THE MAGI - Zoroaster - Edward Fudge

What follows is a review of Edward Fudge's GracEmail on Zoroastrianism. It is not an attack upon Zoroastrianism, of which most of us know little, but an attempt to show that it is not the "father" of Christianity. It must be admitted, however, that Christianity as it often exists is frequently modeled after all forms of religions.

 

Nor is this an attack upon Edward; it is taking his advice to "think well." We hope that we do well by this review and therefore take the liberty to speak well. We respectfully disagree that this ancient form of polytheism - young enough to have borrowed from Babylon and even the Hebrews - is the "Grandmother" of either Judaism or Christianity.

 

This provides an opportunity to see that the conflict between the many gods of Zoroastrianism is much like all conflict between those who want to be at the top of the pillar. The various religions associated with Zoroastrianism fought the main battle over "silent praise" and instrumental music, dance and drama to deceive the other gods and men.

 

A MUSICA and CANTUS type words define a hostile attack upon people. We know now that music creates the impulses of FIGHT, FLIGHT and/or SEXUALITY.

 

Chraismatic always points to perverted, musical worship of the pagans.

 

musica , ae, and mu-si(ce- , e-s, f., = mousikê, the art of music, music; acc. to the notions of the ancients, also every higher kind of artistic or scientific culture or pursuit: musicam Damone aut Aristoxeno tractante? etc., Cic. de Or. 3, 33, 132 : socci et cothurni,i. e. comic and dramatic poetry, Aus. Ep. 10, 43 : musice antiquis temporibus tantum venerationis habuit, ut, Quint. 1, 10, 9

 

And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; Rev 18:22

Similar meaning:

exegetice , es, f., = exêgêtikê, the art of interpretation, exegesis,

Peter outlawed both exegesis and epilusis or further expounding because this would DENY the words of Jesus and invite in the false teachers:

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 2Pe.1:20

 

magice- , e-s, f., = magikê (technê craftsmen in Rev 18:22), the magic art, magic, sorcer medicinam [ magices factio, id. 30, 1, 2, § 11 .

 

factio , o-nis, f. [id.] II. (Acc. to facio, II. B.; lit., a taking part or siding with any one; hence concr.) A company of persons associated or acting together, a class, order, sect, faction, party (syn.: pars, partes, causa, rebellio, perduellio, seditio).

 

B. In partic., a company of political adherents or partisans, a party, side, faction

 

magia , ae, f., = mageia, the science of the Magi, magic, sorcery

 

mageia , hê, theology of the Magians, m. hê Zôroastrou Pl.Alc.1.122a .

Zoroaster, the 7th-6th-century-BC Iranian founder of the religion that bears his name, is one of the least well-known founders of a religion because of the character of the existing textual materials and because some scholars have advocated that Zoroaster is a mythical figure.

He may have been, however, an ecstatic priest-singer, or zaotar, who used special techniques (especially intoxication) to achieve a trance.

Zoroaster found the priests and cult of his day offensive, and opposed them. He preached the coming of the kingdom of the god Ahura Mazda (Ormazd), who is claimed to have revealed to Zoroaster the sacred writings, the Avesta. In the Yasna (a section of the Avesta), Zoroaster refers to himself as a Saoshyans, a saviour. Messianic prophecies of the end of the world are found in Zoroastrian literature, but these are more a literary product than actual prophetic utterance (see also Zoroastrianism). (See Zoroaster, Zoroastrianism.)

Because of the overwhelming urge to create a religion which does not judge but accepts everyone (an understandable urge) Brother Edward Fudge may be too tolerant of Zoroastriamism and too willing to credit this ancient religion (younger than Judaism inspired by the Spirit of Christ 1 Peter 1:11) with being the stream which flowed into Christianity.

 

First, It may be that these men were not worshipers of Zoroaster but of the one true God. They just needed for Him to be pointed out in a manger to be honored by keepers of sheep and students of Jewish prophecy. Furthermore, those who were bound to acknowledge Jesus are not certified as of the true religion which is a SCHOOL OF THE BIBLE and not a place for sorcerers to exercise their art through music. A guitarIST performed the role of sorcerer and was known and treated as parasites or sexual partners.

