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A question about eligibility

Benton

Premium Member
I'd check my monitor, but I've haven't been able to obtain once since I was knighted. Secretary was out at the time, and hasn't yet received more.
 

David Melear

Right Eminent Grand Commander
Premium Member
John is correct, I have conferred the Order of the Templar quite a few times and the 5th libation does not refer to the holy trinity, nor does any part of the Order of the Templar refer to the holy trinity.
The Order of the Malta does ask the question about the savior and if you believe in him, I don’t believe in these Orders we ever ask if you believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
 

tom268

Registered User
I too heard many times, that the prerequisite for the KT degree is to be a trinitarian christian. As coming from a christian and templaristic masonic system myself (the Swedish Rite in Germany), I always asked myself, why this is so. We don't go into the details on how one lives his faith, and our teachings always get blury, when it comes to such details. The determination "christian" means at a baseline, belief in God and Jesus as the Savior. All other details should be left to the theological teachings of the church or group of faith, a brother belongs to. I guess, over 90% of those christian brothers would be trinitarian anyway, because all major churches in Christianity are trinitarian.
 

Friscopa

Registered User
All I can comment on is my own experience. The Trinity was a part of my ceremony. As far as what is required, I would refer to some knight that performs the ceremonies, but keep in mind everyone's experience will be different.
 

tomasball

Premium Member
As with Sir Knight Melear, I routinely confer both the Order of Malta and the Order of the Temple in Texas. The word trinity does not occur in either ritual. Neither does the phrase "Holy Spirit". The orders do meditate thoroughly on the career and sacrifice of Jesus, and the doctrine of vicarious atonement. Any Knight Templar can acquire a PDF version of the ritual and reacquaint himself with what was actually said when he was knighted.

It is worth noting that Chapters of Royal Arch Masons and Commanderies of Knights Templar open and close with the Lord's Prayer.
 

Friscopa

Registered User
Again, not trying to fight, but I know what I heard, what questions were asked, and what my answers were. I do defer to those who confer as to what is required. As to what my experience was, that is mine and mine alone.
 

Beathard

Premium Member
I don’t believe in these Orders we ever ask if you believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

They don't according to my monitor, but even if they did, mentioning the Father, Son and Holy Ghost does not automatically refer to the Trinity.

The Trinity is a thought where the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are one and the same. Many Christian faiths believe that they are one divine entity (the Trinity), while some believe that they are three seperate entities. The thought of the three seperate entities comes from the baptism of Jesus where the Father sends the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove to sit on Jesus's shoulder.

I think the key concept in The Templar degrees is the idea of Jesus Christ as one's saviour. I believe that all Christian faiths, including Christian Diests, beleive in this concept.
 

Friscopa

Registered User
As far as I know, believing Jesus as savior doesn't imply a believe in the Trinity. Being Baptist the Trinity is part of the faith, so I can't really comment on a faith other than the one I know. I have been reviewing a borrowed monitor, and have found a few items that are a little different than the ceremonies I went through. I know the degree/order teams did a great job, they didn't read from monitors when conferring, but there are some variances...
 
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