--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That is one of the flagrant…" description: "\"That is one of the flagrant misconceptions about Catholicism in America that if a man is a Catholic he owes allegiance to what they say a foreign sover..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_allegiance_that-is-one-of-the-flagrant-misconceptio_456755.png" --- # That is one of the flagrant misconceptions about… ![“That is one of the flagrant misconceptions about Catholicism in America that if a man is a Catholic he owes allegiance to what they say a foreign sovereign, or something like that.” quote by Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_allegiance_that-is-one-of-the-flagrant-misconceptio_456755.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_allegiance_that-is-one-of-the-flagrant-misconceptio_456755.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_allegiance_that-is-one-of-the-flagrant-misconceptio_456755.png) > “That is one of the flagrant misconceptions about Catholicism in America that if a man is a Catholic he owes allegiance to what they say a foreign sovereign, or something like that.” [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A common misunderstanding is that Catholics owe political loyalty to a foreign authority, which is a mischaracterization of their civic duties. **In simple terms:** People mistakenly think Catholics must follow a foreign ruler. Key Takeaway Recognize and correct misconceptions about religious civic loyalty. Themes religion politics misconception Mood critical inquisitive Type analytical educational When to use this quote - public discourse - interfaith dialogue - political engagement Key Concepts civic allegiance religious identity Questions to Reflect On - What evidence disproves this misconception? - How can we foster accurate understanding of religious civic roles? A Different Perspective Not all Catholics view religious authority as political. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Allegiance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allegiance/) [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Catholicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholicism/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Misconception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misconception/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Sovereign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sovereign/) ## Related quotes > [Every U.S. citizen owes allegiance to our nation. Some Americans consider that anything less than high treason is allegiance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cullen-hightower/every-u-s-citizen-owes-allegiance-to-our-nation-some-americans/) [Cullen Hightower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cullen-hightower/) > [A student under my care owes his first allegiance to himself and not to my specialty; and must not be burdened with my work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/a-student-under-my-care-owes-his-first-allegiance-to-himself-and-not/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [“I would find no value in the allegiance of a fool ready to give himself up to any old hag of Black Imagination who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-beddor/i-would-find-no-value-in-the-allegiance-of-a-fool-ready-to-give/) [Frank Beddor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-beddor/) > [Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. To destroy this invisible government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/behind-the-ostensible-government-sits-enthroned-an-invisible/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [“We're not to do everything man tells us to do. We are to obey the Lord Jesus Christ, and our allegiance to the state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-c-morecraft-iii/we-re-not-to-do-everything-man-tells-us-to-do-we-are-to-obey-the-lord/) [Joseph C. Morecraft III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-c-morecraft-iii/) > [All of us ... should remember that no amount of flag-waving, pledging allegiance, or fervent singing of the national anthem is evidence that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/all-of-us-should-remember-that-no-amount-of-flag-waving-pledging/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Let's do more than say the 'Pledge of Allegiance.' Let us live it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-cleaver/let-s-do-more-than-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-let-us-live-it/) [Emanuel Cleaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-cleaver/) > [“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the great Republic of America, to our Elector Primo, to our glorious states, to unity against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/i-pledge-allegiance-to-the-flag-of-the-great-republic-of-america-to/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) > [In my imaginary utopian world there would be a greater allegiance between music writers and musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-haines/in-my-imaginary-utopian-world-there-would-be-a-greater-allegiance/) [Emily Haines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-haines/) > [“We may give our human loves the unconditional allegiance which we owe only to God. Then they become gods: then they become demons. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/we-may-give-our-human-loves-the-unconditional-allegiance-which-we-owe/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [There is a congratulatory culture in the Gulf. From birth onwards, there is a culture of giving people trophies as markers of achievement for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayshay/there-is-a-congratulatory-culture-in-the-gulf-from-birth-onwards/) Ayshay > [They're counting on your patriotism to distract you from their plunder. They're counting on you to be standing at attention with your hand over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/they-re-counting-on-your-patriotism-to-distract-you-from-their/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [“The Pledge of Allegiance says 'liberty and justice for all'. Which part of 'all' don't you understand?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-schroeder/the-pledge-of-allegiance-says-liberty-and-justice-for-all-which-part/) Pat Schroeder > [I was under the influence of the early modern masters, Fitzgerald and Steinbeck and Hemingway, especially, when I was a kid. I reacted against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-stone/i-was-under-the-influence-of-the-early-modern-masters-fitzgerald-and/) [Robert Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-stone/) > [“Maybe it begins the day you pledge allegiance, face the flag and suddenly clutch your left clavicle because you find a tender puff of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-johnson/maybe-it-begins-the-day-you-pledge-allegiance-face-the-flag-and/) [Marilyn Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-johnson/) ## More by Reinhold Niebuhr > [There are evidently limits to the achievements of science; and there are irresolvable contradictions both between prosperity and virtue, and between happiness and ''the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/there-are-evidently-limits-to-the-achievements-of-science-and-there/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Perhapsthemost sublimeinsights oftheJewishprophets and the Christian gospel is the knowledge that since perfection is love, the apprehension of perfection is at once the means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/perhapsthemost-sublimeinsights-ofthejewishprophets-and-the-christian/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The essence of man is his freedom. Sin is committed in that freedom. Sin can therefore not be attributed to a defect in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-essence-of-man-is-his-freedom-sin-is-committed-in-that-freedom/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Liberalism makes this mistake in regard to private property and Marxism makes it in regard to socialized property... The Marxist illusion is partly derived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/liberalism-makes-this-mistake-in-regard-to-private-property-and/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Human beings are endowed by nature with both selfish and unselfish impulses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/human-beings-are-endowed-by-nature-with-both-selfish-and-unselfish/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [There are historic situations in which refusal to defend the inheritance of a civilization, however imperfect, against tyranny and aggression may result in