7. Illuminati

What Is It:
This shadowy secret society was originally created by a German professor in 1776, and its goal was to oppose the Roman Catholic church’s power over science and philosophy. One of its many precepts that flew against religious teaching: the belief that suicide was okay. Members of the Bavarian Illumanti (as it was called) were suppressed by the Bavarian government and seemingly vanished in less than a decade. Its creator died in exile.

Famous Illuminati:

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (alleged)
Ferdinand of Brunswick

Why You Should Join:

That bland founding story has to be a cover for some major world-domination stuff. After all, Kanye West, Beyoncé, and Kim Kardashian have all been rumored to be secret members. Dan Brown wouldn’t lie to us, right?