 

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Luke 2:8

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. Luke 2:9

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:10

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

 

NOW when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men (magi in the NIV) from the east (anatole or dayspring, rising of the sun) to Jerusalem, Matthew 2:1KJV

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. Matthew 2:2

Second, if they were truly Magi or sorcerers we need to examine Edward's GraceEmail embracement further. The one true God in Egypt was the sun, in Persia primarily fire or light. If Zoroaster was the precursor of Christ we need to ask: "What is a precursor?"

Precursor: "To run a head as a current. A person or thing that goes befoe: forerunner; harbinger. a predecessor as in an office. A substance that precedes and is the source of another substance. Webster

 

The true Magi of Zoroaster (as opposed to stargazing shepherds) were ancient soothsayers.

However, God can use even a donkey to accomplish his wishes. In this case, if they were true magi, He may have sent them because he knew that Herod would trust them because they were supposed to be magicians. As it turned out, the Magi conspired with God to upset Herod's plans and were probably just shepherds of the same country as Luke demands. Notice, that the true Magi populated Babylon where earlier the flood survivors tried to mount up to heaven with instrumental music as they rose up the steps of the Towers of Babel occupied by the priest as the mediator between the god and the "congregation."

The teachings of Zoroaster was that each person was born into the "denomination" of his choice made before his birth. Therefore, when he became accountable and made a choice of religion the human's religion had been decreed. Therefore, it would (and is) considered demonic or satanic to question any one for any statement about religion:

"May it not happen, may it not come to pass, although you craftily conceal it, that the one should take the other's place, deluding, mocking, deceiving, and presenting the appearance of the deity invoked? If the magi, who are so much akin to soothsayers, relate that, in their incantations, pretend gods steal in frequently instead of those invoked; that some of these, moreover, are spirits of grosser substance, who pretend that they are gods, and delude the ignorant by their lies and deceit." (Arnobius Against the Heathen, Ante-Nicene, VI, p. 479).

 

"And be not deceived or deluded with vain hopes by that which is said by some ignorant and most presumptious pretenders, that they are born of God, and are not subject to the decrees of fate; that His palace lies open to them if they lead a life of temperance, and that after death as men, they are restored without hinderance, as if their father's abode; not by that which the "Magi assert, that they have intercessory prayers, won over by which some powers make the way easy to those who are striving to mount to heaven; not by that which Etruria holds out in the Acherontic books that souls become, and are freed from the law of death, if the blood of certain animals is offered to certain deities. These are empty delusions, and excite vain desires. None but the Almighty God can preserve souls; nor is there any one besides who can give them length of days, and grant to them also a spirit which shall never die." (Footnote: Magi are 'certain fortune-telling vagrant seers, who persuade the rich that they have power with the gods, by means of charms and sacrifices... on familiar terms with evil powers, and thus able to accomplish whatever is within these spirit's power.) (Arnibious, Ante-Nicene Fathers, VI, p. 457)

 

Note: The "Familiar Spirit" of the Witch of Endor was contacted with an old wineskin. The word has about the same meaning as that of many empty-sounding musical instruments and of the instruments of booms and clangs of First Corinthians 13. Paul calls the "lifeless instruments" or "carnal instruments or weapons."

 

Magos (g3097) mag'-os; of for. or. [7248]; a Magian, i.e. Oriental scientist; by impl. a magician: - sorcerer, wise man.

Rab-mag (h7248) rab-mawg'; from 7227 and a for. word for a Magian; chief Magian; Rab-Mag, a Bab. official: - Rab-mag. (Jer 39:3; :er 39:13 these were Babylonians)

In hebrew (h7248) the rab-mag were officials or master teachers. They might be officials of Babylon. However, Luke seems to indicate that the men God picked were humble, smelly shepherds but who knew the Old Testament prophecies and watched for signs in the stars. These Magi were not Persians but Jews looking for the Messiah Who had been prophesied.

