Short answer: anyone can join! This is not for super-smart people, or nerds who thrive on debating every kind of theological detail.
It’s for everyone. Simple people. Complex people. Ordinary people. Extraordinary people.
So why did we pick that name?
A couple of different reasons.
We live in a technologically smart world. We have highly intelligent minds, and we must use them. And we need a culture of welcome and truth.
A smart Catholic is not someone who has downloaded the Summa Theologica or Sacred Scripture into their brain.
A smart Catholic is someone who knows that life is worth living, has confidence in the truth, and works hard to be a magnetic person.
1. It’s a ‘smart’ world
So much technology today is ‘smart.’ That means it is self-monitoring, analysing, and reporting technology.’
Catholics are called to do the same with our own lives. We can’t just get our ‘Catholic’ membership card and head back to work.
We are called to actively enter into the Resurrection every day, just like the first Apostles did.
Our smartphones are online, help us connect with people, and have access to information.
We must also be online with God, live in a spirit of friendship and welcome, and know where to go for truth.
2. We’re a smart people
Most depictions of faithful Catholics in modern media are negative. We’re portrayed as bigoted, small-minded, and unthinking.
That’s not true at all. (Yes, I know there are bad apples…)
Catholics are heir to one of the richest, most profound theological heritages humanity has. Some of the greatest minds and mystics used their logical, rational, and intuitive souls to plumb the paradoxes of God.
And on top of that, we called to be ‘modern mystics’. What is that?
A mystic is someone who sees beyond the immediate situation. Someone who can see what God is doing behind the scenes. Someone who sees our world from Heaven’s point of view.
That’s why our Catholic faith embraces everything good, lovely, beautiful, and true – wherever we find it. Every religion and people have pieces of truth, and those are our starting points for friendship. We must value and preserve and learn from them.
This takes humility, positivity, and using our brains.
Catholics don’t leave their brain in the car when we go to Mass. We must bring all of our ability to reason, think, and evaluate. And we must be comfortable with the next step – faith.
Having faith doesn’t mean you switch off your brain. Faith is the stance the soul takes when the mind can’t go any further.
Faith is about trust, when the Beloved Bridegroom (Christ) asks us to trust Him on something we can’t understand.
3. We need a smart culture
We don’t need another website or community to just get together and talk all things Catholic. There are plenty out there already.
We don’t need more explicitly ‘Catholic’ conversations. What we need are more conversations by Catholics.
All newlyweds can think about is each other. How wonderful their new lives together are. Ask them a question, and they will usually relate it back to their beloved.
But after being married 5 years, that glow has become a deeper fire. Now they don’t need to always bring up their beloved every time. They are now rooted in each other, freeing themselves up to be focused on other people.
The same with being Catholic.
Catholics who are still new to the journey usually want to relate everything back to a Catholic topic. They only want Catholic books, Catholic sites, Catholic information. They are either in love, or worry about losing that love. So they surround themselves with the safety and strength of good, healthy material.
The more mature Catholic realizes that Catholicism is not a barrier against the rest of the world. It is a lifeline that lets you go anywhere without getting lost.
That’s why passionate and practicing Catholics often feel free to simply enjoy a Saturday game. Watch a movie with friends. Enjoy the latest bestseller book. Go on hikes and activities.
They don’t need to make everything ‘overtly Catholic.’
For them, deep down, everything is charged with the grandeur of God. They focus on the presence of goodness, truth, and beauty wherever they find it.
Because those are the marks of God’s fingerprints in the world, our bodies, and the spiritual realm.
That is why we need a smart Catholic culture.
And that is why we built SmartCatholics.
We hope you’ll join us!
