Page 42 - Perceptions papers

The Zoroastrian concept of God incorporates elements of both monotheism and dualism. In his

visions, Zarathustra was taken up to heaven, where Ahura Mazda revealed that he had an opponent,

Angre 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 Angare Mainyu (evil).

Though Zoroastrianism was never as aggressively monotheistic as Judaism or Islam, it does

represent an original attempt at unifying under the worship of one supreme God a polytheistic

religion comparable to those of the ancient Greeks, Latins, Indians,

Its other salient feature, namely dualism, was never understood in an absolute, rigorous

fashion. Good and Evil fight an unequal battle in which the former is assured of triumph.

Zoroaster taught that man must enlist in this cosmic struggle because of his capacity of free

choice. Thus, the religion is highly ethical, with the choice of good over evil having cosmic

importance. Zarathustra taught that humans are free to choose between right and wrong, truth and

lie, and light and dark, and that their choices would affect their eternal destiny.

Zoroaster invoked saviors who like the dawns of new days, would come to the world. He hoped

himself to be one of them. After his death, the belief in coming saviors developed further. He also

incorporated belief in angels and demons. Zoroaster's ideas of ethical monotheism, heaven, hell,

angelology, the resurrection of the body, and the messiah figure have notable parallels in Judaism,

Christianity and Islam.

Zoroastrian Texts: The Zoroastrian sacred text is the Avesta ("Book of the Law"), a

fragmentary collection of sacred writings. Compiled over many centuries, the Avesta was not

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