Basic
Worldview:
104
Why Christianity?
Propositional
Religions 6 -
Babism and Baha'ism, Zoroastrianism
Propositional
Religions 1 - Deism, Pantheism, and Naturalism
Propositional Religions 2 - Intro,
Hinduism, Buddhism
Propositional Religions 3 - Jainism,
Taoism
Propositional Religions 4 - Shintoism,
Confucianism
Propositional Religions 5 - Sikhism
Propositional Religions 6 - Babism
and Baha'ism, Zoroastrianism
Propositional Religions 7 - Neopaganism,
Mysticism (Syncretism)
Propositional Religions 8 - Mysticism
Propositional Religions 9 - Mysticism, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism
Introduction | Section 1
| Section 2 | Section
3
Babism and Baha'ism
Babism and Baha'ism are two closely related offshoots of Islamic
tradition. Baha'ism develops from Babism. Because of their
interdependency we will cover them together, beginning with
Babism. As will become quickly apparent, both religions have
historically verifiable origins. Therefore, what will become
critical as we assess them is whether the evidence available
regarding their origin and beliefs substantiates or undermines
the accuracy of their claims.
Babism developed in the mid-19th century from a particular
belief of Shi'i Islam regarding the imams of Islam.
"Imam - 1: the prayer leader of a mosque 2:
a Muslim leader of the line of Ali held by Shiites to be the
divinely appointed, sinless, infallible successors of Muhammad
3: any of various rulers that claim descent from Muhammad
and exercise spiritual and temporal leadership over a Muslim
region." - Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary
"Babism - system of doctrines proclaimed in Persia
in 1844 by Ali Muhammad of Shiraz. Influenced by the Shaykhi
Shiite theology that viewed the Twelve Imams as incarnations
of the Divine." - The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.
2001.
Influenced by the Shi'i expectation of the twelfth imam, Mirza
'Ali Mohammad, declared himself to be the "Bab" (or gateway)
to the twelfth and final imam in 1844.
"The Bab - Traditionally, the Bab had been considered
to be a spokesman for the 12th and last imam, or leader of
Shi'i Islam, believed to be in hiding since the 9th century;
since that time, others had assumed the title of Bab. Such
a proclamation fit in well with the Shaykhis' interest in
the coming of the mahdi, or messianic deliverer." - Britannica.com
"Babism - religion that developed in Iran around
Mirza 'Ali Mohammad's claim to be a bab (Arabic: 'gateway'),
or divine intermediary, in 1844. See Bab, the." - Britannica.com
"The Bab - born Oct. 20, 1819, or Oct. 9, 1820,
Shiraz, Iran died July 9, 1850, Tabriz...byname of Mirza 'ali
Mohammad Of Shiraz merchant's son whose claim to be
the Bab (Gateway) to the hidden imam (the perfect embodiment
of Islamic faith) gave rise to the Babi religion and made
him one of the three central figures of the Baha'i faith."
- Britannica.com
"The Bab - At an early age, 'Ali Mohammad became familiar
with the Shaykhi school of the Shi'i branch of Islam and with
its leader, Sayyid Ka zim Rashti, whom he had met on a pilgrimage
to Karbala' (in modern Iraq). 'Ali Mohammad borrowed heavily
from the Shaykhis' teaching in formulating his own doctrine,
and they, especially Sayyid Ka zim's disciple Mulla Husayn,
seem to have encouraged his proclamation of himself as
the Bab." - Britannica.com
"The Bab - It was on May 23, 1844, that 'Ali Mohammad,
in an inspired fervour, wrote and simultaneously intoned a
commentary, the Qayyum al-asma', on the surah ('chapter')
of Joseph from the Qur'an. This event prompted 'Ali Mohammad,
supported by Mulla Husayn, to declare himself the Bab.
The same year he assembled 18 disciples, who along with him
added up to the sacred Babi number 19, and were called huruf
al-hayy ('letters of the living'). They became apostles of
the new faith in the various Persian provinces." - Britannica.com
"Baha'i faith - The Baha'i religion originally grew
out of the Babi faith, or sect, which was founded in 1844
by Mirza 'Ali Mohammad of Shiraz in Iran...Mirza 'Ali Mohammad
first proclaimed his beliefs in 1844 and assumed the title
of the Bab (Persian: 'Gateway')." - Britannica.com
Proclaiming himself to be the Bab to the hidden imam, Mirza
'Ali Mohammad predicted that the twelfth imam or Promised
One would soon come.
"The Bab - born Oct. 20, 1819, or Oct. 9, 1820,
Shiraz, Iran died July 9, 1850, Tabriz...byname of Mirza 'ali
Mohammad Of Shiraz merchant's son whose claim to be the Bab
(Gateway) to the hidden imam (the perfect embodiment of Islamic
faith) gave rise to the Babi religion and made him one
of the three central figures of the Baha'i faith." - Britannica.com
"Babism - system of doctrines proclaimed in Persia
in 1844 by Ali Muhammad of Shiraz. Influenced by the Shaykhi
Shiite theology that viewed the Twelve Imams as incarnations
of the Divine, Ali Muhammad proclaimed himself the Bab, the
living door to the twelth Imam and the knowledge of God,
and sent missionaries throughout Persia. He also announced
a series of revelations, detailing the cosmogonic sequence,
abrogating Islamic obligations and replacing them by a
new set, structured around esoteric concepts such as the
importance of the number 19. The year was hence divided into
19 months of 19 days each; the community was led by a council
of 19 members. The movement placed special emphasis on
the coming of the Promised One, who would embody all the tenets
of the new religion." - The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth
Edition. 2001.