The true Magi would not have helped Jesus escape Herod:

And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain (Magos) sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus: Acts 13:6

Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. Acts 13:7

But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Acts 13:8

 

Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, Acts 13:9

And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? Acts 13:10

Others teach that Zoroaster was the precursor of about everything Christian:

"The composition Also Sprach Sarathustra by Richard Strauss featured in 2001 is a piece of powerful drama, rich in majesty, awe-inspiring, and devastatingly portentou. It is an appropriate memorial to the Persian prophet Zarathustra, whom the Greeks called Zoroaster. (Note: it just looked like a silly money-grab from the poor)

"Zarathustra's influence on Judeo-Christianity and all of western civilization is little known but should not be underestimated. His life and words changed the nature of civilization in the west, setting it on a course that departed from the static cultures of the ancient Middle East. *Without his impact*, Judaism would be unrecognizable, and *Christianity would probably have never existed (A cursor cannot exist without a pre-cursor).

"Zoroastrianism, was virtually the state religion of Babylon at the time".(..Ascend up the steps of the Tower of Babel with music, gain access to God at the temple on top, pay your dues... ) The Babylonian captivity of the 6th century B. C. transformed Judaism in a profound way, exposing the Jews to Zoroastrianism, which was virtually the state religion of Babylon at the time. Until then, the Jewish conception of the afterlife was vague. A shadowy existence in Sheol, the underworld, land of the dead (not to be confused with Hell) was all they had to look forward to. Zarathustra, however, had preached the bodily resurrection of the dead, who would face a last judgment (both individual and general) to determine their ultimate fate in the next life: either Paradise or torment. Daniel was the first Jewish prophet to refer to resurrection, judgment, and reward or punishment (12:2 ), and insofar as he was an advisor to King Darius (erroneously referred to as a Mede), he was in a position to know the religion thoroughly.

"The new doctrine of resurrection was not universally accepted by the Jews and remained a point of contention for centuries until its ultimate acceptance. The Gospels (Matthew 22:23 ) record that the dispute was still going on during the time of Christ, with the Sadducees denying and the Pharisees affirming it. It may be a mere coincidence, but note the similarity between the names Pharisee and Farsi or Parsee, the Persians from whom the doctrine of resurrection was borrowed. In addition to incorporating the doctrines of resurrection and judgment, exposure to Zoroastrianism substantially altered Jewish Messianism as well. Zarathustra predicted the imminent arrival of a World Savior (Saoshyant), who would be born of a virgin and who would lead humanity in the final battle against Evil. Jewish Messianism grafted these conceptions onto their preexisting expectations of a Davidic king who would redeem the Jewish nation from foreign oppression.

"It was at this time, as a response to their captivity, that the era of apocalyptic literature commenced in Judaism, based on Babylonian models and patterned after their symbology. This was to have a strong influence on later Christian thinking. With the key elements of resurrection, judgment, reward or punishment, a Savior, apocalyptism, and ultimate destruction of the forces of Evil, it can be concluded that Jewish and Christian eschatology is Zoroastrian from start to finish.

"A final interesting parallel is the three days that Jesus spent in the grave. This concept may have been derived from a Zoroastrian belief that the soul remains in the body for three days before departing. Three days would have established death yet left his soul in a position to reanimate his body. As a Messiah, Jesus functioned purely along Zoroastrian lines. While purportedly of the Davidic line, he offered only redemption from sin, rather than national salvation for the Jews. He was a world savior rather than a Jewish Messiah. Jews did not recognize him as their Messiah, and in a real sense he wasn't. Their Messianic expectations, which preceded any foreign influence, went unfulfilled; in fact, their nation was ultimately destroyed. Neither did Jesus effect a final triumph over Evil. This has been reserved for a second coming in conjunction with the last judgment and the rewards and punishments of either Heaven or Hell.

"Although Zoroastrianism is almost extinct today, it lives on in its spiritual descendants. Zarathustra, a prophet beyond any in the Old Testament, still speaks today, unrecognized by his children.

 

Let us worship Zarathustra,

Just the way we used ta.

I'm a Zarathustra boosta--

He's good enough for me."

From: Joseph Campbell, with a tongue-in-cheek parody.

 

Oh, Well, now you understand why:

 

Those who stand for not a thing

But little Jesus meek and mild

Will surely fall for any thing

That burns and makes you wild.

Chorus: doo, da, doo, da....

Inspired by Ahura Mazda (The G.E. light bulb, you know.)

