Are the smug and pious attitudes of many Catholics toward other Christians...?

Question

showing a lack of love and understanding? I'm not asking about "religious" justification... just about the reality of the situation.

I'm not trying to justify others bashing Catholics either. It does go both ways.

St. Fran... Thank you for the typical "religious" answer... what do you personally think? To me, the the true, universal (Catholic) Church includes all who are followers of Christ.

Good point Ocean... Christians are allowed to make judgments though, especially within the Church.

Set... I agree with you that some have this attitude because they have accepted some things on blind faith. This is not true of all Christians though. Many have faith because they trusted in God and His Christ, and have found something there. Love simply defies logic, wouldn't you agree?

Amen Grandma!

jb... You are right. Smug and pious are about appearance, so are not contradictory and illustrates the point.
So which is more important... our "religious" appearance or our love?

Set.. as a former agnostic for many years, I agree with your edit. It also defines the underlying factor of this question... believer or not, we all struggle to find and accept what we each regard as truth.

Thank you to all who contributed and shared their views, even if some had a less than loving attitude. (Are you part of the problem or the solution?) I could choose a best answer, but I hope all will consider what has been shared.

Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

Answer 1

actually, i see other christians bashing catholics on here far more often. i am not religious at all, so it must be pretty bad if even i notice.

Answer 2

I am a prostestant and have questioned the Catholic faith at times but after my granddaughter attended a private Catholic school, I found all to be kind and loving. We did not have the money to send her to private school of any kind after that year but the prinicple said the church offered to help us pay for her tuition if we would consider allowing her to come back. She is a good child and smart and gave the other smart kids especially the boys a challenge. She was in the third grade at this time.
I find no fault with Catholics as human beings - they are just like the rest of us. I may not agree with all of their beliefs but as people, they are no different then anybody else.

People are people. We are put on our britches the same, we all have to go to the bathroom the same and there is no one better than any other person. It doesn't matter how rich, how poor or what a persons religious belief is or the color of somebody skin is, we are the same. We hurt, we laugh, we cry, some are mean, crazy but humans we are. Granted there are a few I would like to take and sling off of a mountain top but then that's the human side of me, the christian side of me tells me to forgive no matter what's been done - the forgiving is easy, it's the forgetting that's hard.

Answer 3

You wouldn't be referring to people who take a belief and proclaim it as a TRUTH without even being able to explain, let alone prove what they are talking (or writing) about now would you? These types of people are the root of the smug and pious attitudes of which you speak. The sad thing is that I don't even think they are aware of their own lack of logic. They are like puppets that have been brainwashed to the point of accepting blind faith as truth and don't even have a clue how to actually think for themselves. They are just like birds that have been taught to speak and they can only repeat a few lame and nonsensical phrases like, "There is ONE God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" and other silly, nonsensical crap.

Addition:

My position is basically that all religious faith is blind. Nobody has ever been able to give any credible evidence for their beliefs. I think love is very natural and logical. It is one of the best aspects of this existence. It's faith that I consider illogical. I find smug and pious attitudes among people of all faiths. I also find humble and tolerant attitudes among people of all faiths and this includes Atheists and Agnostics. Quite frankly, I think Agnosticism is the most rational and honest way of life. To be unwilling to admit ignorance is actually smug, because no one knows the truth of why we are sentient or what, if any purpose we serve. To claim otherwise is the very definition of smug and you can’t be pious unless you are religious.

Answer 4

Anybody both 'smug and pious' is contradicted. A truly smug person could not be truly pious except in appearance.

I am Catholic, but I know what you mean.

For me it goes Jesus, Peter, (the rock on which I will build my church), who was the first pope, and so on till Benedict XVI.

It's that simple. But we're all human and can be nasty proud self seeking hurtful and smug. Catholics included.

The point is to sincerely pray, ask for mercy, forgiveness, and healing, and to forgive and of course to be love.
This is harder than it seems, but humility really helps.

Answer 5

Read what Jesus says about the Roman Catholic church in Revelation 17.

Answer 6

I'm not catholic but I think many of the religions think and look down on other religions especially now that there are more news being reported of their SINS!

Answer 7

TRUTH:
There is ONE God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
TRUTH:
God the Son became man: Jesus Christ
TRUTH:
Jesus promised, "I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18), and only the Catholic Church has existed since the time of Jesus. Every other Christian church is an offshoot of the Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox churches broke away from unity with the pope in 1054. The Protestant churches were established during the Reformation, which began in 1517. Only the Catholic Church existed in the tenth century, in the fifth century, and in the first century, faithfully teaching the doctrines given by Christ to the apostles, omitting nothing. The list of popes can be traced back to Peter himself, the first pope:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12272b.htm
Jesus’ Church is called catholic ("universal" in Greek) because it is his gift to all people. He told his apostles to go throughout the world and make disciples of "all nations" (Matt. 28:19–20). For 2,000 years the Catholic Church has carried out this mission, preaching the good news that Christ died for all men and that he wants all of us to be members of his universal family (Gal. 3:28).
LINKS FOR TRUTH SEEKERS.....
On the Church:
http://www.catholic.com/library/Pillar.asp
on Purgatory (includes lessons in Real Audio):
http://www.fisheaters.com/purgatory.html
On the saints:
http://www.catholic.com/library/mary_saints.asp
On the Pope:
http://www.catholic.com/library/church_papacy.asp

Answer 8

any person from any religion that acts that way is lacking love and understanding!
so many christians say not to judge one another yet they DO it when they are looking down on other religions!
we all need to come together and praise the one that put us here..and stop worrying about man made religions!


the site i gave u tells ya some info

Answer 9

Catholicism is demonic to the core.

Answer 10

Yes, their attitudes are anti-western democracies, even anti-American.

America was founded by Christians (aka Protestants), not European Catholics.