"Baha'i faith - The Baha'i religion originally grew
out of the Babi faith, or sect, which was founded in 1844
by Mirza 'Ali Mohammad of Shiraz in Iran. He proclaimed
a spiritual doctrine emphasizing the forthcoming appearance
of a new prophet or messenger of God who would overturn old
beliefs and customs and usher in a new era. Though new,
these beliefs originated in Shi'ite Islam, which believed
in the forthcoming return of the 12th imam (successor of Muhammad),
who would renew religion and guide the faithful. Mirza 'Ali
Mohammad first proclaimed his beliefs in 1844 and assumed
the title of the Bab (Persian: 'Gateway')." - Britannica.com
Only 6 years after he had declared himself to be the gateway
to the twelfth imam, Mirza 'Ali Mohammad was executed in an
Iranian prison in 1850. His followers declared a formal break
from Islam.
"The Bab - Accordingly, his missionaries were arrested
and expelled from Shiraz, and the Bab was arrested near
Tehran and imprisoned in the fortress of Mahku (1847)
and later in the castle of Chehriq (1848), where he remained
until his execution. Assembling at the convention of Badasht
in 1848, the Bab's followers declared a formal break with
Islam." - Britannica.com
"Baha'i faith - Soon the Bab's teachings spread throughout
Iran, provoking strong opposition from both the Shi'ite Muslim
clergy and the government. The Bab was arrested and, after
several years of incarceration, was excecuted in 1850."
- Britannica.com
But before his death Mirza 'Ali Mohammad did provide his followers
with the identity of the last imam, who he had predicted would
come and whom they were expecting - himself.
"The Bab - Late in his active period, 'Ali Mohammad
had abandoned the title Bab and considered himself no longer
merely the 'gateway' to the expected 12th imam (imam-mahdi
), but to be the imam himself, or the qa'im. Later
he declared himself the nuqtah ('point') and finally an
actual divine manifestation. Among his followers, Babis
and later Azalis, he is known as noqtey-e ula ('primal point'),
hazrat-e a'la ("supreme presence"), jamal-e mobarak ('blessed
perfection'), and even haqq ta'ala ('truth almighty')."
- Britannica.com
Of course, many of the contradictions that we cited in our
preceding study of Sikhism can also be applied to Babism.
As we showed in that study, any religion that presupposes
Islamic beliefs as foundational to its own claims, must then
remain consistent within those beliefs. Two principle beliefs
of Islam are that Mohammed was the final prophet in the tradition
of messengers from God and that as such Mohammed delivered
the final revelation of God's Word in the form of the Koran.
These two fundamental tenets of Islam prevent any future Islamic
leader from usurping or superceding Mohammed's role and deviating
from his message. Because we just examined this in the previous
section on Sikhism and because we wish to avoid redundancy
we will not repeat the quotes from that study that establish
these two precepts. However, the fact that Babists did just
this as well as the fact that Islam (including Shi'i Islam
from, which Babism came) banishes, imprisons, and executes
the Babists as heretics for these very reasons does sufficiently
demonstrate our point.
"Babism - system of doctrines proclaimed in Persia
in 1844 by Ali Muhammad of Shiraz. Influenced by the Shaykhi
Shiite theology that viewed the Twelve Imams as incarnations
of the Divine, Ali Muhammad proclaimed himself the Bab,
the living door to the twelth Imam and the knowledge of God,
and sent missionaries throughout Persia. He also announced
a series of revelations, detailing the cosmogonic sequence,
abrogating Islamic obligations and replacing them by a
new set, structured around esoteric concepts such as the
importance of the number 19.
"The Bab - Late in his active period, 'Ali Mohammad
had abandoned the title Bab and considered himself no longer
merely the 'gateway' to the expected 12th imam (imam-mahdi),
but to be the imam himself, or the qa'im. Later he
declared himself the nuqtah ('point') and finally an actual
divine manifestation. Among his followers, Babis and later
Azalis, he is known as noqtey-e ula ('primal point'), hazrat-e
a'la ('supreme presence'), jamal-e mobarak ('blessed perfection'),
and even haqq ta'ala ('truth almighty')." - Britannica.com
"The Bab - Accordingly, his missionaries were arrested
and expelled from Shiraz, and the Bab was arrested near
Tehran and imprisoned in the fortress of Mahku (1847)
and later in the castle of Chehriq (1848), where he remained
until his execution. Assembling at the convention of Badasht
in 1848, the Bab's followers declared a formal break with
Islam." - Britannica.com
"The Bab - In 1848 the movement declared its complete
secession from Islam and all its rites; upon the accession
of a new shah, the Bab's followers rose in insurrection and
were defeated. Many of the leaders were killed, and the Bab
was executed at Tabriz in 1850. Two years later, after
an attempt on the life of the shah, there followed more persecutions.
