Templars are not part of the Blue Lodge. They are an offshoot of Freemasonry. They hold different beliefs and follow different paths. To join the Templars you have to make an oath to Christianity. To join the Blue Lodge, you simply have to acknowledge a higher power, or creative source. I don't believe in a "god" in the conventional sense, but I acknowledge a creative power, and I believe that source of organizational energy does reveal its self to us. For example, why do I exist, and why do I seek to create order in my life. Why am I simply not a pile of chemicals floating around with no purpose.

There's also the Royal Arch, and the Scottish Rite. I don't have much interest in the Scottish Rite but one of my friends is a "32 Degree" in it. It's it's mostly watching or participating in allegorical plays. The Royal Arch interests me a bit more, but after a point I have to ask myself how much time out of my week I really want to invest in it all.

At the end of the day, for me within the Blue Lodge, we sit on some fantastic symbolism. We learn a lot from one a other. We learn about ourselves, we work together to try to make the world better, and our rituals serve as a way to bond us together, and remind us of what is important.

It's a boys club. "But you're controlled by blah blah blah". No, we're not. At least my lodge isn't. Nobody is telling me what to do or how to think. But I will say, like any club, or friendgroup, would you give your friends preference? If you were part of a homogenous culture, would you give preference to someone who thought the same way as you did? Of course you would. Because you'd know what you could expect out of them.

For the most part though, we drink whiskey, complain about our women, and share the knowledge we have about the world with one another.

Now if you'll excuse me I have a meeting with Satan at 6pm about how to best corrupt the children to make profits for Pfizer.