Clubs versus Conspiracies

Clubs

A club is a group of people who have something in common and act predictably because of their membership in an organization (often an alumni or social organization or secret society).  It can be contented that the purpose of that membership is to promote the eternal existence of the organization and to cause the expected conduct of its members to become universal.  Examples of clubs include:

Philips Academy (both Andover and Exeter) mentioned here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_Academy

The Bohemian Club in San Francisco:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_Club

The Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh (the blog author’s paternal grandparents and great-grandparents were members): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duquesne_Club

There are also clubs that seek internal overthrow of organizations and governments – these are cabals but not conspiracies.  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabal

Sometimes clubbiness, when humble, is also overtly moral, for example, Matthew 6:2 to 6:6:

2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Conspiracies

The three types of conspiracies:

• Conspiracy (civil), an agreement between persons to deceive, mislead, or defraud others of their legal rights or to gain an unfair advantage  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_(civil)

 

• Conspiracy (criminal), an agreement between persons to break the law in the future, in some cases having committed an act to further that agreement See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_(criminal)

 

• Conspiracy (political), an agreement between persons with the goal of gaining political power or meeting a political objective  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conspiracies_(political)