In 1863 the Babists were removed to Constantinople and later
to Adrianople and Cyprus." - The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth
Edition. 2001.
Having studied how Babism grew out of Islam, we will now examine
how Baha'ism quickly developed from Babism. Since Baha'ism
is an outgrowth of Babism all of our criticisms of Babism
will also apply to Baha'ism. As we will shortly see, Mirza
'Ali Mohammad's (the Bab's) prediction of the soon arrival
of the twelfth imam (the Promised One, mahdi, or messianic
deliverer, imam-mahdi) forms the basis of Baha'ist teaching
and the connection between these two closely related offshoots
of Islam.
Mirza 'Ali Mohammad's declaration before his death in 1850,
that he was himself the twelfth imam did not prevent one of
his followers, a man named Mirza Huseyn Ali Nuri, from doing
the same. In 1863, denying the proclamation of his teacher,
Mirza Huseyn Ali Nuri proclaimed himself (and not Mirza 'Ali
Mohammad) as the Promised One that Mirza 'Ali Mohammad had
predicted. Of course, they recognize the Bab as a central
figure in their beliefs, but they reject the Bab's claim to
be the Promised One.
"The Bab - ...The Baha'is assign him the position of
a forerunner of Baha' Ullah Ñthe founder of the Baha'i faithÑbut
they suppress all his titles except Bab." - Britannica.com
"Babism - ...Ali Muhammad proclaimed himself the Bab,
the living door to the twelth Imam and the knowledge of God,
and sent missionaries throughout Persia...The movement placed
special emphasis on the coming of the Promised One, who would
embody all the tenets of the new religion...the Bab was
executed at Tabriz in 1850...After 1868 one group had
its center in Acre under the leadership of Mirza Husayn
Ali Nuri (known as Baha Ullah), the originator of Baha'ism,
who declared himself the Promised One." - The Columbia
Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001.
"Baha'ism - religion founded by Baha Ullah (born
Mirza Huseyn Ali Nuri) and promulgated by his eldest
son, Abdul Baha (1844-1921). It is a doctrinal outgrowth
of Babism, with Baha Allah as the Promised One of the earlier
religion." - The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.
2001.
"Baha Allah (or Baha Ullah) - Persian religious
leader originally named Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri. One of the
first disciples of the Bab (see Babism), he and his half-brother
Subhi Azal became the leaders of the Babi faith. In 1863,
shortly before being exiled to Constantinople, he declared
himself the manifestation of God, the Promised One, as fortold
by the Bab. He then founded Baha'ism and wrote its fundamental
book, Kitabi Ikan (tr. The Book of Certitude, 1943). He
spent most of his adult life in prison or under close surveillance.
He died in Acre; his tomb there is one of the monuments
of the Baha'i faith." - The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth
Edition. 2001.
"Baha'i faith - religion founded in Iran in the mid-19th
century by Mirza Hoseyn 'Ali Nuri, who is known as Baha'
Ullah (Arabic: 'Glory of God'). The cornerstone of
Baha'i belief is the conviction that Baha' Ullah and his forerunner,
who was known as the Bab, were manifestations of God, who
in his essence is unknowable." - Britannica.com
"Baha'i faith - The Baha'i religion originally grew
out of the Babi faith, or sect, which was founded in 1844
by Mirza 'Ali Mohammad of Shiraz in Iran. He proclaimed a
spiritual doctrine emphasizing the forthcoming appearance
of a new prophet or messenger of God who would overturn
old beliefs and customs and usher in a new era." - Britannica.com
"Baha'i faith - One of the Bab's earliest disciples
and strongest exponents was Mirza Hoseyn 'Ali Nuri, who had
assumed the name of Baha' Ullah when he renounced his
social standing and joined the Babis. Baha' Ullah was
arrested in 1852 and jailed in Tehran, where he
became aware that he was the prophet and messenger of God
whose coming had been predicted by the Bab...Before Baha'
Ullah died in 1892, he appointed his eldest son, 'Abd
ol-Baha (1844-1921), to be the leader of the Baha'i community
and the authorized interpreter of his teachings." - Britannica.com
It must be noted from the information that we have about Baha'ism
is that it undermines the credibility of both of its predecessors,
which it depends upon to substantiate its own claims. Baha'ism
contradicts the same two fundament premises of Islam that
Babism does. But additionally, in proclaiming Mirza Hoseyn
'Ali Nuri to be a manifestation of Allah, Baha'ism breaks
another fundamental Muslim precept: Allah would never lower
himself to become manifest or become incarnate. Instead, Allah
always interacts with mankind through intermediary beings,
such as the angel Gabriel or the prophets (such as Mohammed).
This tenet is one of Islam's chief reasons for objecting to
the divinity of Jesus.
