Is Freemasonry a form of Templarism?
No. Like many accusations against Freemasonry, terms are often loosely defined to magnify the emotional attack. What all does “Templarism” encompass? If it refers to a historical link to the Knights Templar dissolved in 1307 then, contrary to the wishful thinking of many freemasons and non-masons, there is no proof of a link and regular Freemasonry makes no claim of a link. If it refers to the accusations made against the Templars that they worshipped a Baphomet, than it must be stressed that the Baphomet plays no role in the practices, beliefs or ritual of Freemasonry. It should also be noted that the only reference to a Baphomet occurrs in 12 out of 231 confessions extracted from the Templars under torture by the Inquisition. If the term is used to describe a group planning to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, then it can apply neither to the historical Knights Templar nor the freemasons. Contrary to the accusations of such anti-masons as Lyndon LaRouche, there is nothing to link the
