{
"$type": "site.standard.document",
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"uri": "at://did:plc:4iu5kbxn3dkxf3kli75g2to3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj5cqeqamub2"
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"path": "/2026/04/09/philadelphias-founding-years-were-rife-with-conspiracy-fears-about-godless-freemasons-and-the-illuminati/",
"publishedAt": "2026-04-09T16:32:19.000Z",
"site": "https://religionnews.com",
"tags": [
"Beliefs",
"Opinion",
"Religion Hub",
"U.S.",
"Colonial America",
"conspiracies",
"Freemasons",
"illuminati",
"Pennsylvania",
"Philadelphia",
"rationalism"
],
"textContent": "(The Conversation) — In the early days of the United States, Philly was a hotbed of conspiracy theories as fears grew that secret societies sought to dismantle religion’s influence on society.",
"title": "Philadelphia’s founding years were rife with conspiracy fears about ‘godless’ Freemasons and the Illuminati"
}