Zoroastrianism?

Question

anyone know anything about this religion? like how the people who worshiped this religion lived. or when did it start?

Answer 1

This non-biased link may be of some help to you.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/zoroastr.htm

Blessings )O(

Answer 2

Practised by Persians. They worship fire. They were sadly driven out of their land by the ruthlessness of Islam. Today this country is called Iran. 250 of the Zoroastrians escaped the clutches of Islam and landed at Surat in Gujarat (India). These people are now known as Parsis having come from Persia. Even today there is a very large community of them in Mumbai.

Answer 3

It's the origin of the Christian heaven/hell -- good vs. evil. Many people still practice this religion.

Zoroastrian theology is strongly dualistic. In his visions, Zarathustra was taken up to heaven, where Ahura Mazda revealed that he had an opponent, Aura Mainyu, the spirit and promoter of evil. Ahura Mazda charged Zarathustra with the task of inviting all human beings to choose between him (good) and Aura Mainyu (evil). Consequently, Zoroastrianism is a highly ethical religion. Zarathustra taught that humans are free to choose between right and wrong, truth and lie, and light and dark, and that their acts, words, and thoughts would affect their lives after death. He was thus the first to promote a belief in two heavenly judgments: of the individual soul right after death and of all humankind after a general resurrection. His ideas of heaven, hell, and the resurrection of the body profoundly influenced Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Later Zoroastrianism conceived of an opposition between body and soul, though there was no suggestion in its theology that the body was evil and the soul was good. A wandering preacher from Mesopotamia named Mani developed those theories into an extreme form of dualism called Manichaeism.