Edward Fudge: GracEmail also claims that: " no other spiritual leader -- whether Zarathustra, Buddha, Mohammad or Moses -- claimed the ability to do what Jesus of Nazareth promises. Not one of them offered peace with God through the forgiveness of sins and the gift of life everlasting."

However, is speaking of Reincarnation, it is noted that:

"The concept of reincarnation is foreign to Zoroastrianism. According to Dastur Firoze M. Kotwal, the current head priest of the Wadia fire temple, "No reincarnation as far as our religion is concerned, because if there is reincarnation, then there cannot be the idea of resurrection, you see. So these doctrines go counter to one another. Of course, there is a tendency for bringing in reincarnation from Hindu philosophies or something, because we are living among the Hindus. But no, this is all a recent development, just to placate the Hindus or something like that. But you must be faithful to our religion, because when you wish to introduce something in our religion that is foreign, then there is danger of all other doctrines going topsy-turvey."

Also, according to J. W. Sanjana,

"Faith in this dogma [i.e. reincarnation] is so incompatible with the letter and spirit of traditional Zoroastrianism that it can be said without exaggeration, and with the most perfect reason and justice, that a man who believes in reincarnation is no true Zoroastrian." (Cited in Boyce, 1984, pg 157.)

Some of the characteristics/beliefs of the religion are:

"All religions are equal in stature. Converting from one religion to the next is assuming that one is greater than the other, and is a violation of this belief.

"All Zoroastrians must wear the sudreh-kusti: the sudreh is a white cotton "shirt"; the kusti is a woolen "tube" worn around the waist on top of the sudreh. Both are specifically designed and have deep spiritual significance. The tieing of the kusti is a part of the basic daily prayers of a Zoroastrian.

"Zoroastrian prayers are only to be recited in the sacred language of Avesta (see the fire worship link below), whose words are "manthric", in that they are "thought" or "holy" words of Ahura Mazda and have more meaning and power than their mundane, literal translation. Some people today mistakenly recite the prayer's translation in their own language, i.e. English, which nullifies any spiritual effects.

See speaking in tongues as such sacred languages or dialects.

"The Zoroastrian book of daily prayers is named "Khordeh Avesta" ("Selected" Avesta). It is a collection of prayers selected from other major Avestan works such as Yasna, Visparad, Vendidad, and the Yasht literature.

"God has given us an enlightened mind and we are free to choose our path, be it the path of good or evil, but must be willing to accept the consequences for our actions.

"We are born into the religion that we were meant or "pre-destined" for; i.e. meaning that before birth, our Soul chooses the religion we are born into, the parents, the circumstances, etc.

"Each religion is like a "prescription" for spiritual enhancement. It's an abstract concept and difficult to explain, but basically it means that if our Soul "needs" some particular kind of "preparation" to reach perfection (the ultimate goal for the Spirit), then it manifests itself as a human soul and is born into the required religion.

"Dead bodies should be disposed of using "dokhme-nashini", which is where the body is consumed by vultures in a specially consecrated structure, known as a "Tower of Silence". This method abides by one our most important rules: not polluting the elements; scientists have proven this method of disposal to be the most efficient and hygienic. Other peoples who also follow this or a similar practice at one time or another include the ancient Druids, the Tibetans, and even the North American natives.

"We must wear the sudreh-kusti every day, which are given to us at navjote (initiation), and say the regular daily prayers. The day is divided into 5 definite time-periods or gehs.

The Zoroastrian Creed - Polytheistic

SIVA Siva (Shiva) is the third person of the Hindu triad. He is the personification of the destroying principle. Though the third name, he is, in respect to the number of his worshippers and the extension of his worship, before either of the others. In the Puranas (the scriptures of the modern Hindu religion) no allusion is made to the original power of this god as a destroyer; that power not being to be called into exercise till after the expiration of twelve millions of years, or when the universe will come to an end; and Mahadeva (another name for Siva) is rather the representative of regeneration than of destruction. Bullfinch's Mythology Unlike most gods, Ahura Mazda was all good, all knowing and all powerful as well as being invisible. In fact, he was so perfect that he needed mediators like angels between himself and the world. Ahura-Mazda struggled against "The Lie" which was not just words but actions represented by Ahriman and his devils. Zoroaster taught that when people died they crossed the Shivat bridge, a sifting bridge in which the bad people fell off into hell and where the good people crossed to find a golden maiden who lead them into the light of heaven where their primary purpose was singing. The Bundahishn [] Zadspram [] Bibliography