Therefore, Baha'ism's claim that Mirza Hoseyn 'Ali Nuri as
well as the Bab, and the previous messengers of God are manifestations
of God also constitutes a serious contradiction of Islamic
teaching. So, Baha'ism completes its predecessor's contradiction
of the religion both are founded upon. In proclaiming God's
messengers to be manifestations of God himself Baha'ism denies
several fundamental doctrines of Islam. On the other hand,
Baha'ism upholds that Mohammed was a messenger (and manifestation)
of God himself. This means that Baha'ism contains several
contradictory beliefs.
But Baha'ism's contradiction of religions that it holds to
be true is not limited to its contradiction of the religion
of Islam. In addition its acceptance of Islam, Baha'ism holds
that, in fact, all religions are true and from God.
"Baha'ism - Baha'ism holds that God can be made
known to man through manifestations that have come at various
stages of human progress; prophets include Abraham, Moses,
Jesus, Muhammad, the Bab, and Baha Allah. Baha'ists believe
in the unity of all religions, in universal education,
in world peace, and in the equality of men and women." - The
Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001.
"Baha'i faith - The cornerstone of Baha'i belief
is the conviction that Baha' Ullah and his forerunner, who
was known as the Bab, were manifestations of God, who in his
essence is unknowable. The principal Baha'i tenets are the
essential unity of all religions and the unity of humanity.
Baha'is believe that all the founders of the world's great
religions have been manifestations of God and agents of a
progressive divine plan for the education of the human race.
Despite their apparent differences, the world's great religions,
according to the Baha'is, teach an identical truth. Baha'
Ullah's peculiar function was to overcome the disunity of
religions and establish a universal faith." - Britannica.com
From the last quote above as well as the one that follows
we see that Mirza Hoseyn 'Ali Nuri believed that he was to
overcome the disunity of religions and establish and universal
faith.
"Baha'i faith - The Baha'i religion originally grew
out of the Babi faith, or sect, which was founded in 1844
by Mirza 'Ali Mohammad of Shiraz in Iran. He proclaimed a
spiritual doctrine emphasizing the forthcoming appearance
of a new prophet or messenger of God who would overturn
old beliefs and customs and usher in a new era." - Britannica.com
In conclusion, there are several reasons why Baha'ism must
be rejected. All of these reasons to some extent deal with
contradictory claims made by these religions. We have already
discussed their respective contradictions of Islamic teaching,
now we will briefly state several other contradictions, which
will support our rejection of both Babist and Baha'ist theology.
For one, Mirza Hoseyn 'Ali Nuri cannot be regarded as the
Promised One proclaimed by both Babism and Baha'ism. First,
because Mirza 'Ali Mohammad (the self-proclaimed Bab) also
proclaimed himself to be the Promised One that he had himself
predicted. Since Mirza 'Ali Mohammad was the one to originate
the prediction that the Promised One would arrive soon and
then proclaimed himself to be this Promised One, Mirza Hoseyn
'Ali Nuri cannot be.
In order for Mirza Hoseyn 'Ali Nuri to proclaim himself to
be the Promised One (and not Mirza 'Ali Mohammad) he had to
deny Mirza 'Ali Mohammad's authority on the matter. Thus,
since Mirza Hoseyn 'Ali Nuri called into question the authority
of Mirza 'Ali Mohammad regarding the Promised One, he cannot
then appeal to Mirza 'Ali Mohammad prophecy of the Promised
One, which he then proclaimed himself the fulfillment of.
Second, if the purpose of the Promised One was to overcome
the disunity of religions and establish a universal religion
as both Babism and Baha'ism claim, then Mirza Hoseyn 'Ali
Nuri cannot be the Promised One because in no way has he accomplished
this task. Significant religious disunity still persists and
is rampant worldwide almost a century and a half after his
death with no end in sight.
Lastly, since no Promised One has therefore come since Mirza
'Ali Mohammad's prediction in the 1840's that he would come
soon, Mirza 'Ali Mohammad's credibility is sufficiently undermined
as well for predicting the soon arrival of a religious figure
who certainly did not come soon and so far has not come at
all.
For all of these reasons, we have no choice except to reject
the claims of the Babists and the Baha'ists on the grounds
that they are self-contradicting and provide evidence, which
not only does nothing to substantiate their claims, but in
fact disproves them.
Zoroastrianism
Each of the religions that we have studied so far have originated
on the continent of Asia. Before we move on to our examination
of Evidentiary religions, it is necessary that we first study
one last ancient Asian religion, Zoroastrianism.
Zoroastrian beliefs differ in some ways from the ancient religions
that we have previously looked at. For instance, Zoroastrianism
is basically monotheistic in nature, which stands out amongst
its ancient contemporaries. Because of these characteristics
many scholars suppose that Zoroastrianism had an impact on
the development of Jewish, and therefore, Christian theology.
A more in depth examination of these beliefs will be undertaken
later on when we examine Judaism.
For now, we will simply stick to the pattern we have employed
above. First, we will examine the available historical information
about Zoroastrianism's origins to see if any evidence is available
to verify its claims. Second, we will determine whether any
evidence that may exist provides reason to accept the accuracy
of Zoroastrianism's claims. We will begin with a look at its
beginnings.
