Who Were The Knights Templar? (Sunday History Read)

www.templarhistory.com ^ | undated | Stephen Dafoe and Alan Butler

[Hacksaw]

Looks like no good deed goes unpunished.

Templar BUMP

[Pharmboy]

Did they not give rise to the Scottish Rite side of Freemasonry?

[gargoyle]

...I have read a couple of books my stepson owns on freemasonry. I believe you are correct...By the way, thanks, the history is an absolutly fascinating read...

[drjoe]

Read all about it in Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto [Name of the Rose] Eco. Fascinating!!

[nutmeg]

bump

[per loin]

How important were they in the founding of Switzerland?

[catonsville]

Like another religious group, The Cathars, goodness, love of God and service were no protection against the corruption of men.

[curmudgeonII]

Would you care to opine on any possible connection between the medieval Knights Templar and the current organization with same name [I belong to this].

[afraidfortherepublic]

ping

[curmudgeonII]

The Scottish Rite is a series of masonic degrees brought to this country [from France], originally in Charleston, SC in 1802. There is some thought that it might have been transferred to France from Scotland by some of the court officials of Mary Stuart. [The unfortunate Queen who was beheaded by Queen Elizabeth.]

[Hacksaw]

Would you care to opine on any possible connection between the medieval Knights Templar and the current organization with same name [I belong to this].

Never heard of the current org - they could use some Templars in Sudan...

I'd like to hear about your org.

[McGavin999]

Very difficult book to read, but you're right, it was facinating.

[another cricket]

The moral of the story is never loan money to the powerful. They usually find it easier to kill you rather then repay you. The kings of Europe were pulling these kinds of stunts on their Jewish bankers long before the Templars came along.

a.cricket

[contessa machiaveli]

thank you for mentioning the cathars. along with the templars, history tells us very little about the them. they dared to oppose the kings of france and the church hierarchy. southern france whispers secrets from aigues morte where the ships of the crusade set out for the holy land to albi and narbonne which were cathar strongholds.

[weikel]

I love these kinds of histories.

[weikel]

Good lesson I wonder what will happen to the bankers when the government here in the US finally decides they can't pay( and they can't the national debt will never be paid off in a billion years).

[Pharmboy]

Yep--exactly what Edward I (Longshanks of Braveheart) did to the Jews. In order to finance all of his wars, he borrowed heavily from the English Jews. He decided it would be much easier to expel them from the country, not pay them back, and confiscate their stuff to boot! Whatta plan!

[jonatron]

For Great Justice BUMP!

[Katya]

Switzerland had already been founded before their persecutions began....however most of the monasteries, not all of them Templar, but certainly Templar friendly and already active money lenders were built on trade routes that looped around southern germany, austria, switzerland and italy. One of the mysteries that remained after the Templars were shut down, was the disappearance of all their apparent wealth...ie. "Show me the money". Switzerland seems like a good bet to me as well, particularly since they have always been independant.