The Creed is a very ancient prayer, parts of which are recited every day by Zoroastrians. Notice the chant-like repetition in the verses and the many holy aspects which the creed mentions, such as asha (fire). The creed also reinforces, first a hostility toward evil, and then a love of good. What other issues seem to have been important for the composer of the Creed? There were many "gods" but this was solved by declaring all but Mazda worshippers to be demons.

"The Indo-Iranian religion was a form of polytheism. Among the gods or daivas (heavenly ones) there were some known as "lords" or asuras, of specificially ethical character; among them were Mitra and Varuna." (Britannica, Zoroastrianism)

1. I curse the Daevas. I declare myself a Mazda-worshipper, a supporter of Zarathushtra, hostile to the Daevas, fond of Ahura's teaching, a praiser of the Amesha Spentas, a worshipper of the Amesha Spentas. I ascribe all good to Ahura Mazda, 'and all the best,' the Asha-owning one, splendid, xwarena-owning, whose is the cow, whose is Asha, whose is the light, 'may whose blissful areas be filled with light'.

The Vocal Versus the Instrumental Music Contest

Donald A. Mackensie, India, Myths and Legands Series, Mystic Press, Pages 68-70 notes that:

 

"The gods are the Suras and the demons the Asuras or 'non-gods'. This distinction, however, did not obtain in the early Vedic period... No explanation can be offered as to how this remarkable change took place... It may have been due primarily to sectarian strife between the religious teachers of those tribes which had been influenced by Babylonian modes of thoughts.

 

"The Ahura (Asura) signifies 'god'. The Zoroastrian chief god is called Ahura-Mazda, 'the wise Lord', .. The view has been urged that the revolt against 'asura' in India was due to the hatred cherished towards the Persians who had become subject to the Assyrians, the worshippers of Ashur."

 

Therefore, in this highly polytheistic religion, monotheism was approached by a battle (as in Babylon) to declare the opponents, influenced by Babylon, as demons or 'non-gods.' The Asuras performed the sacrifices just as the Devas. However, the Devas had a 'revelation', they would invent 'silent praise.' Because the Asuras could not 'catch on' the Devas aimed a blow at the Asuras because they "had no comprehension of this weapon." So among the many "gods" some movements honored the Asuras and others the Devas.

 

This seems to indicate that the "gods" who practice a silent form of praise as opposed to the noisey, instrumental music with dance and drama won the battle over the "wineskin" crowd. However, the real demons became the true gods simply by defining the silent praisers as demons. Haven't we all been accused!

 

"The Asuras were completely identified with the demons and giants; they symbolized evil, darkness, and drought. They were very active in trying to destroy one another." Therefore, Zoroastrianism is monotheistic simply by defining the rest of the supernatural beings as "demons" and the Asuras the true gods:

 

"May it not happen, may it not come to pass, although you craftily conceal it, that the one should take the other's place, deluding, mocking, deceiving, and presenting the appearance of the deity invoked? If the magi, who are so much akin to soothsayers, relate that, in their incantations, pretend gods steal in frequently instead of those invoked; that some of these, moreover, are spirits of grosser substance, who pretend that they are gods, and delude the ignorant by their lies and deceit." (Arnobius Against the Heathen, Ante-Nicene, VI, p. 479).

 

In one "incarnation", the supernatural beings are both friends and enemies of mankind. They are the Yakshas, the Gandharvas and the Apsaras. The Yakshas are usually deformed but are kind to humans. The Gandharvas number into the thousands. and often do combat with humans. When overcome by by a human they teach them about religious things. Those they defeat are carried away.

