Abraham Quote by Washington Irving
““It was his belief, furthermore, that this religion, so elevated and simple, had repeatedly been corrupted and debased by man, and especially outraged by idolatry; wherefore a succession of prophets, each inspired by a revelation from the Most High, had been sent from time to time, and at distant periods, to restore it to its original purity. Such was Noah, such was Abraham, such was Moses, and such was Jesus Christ. By each of these, the true religion had been reinstated upon earth, but had again been vitiated by their followers. The faith, as taught and practiced by Abraham when he came out of the land of Chaldea, seems especially to have formed a religious standard in his mind, from his veneration for the patriarch as the father of Ishmael, the progenitor of his race.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. by Washington Irving, 1819
Religion is seen as repeatedly corrupted by humanity, requiring prophets to restore its pure form, yet followers again taint it.
In simple terms: Religion gets corrupted, prophets try to restore it, but followers spoil it again.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the cycle of purity and corruption in belief systems.
Themes
religion
corruption
prophets
human nature
history
Mood
reflective
critical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
historical
When to use this quote
- religious reform
- interfaith dialogue
- historical analysis
- spiritual education
Key Concepts
theology
restoration
faith cycles
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies preserve core teachings without distortion?
- What role do followers play in maintaining purity?
A Different Perspective
Even prophets cannot prevent later distortion by followers.
![“But it is doubtless true, and evident from [the] Scriptures, that the essence of all true religion lies in holy love; and that in this divine affection, and an habitual disposition to it, and that light which is the foundation of it, and those things which are the fruits of it, consists the whole…” quote by Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2fd/jonathan-edwards-770_affection_but-it-is-doubtless-true-and-evident-fro_82879.jpg)
![“Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not going to allow a con artist to take over the party of [Abraham] Lincoln and [Ronald] Reagan.” quote by Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c6a/marco-rubio-355_abraham_donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nomi_14750.jpg)
