one of the more 'crazy' links would be:

http://www.illuminati-news.com/shadow-gov.htm

So, am I missing something big here, or is it all just scare stories...?

[ 11-08-2004, 12:28 PM: Message edited by: shamrock_uk ]

[pritchke]

Not sure how real it is but a great card game just the same.

[ 11-08-2004, 12:41 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

[Timber Loftis]

Oh, golly, didn't mean to spark this.

All your base are belong to us.

[Stratos]

We, I mean, they really exist. [img]graemlins/wow.gif[/img]

[ 11-08-2004, 01:13 PM: Message edited by: Stratos ]

[Stratos]

I believe Illuminati is simply an organization that, for some reason, have stucked to the minds of people. The name have been repeated over and over again, and have become a part of the conspiracy theorist's dictionary.

That rich and powerful people pull the strings behind the scenes is nothing unusual, but that they're as organized and been in business as a coherent organization for as long as the Illuminati has supposedly been is unlikely.

The people who believe the Illuminati (and the Masons) perform satanical rituals are generally also the same people who believe the UN or the EU is run by Satan.

Edit: Cool, Wikipedia even have an entire page dedicated for Deus Ex.

[ 11-08-2004, 01:20 PM: Message edited by: Stratos ]

[Magness]

Somebody just read "Angels & Demons"?

(i.e. The prequel to "The Da Vinci Code")

[Djinn Raffo]

Originally posted by pritchke: Not sure how real it is but a great card game just the same.

I find it takes to long and the points counting is confusing. I'm into Carcassonne right now.

[Azred]

The only historically verifiable groups to have used the name Illuminati are the the Bavarian Illuminati founded by Adam Weishaupt in Austria, the higher-order initiates of the original Rosicrucians, and the quasi-religious Spanish group under the name Allumbrados. Since then, the Illuminati have been so overused in literature and conspiracy theory that any more recent history is inseparable from imagination.
The true reason for the continued existence of the Illuminati, in whatever form or whatever name might be in use, is that people need to make sense of seemingly random events. Since our brain desires to understand the world around us, when events unfold randomly we invent a reason for them to unfold the way they do--the conclusion is that some group is directing events to unfold in a certain way. It is, in this regard, similar to creating a mythology.
It is a mathematical certainty that it would be impossible for any group such as the Illuminati to remain completely secret for any reasonably long period of time. Roughly stated, the number of people in the group * period of time * chance for one person to reveal the secret during that time = likelihood of being discovered; with enough people or enough time the likelihood will become more than 50%.

On the other hand, there is something fascinating with the idea that Weishaupt, from all accounts a look-alike for George Washington, fled Austria for America, bringing many Illuminati/Freemason devotees with him. He then converted many of our Founding Fathers to Freemasonry and founded America as an Illuminati haven to carry out their plan to rule the world. We are one of only two remaining superpowers in the world, with an economic grip on much of the world...makes you wonder. [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img]

[Stratos]

The American Illuminati later founded the Skulls and Bones. Makes sense, doesn't it?