 

"The Gandharvas are renowned musicians and bards and singers. Whey they play on their divine instruments the fairy-like Apsaras, who are all females, dance merrily. In the various Aryan heavens these elves and fairies delight and allure with music and song and dance the gods, and the souls of those who have attained to a state of bliss.... The band of Gandharvas were skilled in music sacred and profane", and attracted the Apsaras "with eyes like lotus blooms, employed in enticing hearts"; they had "fair round hips and slim waists", and "began to perform various evolutions, shaking their deep bosoms and casting their glances, and exhibiting other attractive attitudes capable of stealing the hearts and resolutions and minds of the spectators."

 

• Amesha Spentas (the holy immortals)

   

Although in post-Zarathushtra Zoroastrianism the Amesha Spentas were mythologized to attain angelic status, in the Gathas, Zarathushtra simply refers to them as aspects of the divine or divine emanations. Perhaps if the divine can be represented as a cube, then each of the Amesha Spentas can be thought of as one face of the cube.

 

For Zarathushtra, the Amesha Spentas were a part and aspect of an elaborate interconnected and interrelated universal system, through which that system was created and based on which that system operates. According to Zarathushtra, there are six Amesha Spentas, and these are 2:

 

1. Asha -- The spirit of Truth and Right

2. Vohu Mano -- The spirit of the Good Mind

3. Khshatra -- The spirit of Holy sovereignty

4. Spenta Armaiti -- The spirit of Benevolent Devotion and Love

5. Haurvatat -- The spirit of Perfection and Well-Being

6. Ameratat -- The spirit of Immortality.

 

Adhering to these six spirits are necessary if we are to fulfil our role and purpose in this physical world, which according to Zarathushtra is the renovation of the world. Furthermore, any digression from these spirits will be wasteful, and as a result will cause evil to a lesser or greater degree.

 

These six emanations permeate the operation of the universe both at macrocosmic and microcosmic level. In other words, not only Ahura Mazda created the world based on these six divine emanations, but also we human beings can find these spirits in our selves as part of our essence. What's more, we can see their operation at the level of every action or project that we undertake 3.

 

In simpler terms, the Amesha Spentas can be described as:

 

1. The Law

2. The Plan or Blueprint

3. Action & Dominion

4. Love and Faith

5. Perfection

6. Immortality and timelessness

 

2. I choose the good Spenta Armaiti (Holy Spirit) for myself; let her be mine. I renounce the theft and robbery of the cow, and the damaging and plundering of the Mazdayasnian settlements.

 

3.I want freedom of movement and freedom of dwelling for those with homesteads, to those who dwell upon this earth with their cattle. With reverence for Asha, and (offerings) offered up, I vow this: I shall nevermore damage or plunder the Mazdayasnian settlements, even if I have to risk life and limb.

 

4. I reject the authority of the Daevas, the wicked, no-good, lawless, evil-knowing, the most druj-like of beings, the foulest of beings, the most damaging of beings. I reject the Daevas and their comrades, I reject the demons (yatu) and their comrades; I reject any who harm beings. I reject them with my thoughts, words, and deeds. I reject them publicly. Even as I reject the head (authorities), so too do I reject the hostile followers of the druj ( which embodiment of evil and pollution, demon of the lie, falsehood.)

 

5. As Ahura Mazda taught Zarathushtra at all discussions, at all meetings, at which Mazda and Zarathushtra conversed;

 

6. As Ahura Mazda taught Zarathushtra at all discussions, at all meetings, at which Mazda and Zarathushtra conversed -- even as Zarathushtra rejected the authority of the Daevas, so I also reject, as Mazda-worshipper and supporter of Zarathushtra, the authority of the Daevas, even as he, the Asha-owning Zarathushtra, has rejected them.

 

7. As the belief of the waters, the belief of the plants, the belief of the well-made (Original) Cow; as the belief of Ahura Mazda who created the cow and the Asha-owning Man (guardian angel); as the belief of Zarathushtra, the belief of Kavi Vishtaspa, the belief of both Frashaostra and Jamaspa; as the belief of each of the Saoshyants (saviors) -- fulfilling destiny and Asha-owning -- so I am a Mazda-worshipper of this belief and teaching.

 

8. I profess myself a Mazda-worshipper, a Zoroastrian, having vowed it and professed it. I pledge myself to the well-thought thought, I pledge myself to the well-spoken word, I pledge myself to the well-done action.

