Alain de Botton, Slavoj Zizek, and the ideas of a New World Religion Part 2

Dear Kenneth and friends

The last time Zoroastrianism spread in the West was through Mithraism in the Roman Empire, a religion with Zoroastrian roots which was for a time the most widespread and popular religion in the entire empire. It was ultimately defeated by Christianity through imperial decree and mass prosecution of its practitioners. I actually believe it is in a new version that Zoroastrianism and its philosophy will take hold in the west again. At least Parsi Zoroastrianism is too frought with infighting and resistance to change to become a credible alternative. A Zoroastrian revival in a post-mullah Iran could however be extremely attractive to western masses (when they finally discover that Iranian philosophy is on an equal level with Indian and Chinese thought). But until then I keep my hopes for a Hegelian-style religion in the west, referring credibly back to Zarathushtra and his philosophy. The next ten years will decide.

Ushta
Alexander

Den 23 januari 2012 19:59 skrev Kenneth Christensen :

Interesting. I live in a College town in California. This city is quite a center for ideas. After reading the Gatha's I started discussing the philosophy to some friends and college professors. Many of them said how from what I've been describing Zarathustra's philosophy is very logical and compatible with science. One guy even told me after I described the philosophy that he wants to look into it because from what I told him, Zoroastrianism makes more sense than any other religious ideology he has heard. Zoroastrianism could have the potential to spread tremendously in the West because it is compatible with the western values of logic, reason, and the scientific method.

Kenneth

"Life-- The opposite of life is not death, but non-existence. To die means having lived-- but to not exist means being nothing! To live means to influence the cosmos! Ones actions-- ones presence-- changes every being he meets! The cosmos is everything! To affect any part of the cosmos is to affect the totality! Life is the most precious gift the cosmos can bestow....." --Steve Englehart: Marvel Premiere Featuring Doctor Strange # 12