Would they Still Be Around

[rcaf_777]

Any thoughts on the Jesuits or Freemasons? how might their organizations or people look or act in MP world?

[Matt W]

IMHO, International organizations are unlikely to survive the collapse of civilization but I suppose that (if they survive in a few countries) they might be able to reconnect after things begin to recover.

If you're looking at an individual town in somewhere like the old USA, you might find that the Freemasons are the (hereditary?) elite. They survived the collapse because of their resources/wealth/organization. In the chaos, they took power and have kept power.

Or.. combine it with one of the Encounter Groups. Perhaps Maxwell and his Militia were originally Freemasons? Or perhaps Masonic membership is common among the middle class of the KFS?

Similarly, there is a strong tradition of Jesuit Doctors. Perhaps some EmDees are Jesuits?

[ArmySGT.]

Hmmm Secret Societies in the Morrow Project timeline.

Interesting. What would survive the death of 95% of the World population?

Skull and Bones in the New Presidencies?

The "La Senora de la Muerte" cult in Mexico?

Would Freemasons return to Guilds again?

What sort of "New Messiah" cults would arise? The Preacher from "Lucifers Hammer" ?

There are the encounter groups "Monks" and "Inquisitors" in the original TMP.

[ArmySGT.]

Anyone entertaining the thought of secret societies along the lines of the game Paranoia?

Where the original purpose is replaced by something outright insane?

[mikeo80]

IMHO, I think you would find remnants of some religious orders. In Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire, approx 450 A.D., you have small clusters of religious that maintain reading and writing until the time of the First Crusade, 1096, when Europe can reach out beyond it's borders. Once trade starts with the Moslem world and beyond, scientific growth ensues, and Europe grows past the need for the monestaries of old.

In USA post BANG, I could see some small communities based upon a religious order rising out of the ashes. I know of one community in rural Maryland that could serve as an example. These priests had a good size farm, growing corn, beans, and herbs. They had mostly small livestock. Pigs, chickens, rabbits, etc. The community was far from any blast zone and far from any large city. (Baltimore, MD was 60+ miles away.)

This type of community MIGHT survive if there is enough time to fortify the community and gather enough people to make it all work and survive.

My $0.02

Mike