Beyond conversion and acceptance

Hi Helen and Mickey

I believe Mickey's point is that there is a new Zoroastrian movement of young Iranians and Indians who have mainly emigrated to Europe and America, joined by converts in America, Europe, Eastern Europe and Latin America, who together have turned their back on "the dying isolated faith" and instead created a reinvigorated religion in various forms which actually happens to be the world's fastest growing religion at the moment.

In this new movement you may marry whoever you like, converts are more than welcome, even often taking on leadership responsibilities, and funeral rituals are a subjective and private matter of little concern to the community as a whole (I would personally be happy to be either creamated or buried in earth when I die, worms are animals as much as vultures, the important Zoroastrian idea is the principle of recycling and of not holding corpses in high regards as we worship minds and not dead human bodies).

The Ushta forum is just a small part of this major movement. What is tiring is not so much the endless tirades within the limited community of Parsi isolationism (which is now mainly an isolated Indian phenomenen) but rather the constant misunderstandings in the media about what constitutes "Zoroastrianism". Mickey has many reasons for being tired of the status quo in that department, with or without the harsh words. So am I, sharing his sentiments fully.

Ushta
Alexander

2008/11/2 Helen Gerth

Mickey,

I mean no disrespect....and in no way am taking either side....yet, I would gently point out that everyone is entitled to take pride in their heritage...is it wrong for them to wish to keep their heritage alive....there are many who do who are not angry or harsh in their words or way of doing so...perhaps the last paragraph was a bit harsh?

Respectfully, Ushta te
Helen

--- On Sat, 11/1/08, mickey patel wrote:

From: mickey patel
Subject: Re: [Ushta] FW: Conversions and Acceptance
To: Ushta@yahoogroups.com, vohuman@yahoogroups.com, ushta@yahoogroups.com, creatingawareness@yahoogroups.com, ahura-mazda@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, November 1, 2008, 4:33 PM

With respect to this topic.

To be honest I am really sick to see that since
23 years my Navjote ceremony has been done
the same issues are discussed and there is no
answer

1. Intermarraige
2 Dokhma
3. Conversion and Acceptance

I am sure Zoroastrianism is a very interesting and
deep topic and the Persian culture is rich enough
but instead of focussing on that endless years
of energy is being spent on the above 3 topics
and will be done for another 20-30 years more

A person who has to follow Zoroastrianism philosophy
and way of life will do so and wont even care
for acceptance of the community

Why to care for acceptance and from whom? A bunch
of retarded Priests whose lifes are spent reciting
prayers whom they dont understand nor care
or a Bunch of Rich Trustees who take bribes to
allocate
flats under the table instead of the needy ones.

I think intelligent people should stop wasting their
times discussing this topic and instead spread
awarness, teach the Zoroastrian philosophy and way
of life to interested people - doesnt matter who they
are which race they belong to or what their ancestors
are. In this way atleast there will be some hope

No point in worrying about a dying community which
still hasnt come to terms that by the end of this
century it will wiped of and future generations will
only see them in British Museam as an extinct
community.