Zoroastrianism & Iran

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- Rashna
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Zoroastrianism & Iran
OP - March 11, 2009, 06:49 PM

Hugh Fitzgerald has a new suggestion for Iran.

www.iranian.ws/cgi-bin/iran_news/exec/view.cgi/6/13539

World renowned historian Will Durant"...the Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization is a precious good, whose delicate complex order and freedom can at any moment be overthrown..."
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Re: Zoroastrianism & Iran
Reply #1 - March 11, 2009, 10:32 PM

So wait, he's advocating abandoning one religion to accept an older one that came from the same country? Why not simply abandon the mental bondage of religion altogether?

"At 8:47 I do a grenade jump off a ladder."
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Re: Zoroastrianism & Iran
Reply #2 - March 12, 2009, 05:14 AM

Quote from: Pazuzu on March 11, 2009, 10:32 PM
So wait, he's advocating abandoning one religion to accept an older one that came from the same country? Why not simply abandon the mental bondage of religion altogether?

Maybe because humans don't function like that, at least till date have never been like that. We can't figure out our relation with the world until we properly define ourselves, until we find satisfactory answers to the question of "Who am I?" we can't relate to the world around us. Even in countries' like Norway or Sweden, where a large % of the population disbelieves in God, you can see people in Lutheran Churches in Christmas, babies are most often baptised even if born out of wedlock, & there remains a lingering attachment to the Christian Lutheran faith.

Iran, on top of that is a relatively poorer nation, & Islam is for them religion, ethical basis & cultural heritage. If Islam is removed, there's bound to be a big hole, in their societies & hearts, which can be filled by the other biggie, Christianity or by Zoroastrianism which is rooted to their soil.

For an old & proud people like Iranians, to become Christian might seem like becoming Western, to finally succumb to the very forces they waged their wars against.

And it will lead a lot of people like Sparky & Diotima to gloat, which I certainly won't like!!!

To become Zoroastrian, on the other hand, will give them a God, moral underpinnings & a sense that they still retain their age old culture, they still remain different-distinct.

And Zoroastrianism doesn't require jihad, nor does it require its followers to hate Jews, the Zorosatrians were Zionists when they gave the Jews their lands 2600 years ago, so it could well be a viable alternative, and a nice one.

World renowned historian Will Durant"...the Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization is a precious good, whose delicate complex order and freedom can at any moment be overthrown..."
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Re: Zoroastrianism & Iran
Reply #3 - March 12, 2009, 07:11 AM

Quote from: Pazuzu on March 11, 2009, 10:32 PM
So wait, he's advocating abandoning one religion to accept an older one that came from the same country? Why not simply abandon the mental bondage of religion altogether?

As Rashna says, if Islam disappears from Iranian lives it will leave a gap.

People tend to adhere to belief systems: As a basis for their social identity, and as a source of moral values and spiritual meaning. Even without the "mental bondage of religion" people will quickly design and enforce a new system of beliefs, perhaps with improved results and perhaps not.

In any case, better to follow Zoroastrianism than Islam.

"It may happen that the enemies of Islam may consider it expedient not to take any action against Islam, if Islam leaves them alone in their geographical boundaries... But Islam cannot agree to this unless they submit to its authority by paying Jizyah"

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Re: Zoroastrianism & Iran
Reply #4 - March 12, 2009, 10:06 AM

But which aspects of Zoroastrianism do they follow? The ones that those who fled to India to escape Islamic persecution now follow? The original vision of Zarathustra, which was pure monotheism? The later Magian influence which pits a supreme evil force in equal opposition to Ahura Mazda? Do they keep to the traditions of not burying the dead and instead leaving them on hilltops for vultures to eat?

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Re: Zoroastrianism & Iran
Reply #5 - March 12, 2009, 10:22 AM

Quote from: Pazuzu on March 12, 2009, 10:06 AM
But which aspects of Zoroastrianism do they follow? The ones that those who fled to India to escape Islamic persecution now follow? The original vision of Zarathustra, which was pure monotheism? The later Magian influence which pits a supreme evil force in equal opposition to Ahura Mazda? Do they keep to the traditions of not burying the dead and instead leaving them on hilltops for vultures to eat?

I'm not an Iranian Neo Zoroastrian, so I don't know the aspects followed by them. The Indian Parsis don't bury their dead, but have a special region, where they do leave their dead for vultures to eat.

Before you consider practice this repulsive( I'm not saying that you do, just that some people do find it unsavoury) practically any last rites can be repulsive to those who don't do it. The dead decomposing slowly in a grave can be just as repulsive to those who don't do it.

What matters is how the religion teaches one to lead his\her life, what emotional sustenance it provides in times of distress, & how satisfactory its answers to our life's questions are.

The tiny Zoroastrian community is extremely well off & industrious, no abhorrent practices are committed by them & the practices & laws of a Zoroastrian Iran seems likely to be infinitely superior than that of the current Shia theocracy.

World renowned historian Will Durant"...the Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization is a precious good, whose delicate complex order and freedom can at any moment be overthrown..."
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Re: Zoroastrianism & Iran
Reply #6 - March 12, 2009, 11:20 AM

I thought Iran was thinking about bringing the law of death penalty for apostates back?

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Re: Zoroastrianism & Iran
Reply #7 - March 12, 2009, 11:38 AM

Quote from: PeruvianSkies on March 12, 2009, 11:20 AM
I thought Iran was thinking about bringing the law of death penalty for apostates back?

The law is back unfortunately, it makes individual apostasy difficult... but hey, there could be a mass revolt someday, how many will the Mullahs manage to kill?

The mullahcracy tries to whip up patriotic fervour once in a while to delay the Revolt, & this is another area where Zoroastrianism can help , coz the great Zoroastrian King Cyrus gave the Jews their lands in Israel two millennia & a half ago!

If Iranians' choose Zoroastrianism, they'll want to ape their Zoroastrian ancestors & side with the Jews, rather than ape their Arab onetime conquerors, who're creating a mighty fuss over Israel!

World renowned historian Will Durant"...the Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization is a precious good, whose delicate complex order and freedom can at any moment be overthrown..."
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