--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Religions become corrupted when leaders…" description: "\"Religions become corrupted when leaders are assigned to explain God's will to people instead of showing them how to find this direction within themselv..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/james-redfield-4938_corrupted_religions-become-corrupted-when-leaders_2379203.jpg" --- # Religions become corrupted when leaders are assigned to… ![“Religions become corrupted when leaders are assigned to explain God's will to people instead of showing them how to find this direction within themselves.” quote by James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/james-redfield-4938_corrupted_religions-become-corrupted-when-leaders_2379203.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/james-redfield-4938_corrupted_religions-become-corrupted-when-leaders_2379203.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/james-redfield-4938_corrupted_religions-become-corrupted-when-leaders_2379203.jpg) > “Religions become corrupted when leaders are assigned to explain God's will to people instead of showing them how to find this direction within themselves.” [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When religious authority replaces personal spiritual discovery, doctrine becomes corrupt. **In simple terms:** Leaders should guide, not dictate, personal faith. Key Takeaway Seek inner guidance over external authority. Themes spirituality authority corruption Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - religious education - personal meditation - spiritual counseling Key Concepts personal revelation institutional critique Questions to Reflect On - How can individuals balance guidance with personal insight? - What risks arise when faith is delegated to leaders? A Different Perspective External authority can stifle personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Corrupted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corrupted/) [Corrupted Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corrupted-leaders-613747/) [Explain God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explain-god-1122840/) [God 's will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-s-will/) [God People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-people-258801/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religions Corrupted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religions-corrupted-3121425/) ## Related quotes > [Many cults start off with high ideals that get corrupted by leaders or their board of advisors who become power-hungry and dominate and control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/many-cults-start-off-with-high-ideals-that-get-corrupted-by-leaders/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [Obviously all religions get corrupted by man. The initial ideas are interesting but once they get organized they seem to become about politics and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-dillon/obviously-all-religions-get-corrupted-by-man-the-initial-ideas-are/) [Matt Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-dillon/) > [“Maggie thinks it's part of God's plan like God has people murdered and tortured for some inexplicable reason that we will all have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-blizzard/maggie-thinks-it-s-part-of-god-s-plan-like-god-has-people-murdered/) [RJ Blizzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-blizzard/) > [ \[A God-thing is\] when something happens in your life, and you look at it and can't explain how or why it happened, but you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-jones-gunn/a-god-thing-is-when-something-happens-in-your-life-and-you-look-at-it/) [Robin Jones Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-jones-gunn/) > [I do not know any way to explain why God's grace touches a man who seems unworthy of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whittaker-chambers/i-do-not-know-any-way-to-explain-why-god-s-grace-touches-a-man-who/) [Whittaker Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whittaker-chambers/) > [It is not easy to explain why God permits evil; but it is impossible for an atheist to explain the existence of goodness. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/it-is-not-easy-to-explain-why-god-permits-evil-but-it-is-impossible/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“If more of those who had set themselves to explain God’s ways through the years had devoted a greater portion of their energies to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-r-phillips/if-more-of-those-who-had-set-themselves-to-explain-god-s-ways-through/) [Michael R. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-r-phillips/) > [“Ask a believer to explain how their God could provide them a great parking spot at Wal-Mart; yet allow six million people to die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/ask-a-believer-to-explain-how-their-god-could-provide-them-a-great/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“Father, Son, and Holy Spirit remind us that there is always more of God than we know, always more of God than we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-r-steagald/father-son-and-holy-spirit-remind-us-that-there-is-always-more-of-god/) [Thomas R. Steagald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-r-steagald/) > [“like when he had tried to explain how this God of theirs was somehow three gods and one at the same time. It left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helene-wecker/like-when-he-had-tried-to-explain-how-this-god-of-theirs-was-somehow/) [Helene Wecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helene-wecker/) > [“A Jesus Follower can explain our "One God in Three Persons" is like an "equilateral triangle". Both have three, conjoined, and distinct but identical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-f-patton/a-jesus-follower-can-explain-our-one-god-in-three-persons-is-like-an/) [Gary F. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-f-patton/) > [I agree we have enough books that attempt to explain why God allows suffering, presumably in a way that lets God off the hook.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/i-agree-we-have-enough-books-that-attempt-to-explain-why-god-allows/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [The beauty of religious mania is that it has the power to explain everything. Once God (or Satan) is accepted as the first cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-beauty-of-religious-mania-is-that-it-has-the-power-to-explain-2/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The beauty of religious mania is that it has the power to explain everything. Once God (or Satan) is accepted as the first cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-beauty-of-religious-mania-is-that-it-has-the-power-to-explain/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Oh the folly of any mind that would explain God before obeying Him! That would map out the character of God instead of crying,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/oh-the-folly-of-any-mind-that-would-explain-god-before-obeying-him/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## More by James Redfield > [“I could see clearly that this growing belligerence was an aberration, coming not from intention, but from the Fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/i-could-see-clearly-that-this-growing-belligerence-was-an-aberration/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [You will learn that at higher levels of energy, our fields of prayer act very quickly to bring us exactly what we expect. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/you-will-learn-that-at-higher-levels-of-energy-our-fields-of-prayer/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [Fundamentalists from every religion have to be replaced, have to be disempowered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/fundamentalists-from-every-religion-have-to-be-replaced-have-to-be/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [When love first happens, the individuals are giving each other energy unconsciously and both people feel buoyant and elated. That's the incredible high we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/when-love-first-happens-the-individuals-are-giving-each-other-energy/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [“We humans always seem to take a manipulative posture. No matter what the particulars of the situation, or the subject matter, we prepare ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/we-humans-always-seem-to-take-a-manipulative-posture-no-matter-what/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [Beauty is something we can affirm and intend to have more of. What happens then is our perceptual ability, no matter where we are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/beauty-is-something-we-can-affirm-and-intend-to-have-more-of-what/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [Such growth will move humans into ever-higher energy states, ultimately transforming our bodies into spiritual form and uniting this dimension of existence with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/such-growth-will-move-humans-into-ever-higher-energy-states/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [Where Attention goes Energy flows; Where Intention goes Energy flows!