--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe that Judaism was an improvement…" description: "\"I believe that Judaism was an improvement on polytheism; Christianity was an improvement on Judaism (to some degree and in some departments only); that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/thomas-ferguson-45184_believe_i-believe-that-judaism-was-an-improvemen_2339270.jpg" --- # I believe that Judaism was an improvement on polytheism… ![“I believe that Judaism was an improvement on polytheism; Christianity was an improvement on Judaism (to some degree and in some departments only); that Protestantism is an improvement on Catholicism; that Mormonism is an improvement on Protestantism. So I give Joseph Smith credit as an innovator…” quote by Thomas Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/thomas-ferguson-45184_believe_i-believe-that-judaism-was-an-improvemen_2339270.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/thomas-ferguson-45184_believe_i-believe-that-judaism-was-an-improvemen_2339270.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/thomas-ferguson-45184_believe_i-believe-that-judaism-was-an-improvemen_2339270.jpg) > “I believe that Judaism was an improvement on polytheism; Christianity was an improvement on Judaism (to some degree and in some departments only); that Protestantism is an improvement on Catholicism; that Mormonism is an improvement on Protestantism. So I give Joseph Smith credit as an innovator and as a smart fellow.” [Thomas Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ferguson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote outlines a view of religious evolution as a series of improvements, assigning credit to Joseph Smith as an innovator. **In simple terms:** Religion seen as progressive upgrades, with Smith noted as inventive. Key Takeaway Consider how ideas build on predecessors. Themes religion evolution innovation comparative theology progress historical analysis Mood analytical critical thoughtful Type philosophical comparative When to use this quote - academic discussion - interfaith dialogue - education - personal belief formation - critical analysis Key Concepts theology historical development comparative religion Questions to Reflect On - What criteria define “improvement” in faith? - How do cultural contexts affect religious change? A Different Perspective The view may oversimplify complex traditions and ignore internal diversity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Catholicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholicism/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Credit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credit/) [Degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degrees/) [Department](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/department/) [Fellows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellows/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement/) [Improvement Polytheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement-polytheism-5656110/) [Improvement Protestantism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement-protestantism-5656111/) [Innovators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovators/) [Joseph smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joseph-smith/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Judaism Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism-improvement-5656113/) [Mormonism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mormonism/) [Mormonism Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mormonism-improvement-5656112/) [Polytheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polytheism/) [Protestantism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protestantism/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) ## Related quotes > [“The first extraterrestrial invasion (Gen. 6:4) initiated polytheism after Noah’s Flood (around 2350 BC). Through the early influences of philosophy (600 BC), the false…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-w-mardis/the-first-extraterrestrial-invasion-gen-6-4-initiated-polytheism/) [Jeffrey W. Mardis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-w-mardis/) > [“The Qur’ān began by criticizing two closely related aspects of that society: the polytheism or multiplicity of gods which was symptomatic of the segmentation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fazlur-rahman/the-qur-n-began-by-criticizing-two-closely-related-aspects-of-that/) [Fazlur Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fazlur-rahman/) > [“Know, child, that the One God—He is so vast that He cannot be moved, else the Universe falls. Nor can He answer, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/know-child-that-the-one-god-he-is-so-vast-that-he-cannot-be-moved/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [It must appear impossible, that theism could, from reasoning, have been the primary religion of human race, and have afterwards, by its corruption, given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/it-must-appear-impossible-that-theism-could-from-reasoning-have-been/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > ["You ought to be ashamed," a woman in an Easter bonnet told Stein. "Your race gave us our religion..." "From ancient polytheism, the belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/you-ought-to-be-ashamed-a-woman-in-an-easter-bonnet-told-stein-your/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [Idolatry, then, is always polytheism, an aimless passing from one lord to another. Idolatry does not offer a journey but rather a plethora of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/idolatry-then-is-always-polytheism-an-aimless-passing-from-one-lord/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [The idea of polytheism is grounded in the view that reality (divine or otherwise) is multiple and diverse... Polytheism has allowed a multitude of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-adler/the-idea-of-polytheism-is-grounded-in-the-view-that-reality-divine-or/) [Margot Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-adler/) > [“To Judaism Christians ascribe the glory of having been the first religion to teach a pure monotheism. But monotheism existed long before the Jews…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-remsburg/to-judaism-christians-ascribe-the-glory-of-having-been-the-first/) [John E. Remsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-remsburg/) > [The deepest difference between religions is not that between polytheism and monotheism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kaufmann/the-deepest-difference-between-religions-is-not-that-between/) [Walter Kaufmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kaufmann/) > [I do not know much about Mohammed or Mohammedanism. I do not take the Koran to bed with me every night. But, if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/i-do-not-know-much-about-mohammed-or-mohammedanism-i-do-not-take-the/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [“Provided the gods of Rome are given their due, it doesn't really matter to them whether their worshippers believe in them or not. Having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-matyszak/provided-the-gods-of-rome-are-given-their-due-it-doesn-t-really/) [Philip Matyszak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-matyszak/) > [I studied the Quran a great deal. I came away from that study with the conviction that by and large there have been few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-studied-the-quran-a-great-deal-i-came-away-from-that-study-with-the/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [I studied the Koran a great deal. I came away from that study with the conviction there have been few religions in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-studied-the-koran-a-great-deal-i-came-away-from-that-study-with-the/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [“. . . In all parts of our globe, fanatics have cut each other's throats, publicly burnt each other, committed without a scruple and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-d-holbach/in-all-parts-of-our-globe-fanatics-have-cut-each-other-s-throats/) [Baron D'Holbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-d-holbach/) > [“A state of scepticism and suspense may amuse a few inquisitive minds. But the practice of superstition is so congenial to the multitude, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/a-state-of-scepticism-and-suspense-may-amuse-a-few-inquisitive-minds/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) ## More by Thomas Ferguson > [There is a single theme behind all our work-we must reduce population levels,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ferguson/there-is-a-single-theme-behind-all-our-work-we-must-reduce-population/) [Thomas Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ferguson/) > [I wonder what really goes on in the minds of Church leadership who know of the data concerning the Book of Abraham, the new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ferguson/i-wonder-what-really-goes-on-in-the-minds-of-church-leadership-who/) [Thomas Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ferguson/) > [There is a single theme behind all our work-we must reduce population levels. 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You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. 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And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I believe that Judaism was an improvement on polytheism; Christianity was an improvement on Judaism (to some degree and in some departments only); that Protestantism is an improvement on Catholicism; that Mormonism is an improvement on Protestantism. 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