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Why did Zoroastrianism vanish?
- Thread starter Marble
- Start date
tumbleweed41
Resident Liberal Hippie
BruceDLimber
Well-Known Member
Zoroastrianism has never "vanished," and indeed still exists today!
Not only have I known a Zoroastrian friend, but there's a Zoroastrian community here in the DC area.
Peace,
Bruce
Octavia156
OTO/EGC
what he said.
Some religions seem to thrive because of social pressure, like Christianity in the face of Roman persecution. The idea of being in a righteously suffering minority does seem to hold some attraction to people.
Also, all non-Muslim faiths were taxed (and Muslims themselves were taxed under a different code), so unless they were treated particularly harshly or particularly targeted, I don't know why Zoroastrianism would succumb under taxation where other groups didn't.
That's a good point. I find the question intriguing in a more general sense, though. What makes some religions strong and widespread, and what dooms others to the sidelines and extinction?
Zoroastrianism has never "vanished," and indeed still exists today!
Not only have I known a Zoroastrian friend, but there's a Zoroastrian community here in the DC area.
Peace,
Bruce
Well, the OP asked for a reason other than Islam. Are you and gnostic saying that it really did just have to do with Islam? (I'm not saying that it didn't; I don't really know; just trying to clarify.)
Faiths and religions disappear all the time due to various reasons. There are probably millions of extinct religions and faiths.
swamplizard
Human
It might be argued that it still flourishes within the roots of many religions and thus continues through those.
best,
swampy
best,
swampy
Marble
Rolling Marble
But usually these were tribal religions without any scripture.Faiths and religions disappear all the time due to various reasons. There are probably millions of extinct religions and faiths.
That's another good point. I don't know anything about Zoroastrianism; really, nada. Is there any evidence that any of its teachings predate or were contemporary with the development of other religions, and therefore, may have been incorporated?
gnostic
The Lost One
falvlun said:
Well, the OP ask it if one or the other. I am sure that there could be other factors that cause the number of zoroastrians to dwindle.
Persians that remained with Zoroastrianism were treated like 2nd citizens in their own kingdom. The only way to survive is gather in small communities and live with being like lepers by Muslims or fight for more rights or convert to Islam. The 1st two ways could lead to their utter destruction because Muslims don't like others to get ahead of themselves and they be quite vindictive.
You have seen the way Muslims treat the Coptic Christians in Egypt, today. They are treated like 2nd citizens and the moment something happen to Muslims outside of Egypt, the Coptics get the blame and become their scapegoats for their "righteous" anger with the outside world. How many times have the Coptic churches being burned?
swamplizard
Human
arthra
Baha'i
As Bruce mentioned above there are still Zoroastrians ... A large Zoroastrian community in India known as Parsees.. and another less known community in Iran. I've known a Zoroastrian priest and his family for years..
It was the state religion of Persia for centuries... ending with the last Sassanid Empire which collapsed after the Arab conquest. Zoroastrians were tolerated under Muslim rule.
Some Zoroastrians in Iran converted to the Baha'i Faith so there are many Baha'is with Zoroastrian backgrounds.
The reason they don't seek converts more aggresively traditionally is that the community became more insular and had to survive as a minority and also they don't usually intermarry outside their religion... They feel that intermarriage might lead to conversion to the other religion.
Zuben Mehta the well known conductor was a Zoroastrian.
It was the state religion of Persia for centuries... ending with the last Sassanid Empire which collapsed after the Arab conquest. Zoroastrians were tolerated under Muslim rule.
Some Zoroastrians in Iran converted to the Baha'i Faith so there are many Baha'is with Zoroastrian backgrounds.
The reason they don't seek converts more aggresively traditionally is that the community became more insular and had to survive as a minority and also they don't usually intermarry outside their religion... They feel that intermarriage might lead to conversion to the other religion.
Zuben Mehta the well known conductor was a Zoroastrian.
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InquisitiveScholar
Wanting to learn it all..
I do know that this is an old thread, but allow me to post none the less. I studied Zoroastrianism for a long time. A couple of weeks ago I decided to covert. Although I have spiritually converted I have yet to be accepted into a temple because I have not done the initiation ceremony. Conversion is not impossible, just difficult. Some are so strict that it is truly impossible to covert, but the Western Zoroastrian temples tend to be more open to conversions. As for the actual history, it is very long, over 3500 years. Zoroastrianism was around before the enslavement of the Jews in Babylon (note Jews were never slaves in Egypt). Much of the Western monotheist ideas came from Zoroastrianism. The idea of a one true god was not even in the minds of the Jews until after the Achaemenid empire released them from their captivity. It was also the source for the ideas of the devil, as the great evil in the Zoroastrian faith is Angra Mainyu, Destructive Spirit.
Servant_of_the_One1
Well-Known Member
Most Persians came to realize islam was the truth.
If they were faithful to their religion i dont think islam would be majority now. Look at India, muslims ruled there too but the majority were still hindus.
If they were faithful to their religion i dont think islam would be majority now. Look at India, muslims ruled there too but the majority were still hindus.