There are so many stories about Templars, Knights, and Freemasons. Some are fact and some are fiction. You have to know a bit of history to classify them. Barbara Frale is a historian who provides the reader with the historical background gathered from her research.

The warrior monks came together to protect Jerusalem from being taken over by the Muslims. There were several countries involved. France and England were two of the main ones. They led the crusades for centuries, but were ultimately defeated. In the end, between the kings and the Catholic Church, they dissolved. It was a sad end to his story. There was an inquisition and they were killed.

Much of the book was beyond my ken and I kept my laptop nearby to look up time periods I needed background on. It was very interesting.

From what I understood, they started out as an honorable group of men who were scapegoated in the end, pawns, and killed in the end.

A lot of people who are interested in these topics are interested in the conspiracy theories that make up the movies.

I’m not into all of that, but I enjoy learning about history. What I got out is that I don’t want to support the death penalty or torture under any circumstances. Throughout history, much harm has been done to innocent people through deceit or fanaticism. Even for heinous crimes, I would rather just jail and rehabilitate than risk wrongfully murdering or harming someone who was innocent or didn’t submit to an idea.

We have seen these scenarios throughout history, from the Templars to witch hunts, those who refuse to convert to religions, and military revenge. I know in my heart that this is not what God would want people to do to each other in his name.

I believe that the military is a necessary part of life that will always be necessary. One group will always try to dominate another and countries must be able to defend themselves. I am thankful that I never have to experience war and I pray that I never do. I am grateful to live in a country with freedom of religion, democracy, and in the era of peace. I am thankful that I was born after slave freedom, women’s rights, and equal civil rights. I am grateful for all those before birth who sacrificed their lives for those freedoms.