zoroastrians
DESCRIPTION
Zoroastrians. By Cristian Savoldelli, nicholas Harelik, and Sam Postma. Where did it originate. It originated in Persia or modern day Iran and Afghanistan This area was known as Persia. What do they believe in?. They believe in one God- Ahura Mazda. Is there a god?. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
ZOROASTRIA
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WHERE DID IT ORIGINATE
It originated in Persia or modern day Iran and Afghanistan
This area was known as Persia
WHAT DO THEY BELIEVE IN?
They believe in one God- Ahura Mazda
IS THERE A GOD?
According to them, there is a god- Ahura Mazda
Ahura Mazda is known as the ‘wize lord’
He is also the eternal and universal goodness controlling the cosmos and the destiny of human beings
DO THEY HAVE A CREATION MYTH
Zoroastrians believed that Ahura Mazda created all things
The myth is that (short version) … Ahura Mazda created good things such as the sky, trees, etc. and the Evil Spirit created things that destroyed Ahura Mazda’s creations. Long story short Ahura Mazda won the battle between them
A FOUNDER?
The founder of Zoroastrianism was Zoroaster
Zoroaster’s father was a priest
His philosophy he sees humans as the mental struggle between asa (truth) and druj (lie)
A SACRED TEXT?
The Zoroastrians use a sacred text made by Zarathustra
These people use a sacred text called Avesta
In the Avesta, there are 17 hymns called Gathas
WHAT RITUALS DO THEY PERFORM?
They pray 5 times a day
Fire ritual- they are worshipping the elements in honor of Ahura Mazda
Continuous fire in all of the modern temples
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFdEb1sx9bA
DO THEY HAVE ANY SYMBOL OR MATERIAL ELEMENT?Farvahar- Symbol for Zoroastrianism
Symbolism:
Raised finger indicates that there is 1 god
The head represents wisdom
The large circle represents this world of matter
DO THEY BELIEVE IN AN AFTERLIFE?
Yes, when you die you get judged
To get judged you must cross the Bridge of the Separator
They also believed that
SOCIAL ASPECTS?
It is required for a Zoroastrian to marry and have children
A child becomes a full member of the religion at age 7
It requires an initiation ceremony that lasts 9 days
The father is the head of the household
ETHICAL ASPECTS?
Yes, ethical dualism
Ethical dualism- the most distinctive Zoroastrian feature, the belief in the universal forces of good and evil