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/where-attention-goes-energy-flows-where-intention-goes-energy-flows/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [The universe is energy, energy that responds to our expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/the-universe-is-energy-energy-that-responds-to-our-expectations/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [Our children take our level of vibration and raise it even higher. This is how we, as humans, continue evolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/our-children-take-our-level-of-vibration-and-raise-it-even-higher/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [“We’re cutting corners, maximizing short-term profits”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/we-re-cutting-corners-maximizing-short-term-profits/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [“Working to establish a more comfortable style of survival has grown to feel complete in and of itself as a reason to live, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/working-to-establish-a-more-comfortable-style-of-survival-has-grown/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [In the '90s, we are all our own gurus, offering truth to each other. My message is that we all have a truth inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/in-the-90s-we-are-all-our-own-gurus-offering-truth-to-each-other-my/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [I try not to recommend too many books, frankly, because I think there's a certain synchronicity that happens when people discover books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/i-try-not-to-recommend-too-many-books-frankly-because-i-think-there-s/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [“Healing in its essence is about breaking through the fears associated with life—fears”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/healing-in-its-essence-is-about-breaking-through-the-fears-associated/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) [Explore all 102 James Redfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) ## More Corrupted quotes > [The government is corrupted. It's corrupted. It is not about regular people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-schmidt/the-government-is-corrupted-it-s-corrupted-it-is-not-about-regular/) [Steve Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-schmidt/) > [The whole idea of the pursuit of goods and possessions has completely corrupted the human experience, along with religion, which I think limits the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/the-whole-idea-of-the-pursuit-of-goods-and-possessions-has-completely/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Whenever the speech is corrupted so is the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whenever-the-speech-is-corrupted-so-is-the-mind/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My mind corrupted but my heart is still pure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cj-fly/my-mind-corrupted-but-my-heart-is-still-pure/) [CJ Fly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cj-fly/) > [“Plantations of good morals are easily captivated, colonized and corrupted by the pests of a bad company. Spray away bad companies and you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/plantations-of-good-morals-are-easily-captivated-colonized-and/) [israelmore ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“When mystical elements are introduced into morality, the whole system ends up being corrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/when-mystical-elements-are-introduced-into-morality-the-whole-system/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“The U.S. financial markets had always been either corrupt or about to be corrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/the-u-s-financial-markets-had-always-been-either-corrupt-or-about-to/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [Even cohabitation has been corrupted - by marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/even-cohabitation-has-been-corrupted-by-marriage/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Have you ever found in history, one single example of a nation, thoroughly corrupted, that was afterwards restored to virtue? And without virtue there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/have-you-ever-found-in-history-one-single-example-of-a-nation/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [I am corrupted to the bone with the beauty of this forsaken world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/i-am-corrupted-to-the-bone-with-the-beauty-of-this-forsaken-world/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [Hey you.Fix your corrupted mind before you trying to fix me! You sucks. Yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farishta/hey-you-fix-your-corrupted-mind-before-you-trying-to-fix-me-you-sucks/) [Farishta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farishta/) > [Oh how unhappy is the prince served by such men who are so easily corrupted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/oh-how-unhappy-is-the-prince-served-by-such-men-who-are-so-easily/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [“I could no longer be equated with the Virgin Mary. I had been corrupted. I was like everyone else. My stone-casting credibility had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-simsion/i-could-no-longer-be-equated-with-the-virgin-mary-i-had-been/) [Graeme Simsion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-simsion/) > [My wide eyes make me look much younger without make-up, and although it's fun to have a line in innocence corrupted, I doubt I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talulah-riley/my-wide-eyes-make-me-look-much-younger-without-make-up-and-although/) [Talulah Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talulah-riley/) > [I love Winston Churchill. I love the wisdom he had, the sagacity. I like people who are independent-minded. People who aren't part of clans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lapo-elkann/i-love-winston-churchill-i-love-the-wisdom-he-had-the-sagacity-i-like/) [Lapo Elkann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lapo-elkann/) [Browse all 98 Corrupted quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corrupted/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Religions become corrupted when leaders are assigned to explain God's will to people instead of showing them how to find this direction within themselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Redfield" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/religions-become-corrupted-when-leaders-are-assigned-to-explain-god-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Corrupted" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/religions-become-corrupted-when-leaders-are-assigned-to-explain-god-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/james-redfield-4938_corrupted_religions-become-corrupted-when-leaders_2379203.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/james-redfield-4938_corrupted_religions-become-corrupted-when-leaders_2379203.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/james-redfield-4938_corrupted_religions-become-corrupted-when-leaders_2379203.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Religions become corrupted when leaders are assigned to explain God's will to people instead of showing them…” — James Redfield", "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": "James Redfield", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Religions become corrupted when leaders are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/religions-become-corrupted-when-leaders-are-assigned-to-explain-god-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/religions-become-corrupted-when-leaders-are-assigned-to-explain-god-s/#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 } } ] } ```