"Zoroastrianism - a Persian religion founded in
the 6th century B.C. by the prophet Zoroaster, promulgated
in the Avesta, and characterized by worship of a supreme god
Ahura Mazda who requires good deeds for help in his cosmic
struggle against the evil spirit Ahriman." - Merriam-Webster's
Online Dictionary
"Zoroaster - circa 628-circa 551 B.C. founder of
Zoroastrianism;" - Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary
"Zoroastrianism - The religious system founded by
Zoroaster and set forth in the Avesta, teaching the worship
of Ahura Mazda in the context of a universal struggle between
the forces of light and of darkness." - The American Heritage
Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
"Zoroaster - c.628 B.C.-c.551 B.C., religious
teacher and prophet of ancient Persia, founder of Zoroastrianism.
Zoroaster, the name by which he is ordinarily known, is derived
from the Greek form of Zarathushtra (or Zarathustra) [camel
handler?], his Persian name. Zoroaster is believed to have
been born in NW Persia. His youthful studies were crowned
at the age of 30 by the first of a series of revelations of
a new religion. His attempts to proselytize at home failed,
and he fled east to ancient Chorasmia (now largely Persian
Khorasan), where he converted King Vishtaspa (who may have
been Hystaspes, the father of Darius). The religion then
spread rapidly through Vishtaspa's domain. The circumstances
of Zoroaster's death are not known." - The Columbia Encyclopedia,
Sixth Edition. 2001.
"Zoroaster - born c. 628 BC , probably Rhages, Iran,
died c. 551, site unknown. Old Iranian Zarathushtra, or Zarathustra
Iranian religious reformer and founder of Zoroastrianism,
or Parsiism, as it is known in India." - Britannica.com
"Zoroastrianism - Founded by the Iranian prophet
and reformer Zoroaster in the 6th century BC, the religion
contains both monotheistic and dualistic features." - Britannica.com
From these quotes we can see that Zoroastrianism, like so
many other ancient Asian religions began in the 6th-5th century
B.C. Specifically it was initially proclaimed by it's namesake,
Zoroaster, when in the year 589 B.C., at the age of 30, he
is said to have received a series of divine revelations. After
early attempts failed, Zoroaster was finally able to convert
King Vishtaspa (who is thought to be also known as Hystaspes,
the father of Darius I of Persia). Thereafter the religion
spread even after Zoroaster's death in 551 B.C.
However, as Britannica.com states, our understanding Zoroaster's
life and the events from which his religion originated is
really only speculation. Exactly why it is speculative will
become more apparent as we look at the sources documenting
Zoroaster and the religion he began.
"Zoroaster - A biographical account of Zoroaster
is tenuous at best or speculative at the other extreme. The
date of Zoroaster's life cannot be ascertained with any degree
of certainty. According to Zoroastrian tradition, he flourished
"258 years before Alexander." Alexander the Great conquered
Persepolis, the capital of the Achaemenids, a dynasty that
ruled Persia from 559 to 330 BC, in 330 BC. Following this
dating, Zoroaster converted Vishtaspa , most likely a king
of Chorasmia (an area south of the Aral Sea in Central Asia),
in 588 BC. According to tradition, he was 40 years
old when this event occurred, thus indicating that his birthdate
was 628 BC. Zoroaster was born into a modestly situated family
of knights, the Spitama, probably at Rhages (now Rayy, a suburb
of Tehran), a town in Media. The area in which he lived was
not yet urban, its economy being based on animal husbandry
and pastoral occupations. Nomads, who frequently raided those
engaged in such occupations, were viewed by Zoroaster as aggressive
violators of order, and he called them followers of the Lie."
- Britannica.com
"Zoroastrianism - All that may safely be said is
that Zoroaster lived somewhere in eastern Iran, far from the
civilized world of western Asia, before Iran became unified
under Cyrus II the Great." - Britannica.com
As the above Britannica.com article tells us the origins of
Zoroaster's teaching are provided to us through the Zoroastrian
traditions. These traditions are chiefly contained in the
sacred scripture of the religion, known collectively as the
Avesta.
"Zoroastrianism - The religious system founded by Zoroaster
and set forth in the Avesta, teaching the worship of
Ahura Mazda in the context of a universal struggle between
the forces of light and of darkness." - The American Heritage
Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
"Zoroaster - circa 628-circa 551 B.C. founder
of Zoroastrianism; reputed author of the GAthAs, oldest
and holiest part of the Avesta (Zoroastrian scriptures)."
- Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary
"Zoroastrianism - a Persian religion founded in the
6th century B.C. by the prophet Zoroaster, promulgated
in the Avesta, and characterized by worship of a supreme
god Ahura Mazda who requires good deeds for help in his cosmic
struggle against the evil spirit Ahriman." - Merriam-Webster's
Online Dictionary
As the primary source of information about Zoroaster's life,
the Avesta, becomes critical to our examination for several
reasons. First, the language, characteristics, and even spiritual
beings of the text reveal that Zoroastrianism developed from
the same obscure, ancient Indo-European roots that also gave
birth to Hinduism and its sacred texts (the Vedas).