 

9. I pledge myself to the Mazdayasnian religion, which causes the attack to be put off and weapons put down; which upholds khvaetvadatha (kin-marriage), which possesses Asha; which of all religions that exist or shall be, is the greatest, the best, and the most beautiful: Ahuric, Zoroastrian. I ascribe all good to Ahura Mazda. This is the creed of the Mazdayasnian religion.

 

Rather than being one god, this system believed, like the Babylonian and others, in a "family" of competing gods. The study of the stars did not lead to monotheism but a belief in the heavenly host of stars and planets. Therefore, this was a system built upon astrology:

 

"According to Iranian mythology, the dualistic forces of Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu were born to a supreme being known as Zurvan, who symbolised 'infinite time'. In the Roman cult of the god Mithras, which developed from primary Iranian sources, the concept of 'infinite time' was symbolised by a lion-headed deity. Statues depicting this leonine figure show the twelve signs of the zodiac on its chest and a snake curling up over the top of its mane. Although the deity is not identified by name (although it is occasionally linked with Aeon, a gnostic god of time), scholars of Mithraism describe it as a kosmokrator, the controlling intelligence behind the phenomenon of precession.

 

Kosmocrator (g2888) kos-mok-rat'-ore; from 2889 and 2902; a world-ruler, an epithet of Satan: - ruler.

 

"To find a lion-headed kosmokrator that originated in a tradition that saw world history as having begun in 9588 BC, during the Age of Leo, was impossible to ignore. Could it be possible that although knowledge of the precessional cycle was understood by the Elder culture of Egypt, later cultures who inherited this tradition failed to comprehend its mechanics. So instead of Leo making way for the age of Cancer, and then Gemini, and then Taurus, the symbol of the lion became the one and only kosmokrator, or guardian of infinite time, in much the same way that the Great Sphinx became a precessional time-marker on the plateau at Giza.

The Zoe Group and the Jubilee 99 - Seeker Model and Promise Keepers (See This and This for similar schemes to revive the church through external means..

"Jung used the technique of active imagination to undergo a descent into what he called "The Land of the Dead" where he underwent a rite of initiation.

Karen Armstrong, in A History of God, shows how the pagan clergy attempted to neutralize the One God Who was spoken of as male:

"God lay beyond 'gender' but, as in the Enuma Elish, each pair of emanations consisted of a male and female--a scheme which attempted to neutralize the masculine tenor of more conventional monotheism. Each pair of emanations grew weaker and more attenuated, since they were getting even further from their divine Source." (p. 95)

Speaking of the mystics, Armstrong showed how the new, gender-neutral gods are to be worshipped:

"This God is to be approached through the imagination and can be seen as a kind of art form, akin to the other great artistic symbols that have expressed the ineffable mystery, beauty and the value of life.

Mystics have used music, dancing, poetry, fiction, stories, painting, sculpture and architecture to express this Reality which goes beyond concepts." (P. 396)

Lynn Anderson: The mind-set of the times threatens to strip our faith of symbols, rituals, dramas, mystery, poetry, and story,

which say about life and God what logic and reason and rationalism can never say. See Volkism

However, Altered Consciousness:

A key component of the Gnostic experience is the alteration of consciousness. Because the Gnostic is subjectively driven,

the perception of God becomes something that hinges on feelings rather than faith.

In order to improve upon the feelings, the use of additional mechanisms to create moods,

especially the use of music, is frequently brought in. (van der Merwe, p. 90-91, Strange Fire)

Active Imagination:

... it is arguable that Jung set out to design a cult of redemption or renewal in the period beginning as early as 1912. This was a mystery cult that promised the initiate revitalization through contact with pagan, pre-Christian layer of the unconscious mind. By doing so, one would have a direct experience of God, which was experienced as an inner sun or star that was the fiery core of one's being. (Noll, p. 141)

Rubel Shelly: Christians have been seeking to turn every symbol (mark IDOL) to the glory of God. Thus a midwinter festival to the s-u-n was converted into a day of rejoicing over the S-o-n of God. If Jesus is described by biblical writers as the "Sun of Righteousness" and God's "true light coming into the world," what could be more natural? From Baptizing Santa

Jung borrowed the technique of active imagination, which he utilized in his deification experience, directly from the spiritualists. Noll states that Jung resorted to "visionary practices already quite familiar to him from his involvement with spiritualism and from his knowledge of the claims of Blavatsky and the other initiated Theosophists that the ancestral past could be contacted directly through the imagination. Jung, however, reframes the practice to make it seem less occultist and more scientific..." (The Jung Cult: Origins of a Charismatic Movement by Richard Noll (Princeton University Press, 1994, p. 178)

The Gnostic belief that one can attain godhood can also be found in the Latter Rain belief that the church will become the literal incarnation of Jesus Christ on earth.