Answer 4

YES I KNOW EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT ZOROASTRIANISM...First of all I would like to Thank You All ! for your great comments and your great answers , I read them all...My Name is Dariush , it's Darius in Greek and Dario In Spanish and European , it stands for Dariush The Great the King of Persian Empire , who ruled Persian Empire (The first and the greatest Empire in the history of mankind ) 300 years before Alexander ( The Great ) was born ...First of all Zoroastrianism was not a religion , it was a way of life before the Muslim Arabs attacked Persian Empire ...The Greeks and The Romans ( what I would call The West ) called Us the Fire Worshipers ! but this has been misunderstood ! They did not believe that Fire is GOD , which they knew exactly who GOD IS , because of the teachings of the Prophet Zartosh ! Zartosh , or Zarathustra was the founder of this Belief , who was born about 1500 B.C. Zarathustra was the Founder of Spirituality and so was The Great Jesus Christ ! and remember the ( 3 Kings ) who went to visit Jesus and Brought the gifts were Persian Priests, they were astrologers and they saw the explosion that happened in the sky ( The Star of Jesus ) now because they were Spiritual and they knew how the nature and universe works , they realized right away that this is a message from GOD Announcing that Another one of My Messenger has been just born ! now because those Persians Priests were astrologers they had the spiritual or what I would call the infinite intelligence guidance . they were able to find the location of were that soul is born ( Jesus Christ ) and the way they did it was simple , the star of Jesus was in Pisces , and pisces meant Jerusalem !!! now it's a long story that I don't want to get into right now , the point was to understand Who Persian Zoroastrians truly were , not by the writings of racist writters and historians...The very fact that you give gifts to each other on christmas is because of those Persian Priests , that brought the greetings and salutation To Master Jesus ! Jesus Christ and Zarathustra have come back to earth again , in different forms and many other great men/women like them have walked on earth and still are walking and forever will be among Us ...The concept of Fire to Zoroastrians have been truly misunderstood ! I've met many Persians that had no clue about the origin and ways of this belief that has almost been destroyed by the attack of Muslim Arabs and many others after them , Such as The Mongolians and the Turks and now The Islamic Republic of Iran ( the Current Regime in Iran , The Mullahs ! ) but it has NOT been completely destroyed because I still exist ! I am Persian and I Speak Parsi , which is Persian in english and I am not a Muslim but a True Zoroastrian ! Remember that : You never Die ! The Real You , the One within you ! never dies ! and knows everything , it's just it has to remember the things that have been forgotten...therefore you can NOT be distinct ! GOD has always been and Is and Will always be ! a couple of Wars will not make a true Warrior forget Who He Really Is ! But to remember Again !
Now about the Fire ! The Fire is the symbol of Purity and Clarity ! and the greatest Sybmol of Life ! for example : if you take away Sun from our solar system , what will happen ? every kind of life form will ( Die ) ! therefore Heat is one of the Secrets ! just as an egg needs the heat of the Hen ! Energy and Heat are mixed together ! The Persians knew about the theory of( Big Bang) , because they are considered officially the first astrologers and astronomers and scientists and matheticians and physicians and artists and whatever you name it ! I Live in Canada and I go to school here , and I noticed that in the west they teach that it is the greeks that started everything , but that is an illusion ! After Alexander attacked Persian Empire and Burned everything and took all the wealth ( The Golds...)...even burned the Holly Book of Zoroastrianism ( Avesta ) which was in the castle( Persepolis ) of Darius The 3rd... The Greeks they were smart people and they were aware of the knowledge of the Persians therefore it was an oppertunity for them to take advantage and learn themselves so they took everything back to Greece with them ( The Books of the Libraries ) therefore Persians know that the Universe started somewhere at some point ! and that Point was Big Bang ! it is the start of all ! the start of physicality and none-physicality! A Huge Explosion happened in the Universe ! which was GOD wanting to Experience itself in Everything and (nothing) and this great universe has been expanding ever since( Remember that it will never stop !!! )... ,and of course with that Explosion there was a lot of Heat and Fire ! ;) and even now a days in evey religion or faith there is always a candle lit ;) From Church to Spiritual practices, whatever you name it ....you always have a candle ( The Light ) while praying ! did you ever think Why ?! well My friends here is another Persian influence for you ;) Persians believed in the elements of nature such as : Fire , Wind , Water , Soil ( Earth )....They believed in One GOD , ( Ahura Mazda ) who created everything from the yonder sky to earth and Human and who created hapinnes for human beings and every other ( Being ) ;) Unfortunatly I have to run now , but I hope I didn't offend anyone with the information, that was just a brief info...I'm just telling you know the truth about History ! and as you say Truth can hurt ;) It hurt me a lot , to come back to earth and see what has happened !!! Now if there is anything that I could help you with , I would be more than honored ! I wish you all a Happy and Prosperous Life ! We shall All Build this Earth again with our Hands under the power and judgment of Goodness !
God Has always been with you and Is and will always be .so will YOU...

P. S. Persians come from the Arian Race , wich was part of 3 groups or tribes , one was Persians , another one was Medians and Parthians , these 3 different races migrated to centeral Asia about 10,000 years ago , Where Iran and Iraq is now, their main center was ( Babylon and Persia ) The Greeks Called these groups of people that were living in the grand Iran , Persians because Cyrus The Great , The establisher of Persian Empire Spoke Persian !! He Considered himself Iranian meaning his race , all those groups of different people were like families and cousins ( Arians ) and the Name Iran Comes from The Name Arian or Aria the Real pronunciation of is ( I like I am / Run , like runnig ) they were from dark to blond hair blue eyes ....which of course after the attack of Alexander some expended into Europe , Before that Europe wasn't so populated as it is now...

Answer 5

it was in the odd news the other day it's Indian....you know (bombay) mumbai. It's out there though when the practicioners die they get put out in this cemetary for vultures to eat them up. but theres been a environmental problem that is killing all the vultures so the corpses are stackingup and beginning to stink. the cemetary is in a now exclusive area of mumbai and the peole that live around there are beginning to complain about the stench. the zoroastrianites dont belive in being buried or creamated so......

Answer 6

Started in the Persian area. It is dying out but it is still practised. the New York Times Online had an article on it last week.

Answer 7

Very basic..they beleived in one god and they believed in just being good and doing good deeds end of story propbably the first monothiestic religion out there

Answer 8

It was preceded by Aryanism and followed by Mithraism.