"Zoroastrianism - The religion of Iran before the
time of Zoroaster is not directly accessible, for there are
no reliable sources more ancient than the prophet himself.
It has to be studied indirectly on the basis of later documents
and by a comparative approach. The language of Iran is closely
akin to that of northern India, and hence the people of
the two lands probably had common ancestorsÑthe Indo-Iranians,
or Aryans. The religion of the latter has been reconstructed
by means of common elements contained in the sacred books
of Iran and India: mainly the Avesta and the Vedas. Both collections
exhibit the same kind of polytheism, with many of the same
gods, notably the Indian Mitra (the Iranian Mithra), the
cult of fire, sacrifice by means of a sacred liquor (soma
in India, in Iran haoma), and other parallels. There is, moreover,
a list of Aryan gods in a treaty concluded about
1380 BC between the Hittite emperor and the king of Mitanni.
The list includes Mitra and Varuna, Indra, and the two
Nasatyas. All of these gods also are found in the Vedas, but
only the first one in the Avesta, except that Indra and Nanhaithya
appear in the Avesta as demons; Varuna may have survived
under another name. Important changes, then, must have
taken place on the Iranian side, not all of which can be attributed
to the prophet." - Britannica.com
"Zoroastrianism - Zoroaster appears to have incorporated
in his religion the old Persian pantheon, although very
much refined. Instead of tolerating the worship of all the
deities, however, he divided them into those who were beneficent
and truthful and those whose malevolence and falseness made
them abhorrent." - The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.
2001.
"Zoroastrianism - Zoroastrianism's scriptures are
the Avesta or the Zend Avesta [Pahlavi avesta=law, zend=commentary]...it
is written in old Iranian, a language similar to Vedic
Sanskrit." - The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.
2001.
Because of its close relationship with the obscure Aryan religion,
Zoroastrianism, at least for us is born from uncertain causes,
which remain unavailable to examination. This poses some difficulty
for our ability to find evidence by which we might verify
its truth claims. This uncertainty is further complicated
by two facts. First, the Gathas, the only part of the Avesta
said to be written by Zoroaster himself does not mention any
known historical events. Second, though it is claimed by the
Avesta that Zoroaster converted and came under the protection
of the father of the Achaemenid king, Vishtaspa (father of
Darius), Zoroaster himself is not mentioned in the inscriptions
of the Achaemenids.
This means that the information about Zoroaster and the origin
of his religion, which is contained in the Avesta cannot be
corroborated from other ancient historical sources.
"Zoroastrianism - It has not yet been possible to
place Zoroaster's hymns, the Gathas, in their historical context.
Not a single place or person mentioned in them is known from
any other source. Vishtaspa, the prophet's protector,
can only be the namesake of the father of Darius, the Achaemenid
king. All that may safely be said is that Zoroaster lived
somewhere in eastern Iran, far from the civilized world of
western Asia, before Iran became unified under Cyrus II the
Great. If the Achaemenids ever heard of him, they did not
see fit to mention his name in their inscriptions nor did
they allude to the beings who surrounded the great god and
were later to be called the amesha spenta s, or 'bounteous
immortals'Ñan essential feature of Zoroaster's doctrine."
- Britannica.com
"Zoroastrianism - Religion under the Achaemenids
was in the hands of the Magi, whom Herodotus describes as
a Median tribe with special customs, such as exposing
the dead, fighting evil animals, and interpreting dreams.
Again, the historical connection with ZoroasterÑwhom Herodotus
also ignoresÑis a hazy one. It is not known when Zoroaster's
doctrine reached western Iran, but it must have been before
the time of Aristotle (384-322), who alludes to its dualism."
- Britannica.com
To be clear, we do have some historical information about
the existence of Zoroastrianism.
"Zoroastrianism - Other sources of Zoroastrianism
are Achaemenid inscriptions, the writings of Herodotus, Strabo,
and Plutarch, and the commentaries on the Avesta written (6th
cent. A.D.) in Pahlavi, a Persian dialect used as a priestly
language, under the Sassanids." - The Columbia Encyclopedia,
Sixth Edition. 2001.
But, while we do have some historical information about the
existence of the religion of Zoroastrianism after its initial
inception from other sources, we do not have information about
Zoroaster himself or the events that led to his proclaiming
Zoroastrianism, from any source besides the Avesta. Again
to be clear, we do not consider it to be problematic that
Zoroaster is only known to us by the sacred scripture of his
religion, only that even with this record, we don't have much
information about Zoroaster and the events, which birthed
his proclamation of Zoroastrianism. In this respect our criticism
of Zoroastrianism is similar to its fellow religion, Hinduism,
which clearly is a historically documented phenomenon, but
whose origins remain obscure.
Since, the Avesta is the main source of information about
Zoroaster and the belief system he is said to have proclaimed
they become critical to our investigation. The Avesta is divided
into four parts, only one of which, the oldest, known as the
Gathas are claimed to have been written by Zoroaster himself.
