What religions or sects can be fit into the description of "Illuminati"?

You’re missing the conspiracy aspect.

Two perfect examples are the Masons and the Roman Catholic church.

I would agree with the Roman Catholic church, that’s the 1st thing that came into my mind when I was explaining it.

My experience with a lot of religious people seems to be that they think I’m inferior for not believing in their god yes.
I mean, something that annoys me is that I get leaflets pushed through my door telling me to believe in Jesus and god and such. I don’t go around knocking on people’s doors explaining why it’s most likely (I’m agnostic) that a god doesn’t exist.
This says to me that almost all religious cults do think they are right, won’t accept the belief of others because they think that they are wrong. By forcing it onto others, they are saying “we are better than you” – “we are higher than you”.

In fact a lot of religion is based on the idea you believe in your god, you will be rewarded as a higher individual. If you don’t you’ll be condemned.

@cage Agreed 100%. I think the worst is when kids get those little bibles or pamphlets in their bag for halloween!

@MrMontpetit
LMAO
My girlfriend used to see Christian Halloween houses.
You go in and see scenes of teenagers having sex and doing drugs, and at the end see them dying young and are in hell and stuff.
What a lovely experience.

If the Illuminati are the taking over the world super vilian types, then they are probably not religious and view religion as merely an easy method of controling the hoi polloi.

Anyone who is illuminated enough would not be all that religious. So I’d say “atheists” basically. Or some sort of non-religious deists.

@Jack79 tbh, I’ve considered strong Atheists as a religious cult too, since if a Christian (in particular) even so much as approaches them they hate them.
Even though I would sway towards atheism (since there is probably more evidence against there being a higher being, or at least in the way our religious texts describe) I usually only get annoyed when people try to shove it in my face saying “YOU MUST FIND JESUS!” “No, I’m fine thanks… Jesus isn’t lost is he?”

@Jack79 But the Illuminati aren’t perons who are illuminated more than others, it’s people who claim to be illuminated or superior to others.

The Illuminati, in my understanding, are among other accusations the world’s top power brokers who hold no loyalty but to themselves (i.e. no country or government) and who control phenomena such as media, religion, banking and currency, governments and militaries, and energy resources to subjugate societies, extract wealth, and maintain power. They are not without their cadre of lieutenants and other enforcers who themselves form a pecking order and who are more directly responsible for controlling the masses. This pecking order also includes secret societies such as the freemasons, the RC church, and the Nazis who may or may not be cooperative with each other. Some say that the core of the Illuminati are people who have descended from thirteen “royal” bloodlines extending back to the Babylonian empire and that these families control and compete with each other for territory around the world. Some say they possess secret knowledge about the nature of reality and the origins of the universe (or existence) and use that to shape our world by distorting the Truth perpetrated on everyone else. For example, using religions or political partisanship to get the common people arguing with each other rather than uniting against their subjugation. Or, inciting a war to perpetuate fear and make lots of money by financing all sides of the conflict.

The trick to understanding this is that it’s not even the organization that’s evil (although it might be). It’s the people at the very top (and who don’t publicly display power) who are included. Plenty of speculation exists that even a few rungs down the ladder, people who don’t share the same lust for power are trapped by their privilege and position and by the fact that they don’t want to die or have family members die for not being compliant.

If you’re interested, look up Illuminati symbolism on YouTube. Once you get the knack for the basic symbols, you’ll start seeing them everywhere in the media and in architecture. It’s really weird and a little chilling.

I liked your answer kevbo, and that’s what I take to be—that the “Illuminati” is a specific group. Not a description of group(s). If it’s true or not, we can’t really say…

I think someone has been listening to too much Coast to Coast…

It’s not what you think.

Enlighten us, then.

I’d have to initiate you into the cult. It’s painful…

Seriously, you are taking the concept far too seriously.

Were I you, I would (as I have) take a hint from Pope Bob, and stop attempting to apply dogma to paranoid hypothesis.

Some people will always be smarter, wealthier, more powerful (not to mention faster, taller, funnier, nicer, and better in the sack) than you or I, but that doesn’t mean that a New World Order or some hoary Bavarians made them so.

‘Twas always thus.

However, I realize that what I’ve said here may not affect anyone’s paranoia in the least…and that’s ok too. Carry on! On that note, keep in mind:
Lead-foil hats, theoretically, should offer a great deal more protection from attempted mind-probes than similarly constructed aluminum-foil ones. Molecular density etc.

I’ve seen a study at MIT that showed aluminum hats to actually increase the intensity of radio waves when worn. o.o