Who Created the Illuminati and What Happened to It?

Who Created the Illuminati and What Happened to It?

By Bobby Darvish - darvishintelligence.blogspot.com

As a Freemason, Iranian-American, ex-Muslim Christian, and conservative LDS, I’ve often come across the topic of secret societies—one of the most notorious being the Illuminati. There's a lot of misinformation floating around about this group, so I want to set the record straight, drawing from historical evidence and common sense.

The Illuminati was not the shadowy world-controlling organization that conspiracy theorists claim. It was, in fact, founded by Adam Weishaupt in Bavaria on May 1, 1776. Weishaupt was a professor of canon law at the University of Ingolstadt, and he was heavily influenced by Enlightenment ideals of reason, secularism, and individual liberty. He created the group as a means to promote these principles and to challenge the influence of both the Catholic Church and absolute monarchies, which he saw as oppressive forces that stifled human progress .

Weishaupt's group, originally called "The Order of the Illuminati," was small and short-lived. At its height, it had around 2,000 members, mainly intellectuals and political elites. The order's goal was to infiltrate and influence key sectors of society, but they were neither as secretive nor as powerful as many claim. They operated somewhat similarly to Freemasonry, using rituals and symbols, which may have later contributed to the false assumption that the two groups were connected .

In reality, the Illuminati's demise came quickly. By the late 1780s, the Bavarian government, influenced by the Catholic Church, viewed the group as a threat. In 1785, secret societies, including the Illuminati, were banned by Duke Karl Theodor of Bavaria. Authorities cracked down hard on the organization, arresting many of its members and scattering the rest. By 1790, the Illuminati had ceased to exist as a functioning organization. Weishaupt himself was forced into exile, where he lived out the rest of his life in relative obscurity .

The confusion about the Illuminati’s continued existence comes largely from conspiracy theories, many of which started in the 1790s. These theories alleged that the Illuminati survived and were behind the French Revolution, and later, that they were involved in global power structures like banking and government. Over the centuries, conspiracy theorists have claimed the Illuminati still exists, pulling the strings behind major world events. However, there is no credible historical evidence to support these claims.

As a Freemason, I can tell you that secret societies are often misunderstood. Freemasonry, like the Illuminati, has been the subject of numerous unfounded conspiracy theories, yet our focus is on personal growth, charity, and community—not world domination. The same was true of the Illuminati in its original form. It was an Enlightenment-era experiment in spreading progressive ideas, not a clandestine global cabal.

In conclusion, the Illuminati was a product of its time, a small group that sought to influence societal change through reason and Enlightenment ideals. It was disbanded over two centuries ago, and any claims of its continued existence are simply unfounded. For those of us who value historical truth, it's important to differentiate between fact and fiction, especially when it comes to groups like the Illuminati.

Bobby Darvish - darvishintelligence.blogspot.com

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Citations:

• "Adam Weishaupt and the Bavarian Illuminati." History.com. Accessed October 7, 2024.
• "The Bavarian Illuminati: Facts and Fiction." National Geographic. Accessed October 7, 2024.
• "The Rise and Fall of the Illuminati." BBC History Extra. Accessed October 7, 2024.