Without resorting into any conspiracy theories, the Templars left some lasting legacies:
1) Their system for allowing pilgrims to safely move funds around on journeys to the Holy Land laid some of the foundations of the modern banking system.
2) The cultural exchange with the near east helped introduce new religious ideas into Europe, planting some of the seeds of the eventual Reformation.
3) Their example of an institution independent of church hierarchy promoted ideas that eventually came to fruition in the Enlightenment.
A lot of time separates us, but the Templars were generally a force for freedom and rationalism in their time. Perhaps a bit of the freedom we enjoy today is partly due to their sacrifices.