"Zoroastrianism - The major sections of the Avesta
are fourÑthe Yasna, a liturgical work that includes the
Gathas ("songs"), probably the oldest part of the Avesta and
perhaps in part written by Zoroaster himself; the Vispered,
a supplement to the Yasna; the Yashts, hymns of praise, including
the Khurda ('little') Avesta; and the Videvdat, a detailed
code of ritual purification, often erroneously called the
Vendidad." - The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001.
"Zoroastrianism - It has not yet been possible to place
Zoroaster's hymns, the Gathas, in their historical context."
- Britannica.com
However, as the above quote demonstrates the Gathas are considered
to be songs or hymns. They are not comprehensive presentations
of theological concepts, but are simply liturgical pieces
dealing with religious rites or ceremonies (liturgical). So,
we must turn to the rest of the Avesta to assess its reliability
as a source about the origin of Zoroastrianism.
"Zoroastrianism -The Avesta consists of fragmentary
and much-corrupted texts;" - The Columbia Encyclopedia,
Sixth Edition. 2001.
"Zoroastrianism - The Avesta is, therefore, a collection
of texts compiled in successive stages until it was completed
under the Sasanians. It was then about four times larger than
what has survived. A summary of its 21 books, or
Nasks (of which only one is preserved as such in the Videvdat),
is given in one of the main treatises written during the brief
Zoroastrian renascence under Islam in the 9th century;
the Denkart, the 'Acts of the Religion.' It is written in
Pahlavi, the language of the Sasanians." - Britannica.com
"Avesta - also called Zend-avesta, sacred book of Zoroastrianism
containing its cosmogony, law, and liturgy, the teachings
of the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra). The extant Avesta
is all that remains of a much larger body of scripture,
apparently Zoroaster's transformation of a very ancient
tradition. The voluminous manuscripts of the original
are said to have been destroyed when Alexander the Great conquered
Persia. The present Avesta was assembled from remnants and
standardized under the Sasanian kings (3rd-7th century AD)."
- Britannica.com
"Pahlavi Books - also spelled Pehlevi major form of
the Middle Persian language (see Persian language), which
existed from the 3rd to the 10th century and was the official
language of the Sasanian empire (AD 226-652). It is attested
by Zoroastrian books, coins, and inscriptions. Pahlavi books
were written in a confusing writing system of Aramaic origin
called the Pahlavi alphabet. The major part of Pahlavi
literature is religious, including translations from and
commentaries on the Zoroastrian sacred book, the Avesta.
Little has survived from pre-Islamic times, and the Bundahishn
and Denkart, both Zoroastrian religious works, date from the
Islamic period. Manuscripts were preserved by the Parsis
(Zoroastrians) of Bombay and elsewhere. Pahlavi was superseded
by Modern Persian, which is written in the Arabic alphabet."
- Britannica.com
The above quotes provide some critical information on the
Avesta, the main source of information about Zoroastrianism
and the sole source about its founder and origins. First,
the Avesta is compiled from "fragmented and much corrupted
texts." The reason that these texts fragmented and corrupted
is because they were destroyed on two different occassions.
Once by Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C. And again
by under Islam in the 7th century A.D.
Second, the Avesta was compiled over many centuries and was
not completed until sometime between the 3rd and 7th centuries
A.D. during the Sasanian Empire. However, alsmost all of the
available text of the Avesta comes from after the onset of
Islam in the 7th century A.D. Since Zoroaster was reported
to have lived in the 6th century B.C. this makes the primary
record of his life and teachings 1,200 years late.
This huge lapse between origin of Zoroastrian beliefs and
the recording of that origin poses significant problems for
assessing and determining any reliable information about Zoroaster
or about what he did or did not actually teach. In fact, the
Columbia Encyclopedia, concludes that though the origin of
the religion may be safely attributed to Zoroaster, its beliefs
changed, developed, and were added to over time.
"Zoroastrianism - religion founded by Zoroaster,
but with many later accretions." - The Columbia Encyclopedia,
Sixth Edition. 2001.
"Zoroastrianism - Gradually certain practices that
Zoroaster appears to have deplored, such as the use of
haoma (a narcotic intoxicant) in prayer and the sacrifice
of bulls in connection with the cult of the god Mithra
(a lesser god in Zoroastrianism), became features of the religion.
It is not surprising, however, that former customs should
be thus revived, because Zoroaster appears to have incorporated
in his religion the old Persian pantheon, although very much
refined." - The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001.
"Zoroastrianism - Heading the good spirits was Ahura
Mazdah (also Ormazd or Ormuzd) [sovereign knowledge], in
primitive Zoroastrianism the only god. Six attendant deities,
the Amesha Spentas, surround him. These abstract representations,
formerly the personal aspects of Ahura Mazdah, are
Vohu Manah [good thought], Asha Vahista [highest righteousness],
Khshathra Vairya [divine kingdom], Spenta Armaiti [pious devotion],
Haurvatat [salvation], and Ameretat [immortality]. In time
the Amesha Spentas became archangelic in character and less
abstract. Opposing the good ahuras were the evil spirits,
the daevas or divs, led by Ahriman. The war between these
two supernatural hosts is the subject matter of the fully
developed cosmogony and eschatology of Zoroastrianism."
- The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001.
