Brotherhood

From The SpiritWiki

A Brotherhood is an esoteric or secret society that excludes women. The exclusion of women, who are often (because of their socialization) more connected to others, and therefore less easily swayed into supporting abstract systems of slavery, allows the brotherhood to more easily control its members. It is a simple strategy of divide and rule that allows the prorogation of erroneous ideas and the reinforcement of systems of authority and exclusion.

Low level Brotherhoods (Freemasonry for example) are ostensibly formed to provide advanced spiritual instruction to worthy candidates who must submit to psychological programming through ritual and text aimed at influencing and seducing the non-dominant right hemisphere. Brotherhoods often demand secrecy (even from spouses) and will often threaten death should the principles of the order be discussed externally. At the low levels, secrets are trivial however, those who accept the need for secrecy (at the expense of their familial relationships) and violence for those who transgress will often find themselves invited to higher level brotherhoods were "higher level" truths (i.e. dogma concerning the necessity and right of power and control) are introduced. At the highest levels, the Brotherhoods are about the creation and support of power, wealthy, and privilege.

The Catholic Church is one of the oldest and most powerful brotherhoods. They have managed to secure their own nation (The Vatican) and exist as a politically independent, property rich state. There are many brotherhoods some obvious (Freemasonry, Skull and Bones), and some hidden some powerful, and some not.

See Also

http://geography.about.com/od/politicalgeography/a/vaticancountry.htm