I found the information from various sources. one invaluable source is the writings of Berosus. He was an ancient Chaldean priest of Baal Marduk. My findings below.

Aryanism, Zoroastrianism, & Mithraism

Aryans and Aryanism:
1) was formed around 2250BC by some who migrated from The Tower of Babel.
2) migrated across Russia, Turkey, Indonesia, Europe, Iran, and India.
3) Hitler and Nazis frequently quoted things pertaining to Aryanism to promote their agendas.

Aryanism and Zoroastrianism:
1) Zurvan is the neutral god who created destiny, good and evil, light and darkness, Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu.
2) are polytheistic but Ahura Mazda is worshipped as the highest god.
3) believe evil(chaos) and good(order) are equal powers locked in a dual.
4) condemn prostitution, homosexuality, and cruelty to animals.
5) Evil is personified in the form of a dragon, Angra Mainyu (chief devil, Ahriman), varying unholy creatures, and evil inclinations.
6) Believe an evil dragon is supposed to be loosed one day and destroy 1/3 of all mankind before its death.
7) Sacred texts of this religion are called the Avestas and Pahlavi.
8) Practice animal sacrifice.
9) taught that people of their faith and race were superior to all others.
10) Cows are viewed as holy gifts from god(s) and should not be harmed in any manner.
11) At the end of time, Ahura Mazda will defeat all evil forever and will resurrect all people who have ever died. Those that were impure or in Hell will be made pure along with good people, and will be allowed to live with good people forever as 15 year olds on a new earth.

More on Zoroastrianism:
1) was formed in either 1600 or 1200 BC
2) Zoroaster called good and evil “twins.”
3) Zoroaster claimed to be a prophet sent by the gods.
4) Zoroaster is also believed to be the founder of the orders of Magi.
5) Idols and images are prohibited.
6) Fire is viewed as the transformer that makes objects and beings appropriate for god(s).
7) Zoroaster prophesied that there would be 3 saviors who are supposed to be born of a bathing virgin by Zoroaster's preserved sperm in the water.
8) Zoroaster spoke a lot of his conversations with god and angels.
9) In ZoroastrianTemples, fire is constantly kept burning by priests who cover their faces to keep the fire pure.

Mithra and Mithraism:
1) Began around 800BC, 70BC, or late 1st century AD
2) Mithra is Ahura Mazda's son who was born from a cave rock and helps Ahura Mazda fight evil. (Agnostic sources state he was born of a virgin)
3) Birthday is celebrated December 25th.
4) Mithra is believed to be the mediator between Ahura Mazda and man, and between Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu.
5) is very similar to Masonry.
6) Believe that living things were created when Mithra killed a bull created by Ahura Mazda.
7) Mithra is supposed to be the one who Ahura Mazda will send to deliver immortality to humans at the end of time.
8) Mithra will come and declare himself undefeated when evil is destroyed.
9) Women weren't allowed to join this religion.
10) Agnostic sources state that he had 12 disciples, began a practice similar to the passover or Holy Communion, and died repeatedly and resurrected. I haven't found any sources beyond agnostic that reveal this.
11) Practiced by Roman legions.

Christian Response:
1) Aryanism, Zoroastrianism, and Mithraism are religions constructed by Satan and his demons to deceive man.
2) Adam, Eve, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, and Shem all predated these 3 false religions. Relationship with the True God predated all religions. Judaism and Christianity are the continuances of the original true religion. Christianity is completed Judaism as well as completed relationship with God. All other religions are counterfeits.
3) The first written account of the bread and wine ceremony can be found in Genesis 14 when Melchizedek brought bread and wine to Abraham around 2000BC.

Works Cited:
Wikipedia.com
Funk and Wagnall’s Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia Britannica
Pantheon.org
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10402a.htm
http://www.biblefacts.org/history/mithras.html

Answer 9

I think it is an exclusive club. Like you have to be born into it. Persian, I believe?

Answer 10

An old Persian Rite.

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