"Zoroastrianism - After Zoroaster, considerable
changes occurred in the theology he had professed. The
entities were reduced to mere deities, which were even separated
into male and female. Never again were their names used to
designate human faculties. This is probably a consequence
of the resurgence of the ancient gods." - Britannica.com
"Zoroastrianism - It is not known to what extent
Zoroaster's system was meant to be exclusively the cult of
Ahura Mazda. In the Later Avesta all the gods he had ignored
emerged again, such as Mithra, Airyaman (whom he had replaced
by Sraosha), Anahita, Apam Napat, Verethraghna, and Vayu.
This vast pantheon, still nominally headed by Ahura Mazda,
is similar to the compromise that Darius, according to the
interpretation cited above, made between the cult of Auramazda
and that of the gods of the nobility." - Britannica.com
"Zoroastrianism - Not only did Zoroaster's theology
thus lose its exclusive position, but an internal change also
modified its equilibrium and even threatened its very essence.
The Bounteous Spirit was almost completely reabsorbed into
Ahura Mazda. Whereas in a Yasht the two Spirits fought
each other, in the Videvdat Ahura Mazda and the Destructive
Spirit opposed each other by creating, respectively, the good
and the bad things. This profoundly affected Zoroaster's system,
for Ahura Mazda could no longer be the father of the Twin
Spirits; he now faced, on equal terms so to speak, a sort
of antigod. This alteration probably dates back at
least to the 4th century BC, for Aristotle said in the
Peri philosophias ('On Philosophy') that the Magi preached
the existence of two principles, Oromasdes and Areimanios."
- Britannica.com
"Zoroastrianism - In the cosmogony as expounded
in the Bundahishn, Ormazd (Ahura Mazda) and Ahriman are
separated by the void. They seem to have existed from all
eternity, when Ahriman's invidious attack initiates the whole
process of creation. The question of their origin is ignored,
but it was implied, ever since Ormazd had taken the place
of his Bounteous Spirit in the struggle against the Destructive
Spirit. Since Ahura Mazda could no longer be the father
of the two adversaries, the question of their origin was inevitable."
- Britannica.com
(NOTE: The Bundahish is the part of the Avesta, which
details Zoroastrianism's understanding of the origin and nature
of the world (cosmogeny) and man. Our copies of this part
of the Avesta date from the 7th century A.D.
"Pahlavi Books - The major part of Pahlavi literature
is religious, including translations from and commentaries
on the Zoroastrian sacred book, the Avesta. Little has
survived from pre-Islamic times, and the Bundahishn and Denkart,
both Zoroastrian religious works, date from the Islamic period."
- Britannica.com
"Bundahishn - (Pahlavi: Original Creation), Zoroastrian
scripture giving an account of the creation, history, and
duration of the world, the origin of man, and the nature of
the universe. Written in Pahlavi, it dates from the
9th century AD but is based on ancient material from
a lost part of the original Avesta and preserves some
pre-Zoroastrian elements." - Britannica.com
"Zoroastrianism - Only in the Pahlavi books is this
theme systematically developed. It is dominated by the
idea of a final return to the initial state of things.
"Zoroaster - Later forms of Zoroastrianism teach
a resurrection of the dead, a teaching for which some basis
may be found in the Gathas. Through the resurrection of
the dead, the renewal of the world bestows a last fulfillment
on the followers of the Wise Lord." - Britannica.com
Because Zoroastrian beliefs on even key issues have changed
over time and deviated from Zoroaster's original teaching
a critical question arises that cannot be answered. Since
the Avesta wasn't completed until approximately 1000 years
after Zoroaster lived and taught and since it is the sole
source of information about Zoroaster's life and the origin
of his teachings how do we know if what the Avesta proclaims
is really what Zoroaster taught?
As we said it is difficult if not impossible to answer this
question. Britannica.com sums up the problematic nature of
assessing the accuracy of Zoroastrianism in the following
quote.
"Zoroaster - The student of Zoroastrianism is confronted
by several problems concerning the religion's founder.
One question is what part of Zoroastrianism derives from
Zoroaster's tribal religion and what part was new as a result
of his visions and creative religious genius. Another
question is the extent to which the later Zoroastrian religion
(Mazdaism) of the Sasanian period (AD 224-651) genuinely reflected
the teachings of Zoroaster. A third question is the
extent to which the sourcesÑthe Avesta (the Zoroastrian scriptures)
with the Gathas (older hymns), the Middle Persian Pahlavi
Books, and reports of various Greek authorsÑoffer an authentic
guide to Zoroaster's ideas." - Britannica.com
Because of all of these problems we conclude that we have
little reason to accept the accuracy of Zoroastrianism's claims.
As we have said we will return to deal with Zoroastrian's
supposed influence on other religions that we have yet to
cover. But for now we end our study of Zoroastrianism by rejecting
its beliefs due to a lack of verifiable and reliable information
regarding the origin of its teachings and the original form
of those teachings. Put another way, even if we were to accept
Zoroastrianism as it is known today, we would have no way
of being sure that we were accepting the religion that was
originally proclaimed by Zoroaster so long ago.
