--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As soon as a religion comes to dominate…" description: "\"As soon as a religion comes to dominate it has as its opponents all those who would have been its first disciples.\" — Friedrich Nietzsche" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/friedrich-nietzsche-15_disciple_as-soon-as-a-religion-comes-to-dominate_838268.jpg" --- # As soon as a religion comes to dominate it has as its… ![“As soon as a religion comes to dominate it has as its opponents all those who would have been its first disciples.” quote by Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/friedrich-nietzsche-15_disciple_as-soon-as-a-religion-comes-to-dominate_838268.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/friedrich-nietzsche-15_disciple_as-soon-as-a-religion-comes-to-dominate_838268.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/friedrich-nietzsche-15_disciple_as-soon-as-a-religion-comes-to-dominate_838268.jpg) > “As soon as a religion comes to dominate it has as its opponents all those who would have been its first disciples.” [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When a religion becomes dominant, its early followers become its critics. **In simple terms:** Early followers turn into opponents. Key Takeaway Watch for dissent from former allies. Themes religion power opposition Mood reflective critical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - political movements - religious reforms - community leadership Key Concepts dogma social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does power change relationships? - Can early supporters become critics? A Different Perspective Dominance can breed resistance from within. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disciple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disciple/) [Disciples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disciples/) [Dominate Opponents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dominate-opponents-619484/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Opponents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opponents/) [Opponents Disciples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opponents-disciples-619482/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Comes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-comes-400411/) [Soon Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soon-religion-619483/) ## Related quotes > [As soon as a religion comes todominate, it has as its opponents all those who would have been its earliest disciples.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-soon-as-a-religion-comes-todominate-it-has-as-its-opponents-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You've probably never seen me smile after winning a decision and you never will because that's not what I am there to do. 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Be your own disciplinarian.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/it-is-one-thing-being-disciplined-to-plan-and-it-is-another-thing/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Curiously, the righteous Pharisees had little historical impact, save for a brief time in a remote corner of the Roman Empire. But Jesus' disciples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/curiously-the-righteous-pharisees-had-little-historical-impact-save/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) ## More by Friedrich Nietzsche > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Every select man strives instinctively for a citadel and a privacy, where he is FREE from the crowd, the many, the majority-- where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-select-man-strives-instinctively-for-a-citadel-and-a-privacy/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. 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A soul which knows that it is loved, but does not itself love, betrays its sediment: its dregs come up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/79-a-soul-which-knows-that-it-is-loved-but-does-not-itself-love/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [We deceive ourselves when giving respect to the person for whom we have surrendered ourselves, when we respectively expect them to be as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-deceive-ourselves-when-giving-respect-to-the-person-for-whom-we/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“The great periods of our life occur when we gain the courage to rechristen what is bad about us as what is best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-great-periods-of-our-life-occur-when-we-gain-the-courage-to/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“What is life? 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Where the meaning is obscured, then readers give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/writers-whose-thoughts-are-expressed-with-clarity-and-precision-are/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“he does not wear a twitching, mobile, human face, but rather a mask, as it were, with its features in dignified equilibrium; he does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/he-does-not-wear-a-twitching-mobile-human-face-but-rather-a-mask-as/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Chastity is a virtue with some, but with many it is almost a vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/chastity-is-a-virtue-with-some-but-with-many-it-is-almost-a-vice/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The earth is like the breasts of a woman: useful as well as pleasing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-earth-is-like-the-breasts-of-a-woman-useful-as-well-as-pleasing/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Of all that is written I love only what a man has written in his own blood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/of-all-that-is-written-i-love-only-what-a-man-has-written-in-his-own/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [No shepherd and one herd! Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/no-shepherd-and-one-herd-everybody-wants-the-same-everybody-is-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Pain makes hens and poets cackle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/pain-makes-hens-and-poets-cackle/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) [Explore all 3,486 Friedrich Nietzsche quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More Disciple quotes > [Curiously, the righteous Pharisees had little historical impact, save for a brief time in a remote corner of the Roman Empire. 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He left a will in which He gave His soul to His Father, His body to Joseph of Arimathea, His clothes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/christ-died-he-left-a-will-in-which-he-gave-his-soul-to-his-father/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [It is conceivable that God might have ordained to preach the Gospel directly to man through dreams, visions and revelations. But as a matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-oswald-sanders/it-is-conceivable-that-god-might-have-ordained-to-preach-the-gospel/) [J. 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