Global I Honors: Spiconardi

Zoroaster [Zarathustra]As a young man,

Zoroaster had visions and conversations with divine beings.

He wanted to answer the question: Why should so much suffering and chaos exist in the world?

He began to wander & preach that Persians should making sacrifices to minor deities and treat animals more humanely in sacrifices.

BeliefsMonotheistic

There is one true god: Ahura Mazda Ahura Mazda is all good and all powerful Only he is worthy of being worshipped He is the creator of all that is seen and unseen

Good vs. EvilGood is represented by light, fire, & waterEvil is represented by darkness

Ahura Mazda’s twin Angra Mainyu [Ahriman]was banished from heaven and sent to hell where he reigns as the principle of evil

BeliefsAsha vs. Druj

Asha = The TruthDruj = LiesAll humans have a choice to either do good or evil

and will be judged by these choicesThe Book of Life

All your actions are recorded, so you can be judged when you die After death, your soul reflects for 3 days on your life You are then judged by 3 Zoroastrian figures: Mithra,

Sraosha, & Rashnu If you good deeds & thoughts outweigh your bad ones,

then your soul is taken to heaven

BeliefsThe Three Eras of the Universe

CreationThe Present World

Good and evil battle and the world is gradually transformed into heaven’s likeness

The Separation/Final Judgment Once good wins over evil, the two entities will be

separated and everything will be purified by goodness (even the occupants in hell will be released)

BeliefsThe Savior

A Saoshyant will be born of a virgin from the lineage of Zoroaster

The Saoshyant will raise the dead and judge everyone in the final judgment Sound familiar anyone? Yes? Now check this out…

BeliefsThe Cult of Mithra

Ahura Mazda sends Mithra from heaven to redeem the earth

Mithra is born on December 25 Mithraism competed with Christianity for followers

in the first century of the Common Era Cult of Mithras was more popular, especially with

Roman soldiers Eastern Orthodox Christianity borrowed many of the

cults practices

BeliefsThe Magi

Zoroastrian priests Absolved [forgave sins] Dealt out atonement & repentance

Where have you heard the term magi before?

Beliefs•The Tower of Silence

•Zoroastrians believe the dead body is unclean

•Also believe cut hair and nails are too

•A demon enters a dead body and contaminates everything it comes in contact with•Bodies are placed on a top of a tower where the sunlight and birds of prey dispose of the body

Practices

Fire is the symbol of divinity, so all ceremonies are performed in front of a fire

Spring Equinox is the most important holiday in the Zoroastrian calendarSymbolizes return of warmth and rebirth

Can worship in a temple or at homeNo requirement to worship in a temple

No proselytizingReligion should be unique to a given tribe

Zoroastrianism TodayMostly practiced in IndiaLess than 200,000 followers worldwideConsidered the most influential religion by many

historians (especially it’s influence on the Abrahamic religions)

Followers are called Parsi today