Knights Templar – True Peace Makers

Richard P. Salbato 12-26-2006

There is a very popular song by John Lennon, which seems to me to be the hidden attitude of many Catholics today. Thinking they are peacemakers, they promote every extreme to avoid any kind of conflict. All conflict is a war between good and evil or between evil and evil. Lennon, however, wanted to eliminate the distinction between good and evil and therefore have peace. It goes like this:

"Imagine there's no heaven, it's easy if you try. No hell below us, above us only sky. Imagine all the people, living for today. Imagine there's no countries; it isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too. Imagine all the people, living for today. Imagine there's no countries; it isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too. Imagine all the people, living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one."

No Heaven, no Hell, no religion, no God, no borders on any country, no sacrifice for the future, no ideals or virtues, only peace, this was the dream of John Lennon and the ideas of those promoting a One World Government. It is true, that like Rome at the time of Christ, there would be peace in this type of world but no justice and no freedom. It will be like a large world-wide jail, where everyone is forced to do the same things and think the same way. No one would have any belief or love that they would be willing to die for. In Lennon’s world there would be peace and to many Catholics who read the Beatitude, “Blessed are the Peace Makers” Lennon would be considered as having this virtue. But this vision of peace would have to be forced and Pope Benedict XVI says this is not peace:

"There are regimes that impose a single religion upon everyone, while [at the same time] secular regimes often lead not so much to violent persecution as to systematic cultural denigration of religious beliefs. In both instances, a fundamental human right is not being respected, with serious repercussions for peaceful coexistence. This can only promote a mentality and culture that is not conducive to peace."

In this talk the Holy Father equates freedom of religion with peace. In the same way we can say that even the outward signs of peace, where there is no justice, there is no peace. Christ said,

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." The Greek word for “Peace” is "eirenopoioi" which means “those who work for peace” not those who wish for peace.

Peacemakers are not synonymous with peaceful, tranquil, or calm persons who avoid contrariety as much as possible; neither are peacemakers synonymous with pacifists, those who are against war at any cost. A Pacifist cannot be called a peacemaker because he will do nothing to reconcile those in conflict or help those abused by others.

New Age thinkers like Lennon use the words "freedom" and "tolerance" to replace “peace, love and justice”. His dream would be the absence of conflict but not peace.

As millions die in civil wars in Africa, the Pacifist says: "It is not my problem". As millions line the cells in China the Pacifist says: "It is not my problem." They feel sorry for the Christians being killed or persecuted by the hundreds of thousands in Moslem countries, and say they will pray for them, but not lift a finger to help. They do not love peace but hate personal conflict. As for the existing conflict of others, they do not want to think about it.

The bible itself predicts conflict when God puts enmity between Mary, Her Child and Satan. This conflict will never end but peacemakers will aid those in need and give up their own peace to bring peace to others. The value of peacemakers can best be seen when there is an absence of it, like when the police did not come to the aid of people in the Watts riots in California.

The object of this newsletter is to answer the questions of some who object to my promotion of a return of the Knights Templar, which I consider an order of peacemakers. In the past I used an example of a movie called, “Tears in the Sun” but you will soon see a new example of peacemakers by Sylvester Stallone.

In his new movie, Rambo IV is presented as a borderline atheist. His job is to bring a group of Christians upriver into a very hostile territory, and they are there to bring the word of God and medicine and dentistry to these natives. His job, protecting people doing charity is the essence of the future Knights Templar. “Justice and peace shall kiss” will be their motto. Psalm 85:11

Their power will come from God’s peace, an inter peace, knowing God is with them and they always do the will of God. This peace will be with them even in war.

Excerpt from the Christmas Blessing of Pope Pius XII, 1942.

"To all those who, like the Crusaders, will fight for this and for a better Christian world.... a new danger has arisen; the subordination of everything to politics and the heresy of a national state which subordinates all to human law. . . these orders conflict with those of God. It is useless to fight without faith in God.

"Do you, crusader volunteers of a distinguished new society, lift up the new banner of moral and Christian rebirth; declare war on the darkness which comes from deserting God, on the coldness that comes from strife between brothers. . ."

Richard Salbato

Bible passages that do not support Pacifists: 1 Kings 15:02, Matthew 23:13-39, Acts 13:9-11,

Luke 12:51, John 2:15, Luke 14:26, Luke 10:10, Luke 22:36, Galatians 2:11, Galatians 4:16,

Timothy 1:20, 2 Timothy 1:15, 2 Timothy 2:17, 2 Timothy 4:09, 3 John 1:09

Note:

Plagiarized from a Vatican sermon by Father Cantalamessa, The Peacemakers