consequences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/there-are-historic-situations-in-which-refusal-to-defend-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/god-grant-me-the-serenity-to-accept-the-things-i-cannot-change/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Freedom is necessary for two reasons. It's necessary for the individual, because the individual, no matter how good the society is, every individual has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/freedom-is-necessary-for-two-reasons-it-s-necessary-for-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The pretensions of final truth are always partlyan effort to obscure a darkly felt consciousness of the limits of human knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-pretensions-of-final-truth-are-always-partlyan-effort-to-obscure/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [All social cooperation on a larger scale than the most intimate social group requires a measure of coercion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale-than-the-most-intimate/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Man is always worse than most people suspect, but also generally better than most people dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/man-is-always-worse-than-most-people-suspect-but-also-generally/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [When a church reaches up beyond its group and tries to enforce its standards upon a society that doesn't accept these standards, and perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/when-a-church-reaches-up-beyond-its-group-and-tries-to-enforce-its/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [...(I)ndividual selfhood is expressed in the self's capacity for self-transcendence and not in its rational capacity for conceptual and analytic procedures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/i-ndividual-selfhood-is-expressed-in-the-self-s-capacity-for-self/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The whole art of politics consists in directing rationally the irrationalities of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-whole-art-of-politics-consists-in-directing-rationally-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Religion is so frequently a source of confusion in political life, and so frequently dangerous to democracy, precisely because it introduces absolutes into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/religion-is-so-frequently-a-source-of-confusion-in-political-life-and/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) [Explore all 200 Reinhold Niebuhr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) ## More Allegiance quotes > [“Maybe it begins the day you pledge allegiance, face the flag and suddenly clutch your left clavicle because you find a tender puff of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-johnson/maybe-it-begins-the-day-you-pledge-allegiance-face-the-flag-and/) [Marilyn Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-johnson/) > [I was under the influence of the early modern masters, Fitzgerald and Steinbeck and Hemingway, especially, when I was a kid. I reacted against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-stone/i-was-under-the-influence-of-the-early-modern-masters-fitzgerald-and/) [Robert Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-stone/) > [“The Pledge of Allegiance says 'liberty and justice for all'. Which part of 'all' don't you understand?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-schroeder/the-pledge-of-allegiance-says-liberty-and-justice-for-all-which-part/) Pat Schroeder > [They're counting on your patriotism to distract you from their plunder. They're counting on you to be standing at attention with your hand over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/they-re-counting-on-your-patriotism-to-distract-you-from-their/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [There is a congratulatory culture in the Gulf. From birth onwards, there is a culture of giving people trophies as markers of achievement for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayshay/there-is-a-congratulatory-culture-in-the-gulf-from-birth-onwards/) Ayshay > [“We may give our human loves the unconditional allegiance which we owe only to God. Then they become gods: then they become demons. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/we-may-give-our-human-loves-the-unconditional-allegiance-which-we-owe/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [In my imaginary utopian world there would be a greater allegiance between music writers and musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-haines/in-my-imaginary-utopian-world-there-would-be-a-greater-allegiance/) [Emily Haines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-haines/) > [“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the great Republic of America, to our Elector Primo, to our glorious states, to unity against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/i-pledge-allegiance-to-the-flag-of-the-great-republic-of-america-to/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) > [Let's do more than say the 'Pledge of Allegiance.' Let us live it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-cleaver/let-s-do-more-than-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-let-us-live-it/) [Emanuel Cleaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-cleaver/) > [All of us ... should remember that no amount of flag-waving, pledging allegiance, or fervent singing of the national anthem is evidence that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/all-of-us-should-remember-that-no-amount-of-flag-waving-pledging/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“We're not to do everything man tells us to do. We are to obey the Lord Jesus Christ, and our allegiance to the state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-c-morecraft-iii/we-re-not-to-do-everything-man-tells-us-to-do-we-are-to-obey-the-lord/) [Joseph C. Morecraft III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-c-morecraft-iii/) > [Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. To destroy this invisible government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/behind-the-ostensible-government-sits-enthroned-an-invisible/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [“I would find no value in the allegiance of a fool ready to give himself up to any old hag of Black Imagination who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-beddor/i-would-find-no-value-in-the-allegiance-of-a-fool-ready-to-give/) [Frank Beddor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-beddor/) > [Allegiance, after all, has to work two ways; and one can grow weary of an allegiance which is not reciprocal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/allegiance-after-all-has-to-work-two-ways-and-one-can-grow-weary-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think it is right for Canadians to be asked to show their faces when they're taking the oath. On revocation of citizenship, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-alexander/i-think-it-is-right-for-canadians-to-be-asked-to-show-their-faces/) [Chris Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-alexander/) [Browse all 409 Allegiance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allegiance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That is one of the flagrant misconceptions about Catholicism in America that if a man is a Catholic he owes allegiance to what they say a foreign sovereign, or something like that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Reinhold Niebuhr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/that-is-one-of-the-flagrant-misconceptions-about-catholicism-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Allegiance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/that-is-one-of-the-flagrant-misconceptions-about-catholicism-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_allegiance_that-is-one-of-the-flagrant-misconceptio_456755.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_allegiance_that-is-one-of-the-flagrant-misconceptio_456755.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_allegiance_that-is-one-of-the-flagrant-misconceptio_456755.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That is one of the flagrant misconceptions about Catholicism in America that if a man is a Catholic he owes…” — Reinhold Niebuhr", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Reinhold Niebuhr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That is one of the flagrant...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/that-is-one-of-the-flagrant-misconceptions-about-catholicism-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/that-is-one-of-the-flagrant-misconceptions-about-catholicism-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```