# What does the free masons have to do with templars?



## ColeStonebraker (Mar 26, 2013)

Are we the modern day Templars? Just curious if we have any relation to them


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## Vitriol Knight (Mar 26, 2013)

Wow. The age of instant information; you could google it.



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## Vitriol Knight (Mar 26, 2013)

Where are you traveling from?


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## MarkR (Mar 27, 2013)

ColeStonebraker said:


> Are we the modern day Templars? Just curious if we have any relation to them



Probably not.  I'd suggest you read "The Rosslyn Hoax" by Robert L.D. Cooper.


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## Bro. Stewart P.M. (Mar 27, 2013)

ColeStonebraker said:


> Are we the modern day Templars? Just curious if we have any relation to them



It all depends on who you ask, where you look, and what you believe.


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## KSigMason (Mar 27, 2013)

MarkR said:


> Probably not. I'd suggest you read "The Rosslyn Hoax" by Robert L.D. Cooper.


A great book. Another is "Compasses and the Cross" by Stephen Dafoe.


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## Blake Bowden (Mar 28, 2013)

Vitriol Knight said:


> Wow. The age of instant information; you could google it.
> 
> 
> 
> Freemason Connect Premium App



Informative.

To the original poster:
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Blood-Se...&qid=1364451036&sr=8-2&keywords=born+in+blood


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## Colby K (Mar 28, 2013)

Read "born in blood"


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## chrmc (Mar 28, 2013)

Colby K said:


> Read "born in blood"



But just remember that it is disputed as having very little to back up the claims, by most scholars. 

The longer answer to your question is very little historical material exist to support that the Freemasons and the Templars have anything to do with each other. There is some circumstantial evidence that can be used, and some compelling tales can be made. But very little is supported by hard materials and fact.


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## Mac (Mar 28, 2013)

Since the healthcare community has
Evidence-based practice drilled into our heads, I've come to accept that there is little to no chance that there is a legitimate link between the original Templars and any order existing today. 

And there are several today. 


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## dfreybur (Mar 28, 2013)

Mac said:


> Since the healthcare community has
> Evidence-based practice drilled into our heads, I've come to accept that there is little to no chance that there is a legitimate link between the original Templars and any order existing today.



A fair number of brothers would like a proven direct descent from the original Templars.  There are some Scottish Rite degrees inspired by them.  I won't say there is no connection but the evidence isn't there.  Most likely it is descent by imitation.


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## Mac (Mar 28, 2013)

I have picked up a few of the books on the topic (mostly soft covers from the used book store), but I mainly use them as reading material when I'm in the smallest room in the house.


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## cog41 (Mar 29, 2013)

Bro. Stewart said:


> It all depends on who you ask, where you look, and what you believe.




Agreed.
 I don't believe it to be so.


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## Bro. John (Mar 29, 2013)

There may have been Templars who were masons but I think that's about it


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## THurse (Apr 4, 2013)

Whether this is to be or not, it's great to see that today the Templars, are well respected.


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## widows son (Apr 5, 2013)

If anything, as masons we continue their philosophy that they practiced. Especially in the priory/commandery


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## tomasball (Apr 5, 2013)

widows son said:


> If anything, as masons we continue their philosophy that they practiced. Especially in the priory/commandery



This idea has always kind of puzzled me.  Aside from espousing the Christian religion, what "philosophy" do you think we share with the historic Templars?


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## widows son (Apr 5, 2013)

Well I think they viewed Christianity different from the rest of Europe, but I think their main philosophical idea was the brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God. Chivalry was and is still very important. I also believe that they were up to date on the science of their day. The Middle East at that period was a hot bed of innovation, especially in the Muslim conquered regions. I think they wanted to tie all these aspects together. That coupled with following the strict morals that was preached by Christ, I believe, to them, this philosophy probably would have pushed European advancement much faster. Who knows, we could have had the renaissance much earlier.


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## tomasball (Apr 5, 2013)

Sources, please.  They were a religious order living basically under the same rules as Cistercian monks.  What indicates that they viewed Christianity differently from the rest of Europe?


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## widows son (Apr 5, 2013)

The individual knight my have lived the life of a monk, but the Order itself was extremely wealthy. But I think they practiced what Christ specifically preached and put it to use, and put less importance on the hierarchy of the church. By living the principles that Christ taught, one could get to heaven, which to me is what "the only way to the father, is through me" quote means. Christ to me, to sum it up would be the epitome of the purest of mind body and soul. When one does this, they purify the temple, and allow the spirit of God to dwell. I think this is what the Templars advocated, and would make sense as to why we as masons perpetuate their legacy.


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## tomasball (Apr 5, 2013)

"But I think they practiced what Christ specifically preached and put it to use."  Could you provide some anecdote from their history that illustrates this?  I know of no charitable work they engaged in.  Their primary focus was warfare.


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## widows son (Apr 5, 2013)

They started by providing protection for Christian pilgrims who were traveling to the holy land.  During the crusades, they and the hospitallers provided care for injured warriors and civilians. In Europe, they helped finance the construction projects, such as churches, and palaces. As for specific philosophical ideals, they really couldn't go beyond the church. But their symbols are what perpetuated their philosophy.


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## BryanMaloney (Apr 10, 2013)

As widows son has stated, they started out as a charitable military organization. They were essentially a travelers aid society. They gained several very wealthy patrons and were eventually exempted from all taxation. This meant that they had excellent equipment and resources. So, in addition to their charitable work, they became the elite shock attack forces of the Crusades. Due to their reputation, they also were hired to maintain estates while the owner was on Crusade. In addition, they developed a letter of credit system that made travel far easier.

However, once the Crusaders got kicked out, their reason to exist had simply disappeared, but like all large organizations, they refused to dissolve or consolidate. Instead, they became merchants and bankers with international immunity to taxation and immunity to all local laws (another benefit held over from the Crusade era). Finally, they lent a lot of money to monarchs. That's a dangerous thing when the "government" still consists of a bunch of tough guys who got the job merely through accident of birth. The violent destruction of the Templars may have been inevitable. Imagine how our own government would respond to a bunch of highly-trained, well-armed, battle-hardened men leading an enormous network of farmers, construction workers, factory workers, bureaucrats, etc., all immune to the law and unable to be taxed--plus the government owes billions to them. They aren't a state, so they don't have an actual territory or traditional standing as a country. They're a "paramilitary organization" with a hand around the government's throat (massive loans). I can't think of a government in all of history that wouldn't cook up an excuse to take such a group down.

So, yes, they did start out as the "Poor Knights of the Temple", risking their own lives so others, no matter how poor, could safely travel and worship. But their success took that away from them.


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## crono782 (Apr 10, 2013)

> They were essentially a travelers aid society.



In short, the Templars became AAA. :glare:


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## BryanMaloney (Apr 10, 2013)

Actually, we do have a cautionary tale here. The Templars began as an essentially moral fraternity. Over time, "organizational" goals (fundraising, influence, etc.) overtook fundamental goals. Then the Templars fell.


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