Guided Imagery:

David Hunt, in his two books, The Seduction of Christianity (1985) and Beyond Seduction (1987), first chronicled the influence of Carl Jung's ideas in the modern church. He wrote of Agnes Sanford whose visualization techniques are founded in

 

shamanistic practices of the occult and

 

who expressed pantheistic beliefs similar to those held by Carl Jung.

 

The Vineyard Christian Fellows

hips, headed by John Wimber, are heavily involved in the use of imagination, visualization, and inner healing. There has been criticism that to a large extent allowing God to "guide the imagination" has been placed on a level equal to the authority of the Bible, which has created a great deal of confusion. David Hunt, (p. 174 Seduction of Christianity

Richard Noll analyzed this ritual:

"Several issues need to be addressed: first it is clear that Jung believed he had experienced becoming one with a god... Second, this deification was part of an initiation into the ancient mysteries of Mithras. The lion-headed god that scholars (rightly or wrongly) have called Aion is indeed a part of most Mithraic cult sites that archaeologists have studied... For Jung, the figure of Aion became his secret image of his god within, his imago Dei, and in later years he entitled a book Aion: Researches in the Phenomenology of the Self (1951)...

 

... it must be remembered that according to the scholarship of Jung's day Mithraism was a survival of ancient Zoroastrianism, thus giving it a direct link with the earliest Aryan homeland (Urheimat) and peoples. An initiation into the Mithraic mysteries was most importantly an initiation into the most ancient of Aryan mysteries..

..

"By indulging in such highly personal self-disclosure about his life in the 1925 seminars, Jung was modeling the way for his disciples to follow if they, too,

wanted to be redeemed by initiation into mysteries that would give them the "certainty of immortality."

 

Jung had already been teaching his patients and disciples the practice of active imagination by 1916, and indeed it became a practical method for contacting a transcendent realm of the dead, ancestors or gods.

 

By contacting and merging with the god within, true personality transformation would then follow. (Noll, p. 214-215)

Noll points out that the intent was to break bonds "with one's family, one's society, even one's God."

"Jung offers the promise of truly becoming an individual after becoming a god, or rather, after learning to directly experience the god within. This is a process of self-sacrifice and struggle

 

during which one must give up one's former image of god, indeed most effectively smashing the Judeo-Christian idol with the "hammer" of questions that is analysis.

 

Jung's analysis helps to destroy the hold that the Judeo-Christian god has over the individual. The promise here, then, is Jung's promise of liberation, of freedom, of becoming a continually self-re-creating individual in a state of constant becoming, a perpetual revolution of the soul. (Noll, p. 257)

 

To see the connection with Woodmont Hill's "Look to the Hills" (instead of look to God?) and the Zoe Group and human potential Click Here. The Jungian connection and Lynn Anderson's method of forced change in church organization and worship is clearly connected to ancient witchcraft methods of change. The clear danger is that code words can be thrown out without any knowledge of the meaning to a lot of informed people.

See the Engedi.org connection.

 

For a Zoroastrian source Click Here

For a glossary ofZoroastrian terms Click Here

 

For a description of fire worship in this area Click Here (Many Caneridge parallels)

 

Amazon.com has the following books available. You may want to check them out.

 

Zoroastrians in Britain : The Ratanbai Katrak Lectures, University of Oxford 1985 John R. Hinnells / Hardcover / Published 1996

Persian mythology John R. Hinnells

Zoroastrians p. Hinnells / 1980

Persian Mythology (Library of the World's Myths and Legends) John R. Hinnells / Published 1990

 

Kenneth Sublett