The old men that sign up for this cheesecake factory of a religion would be so susceptible to radicalization if they weren’t explicitly against materialism.
I want to use their giant lodges for good! They’re so fucking huge inside! And the stolen islamic motifs are a bit cringe but I want to rave there anyway.
It’s really boater Illuminati. These guys are rich enough to have some influence in their communities, but it’s not like everyone’s in their pockets - usually. They’ll still have to go around campaigning and fudging books, and because they’re wannabe bourgeoisie, they likely hire failsons or the high schooler they’re sleeping with. If they’re influential enough they may eventually reach the governor who usually has more national clout, but I imagine the dentist is more comfortable with reigning over his own community than the nation.