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Judaism Categories

Week 6 Judaism

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 1. ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE

Judaism

“For Judaism, the stories of the Creation are found in the first two chapters

of the book of Genesis in the Torah. They show how God created the world in six

days and rested on the seventh. After creating the earth, the sky, the seas and

plants, God made birds and fish on the fifth day and animals and humans on the

sixth day. For some Jews they take this account very literally and believe that this

is exactly how the world was created.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools

 2. NATURE OF GOD/CREATOR

Judaism

“The nature of God is one of the few areas of abstract Jewish belief where

there are a number of clear cut ideas about which there is little dispute or

disagreement. The fact of God’s existence is accepted almost without question.

Proof is not needed, and is rarely offered. The Torah begins by stating “In the

beginning, God created.” It does not tell who God is or how He was created.

“In general, Judaism views the existence of God as a necessary

prerequisite for the existence of the universe. The existence of the universe is

sufficient proof of the existence of God”.

http://www.jewfaq.org

 3. VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE

Judaism

Week 6 Judaism

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“Human nature, viewed ethically, was explained in Rabbinic Judaism not

only as tension between the ‘heavenly’ and ‘earthly’ components but as a tension

between two ‘impulses’. Rabbinic literature created a technical term, ‘ha-ra’ (the

evil impulse), to denote the source within humans of their disobedience, and

subsequently the counter term ‘yetzer ha-tov’ (the good impulse) was used to

indicate humans’ obedience.”

https://www.britanica.com/topic/Judaism/The-Judaic-tradition

 4. VIEW OF GOOD AND EVIL

Judaism

“Traditional Rabbinic understanding of human nature is shaped to a large

degree by the presences of two inclinations – the ‘yetzer ha tov’ (the good

inclination) and the ‘vetzer ha ra’ (the evil inclination). Influenced to a large

extent by the thinking of the Jewish philosopher Maimonides (1135-1204), the

good inclination has become identified with the rational self that is capable of

positive, moral choice. The evil inclination is sometimes identified with the

‘lower’ passions, and Torah study and obedience are prescribed as the means

through with the evil inclination is tamed and put to proper use.”

http://chosenpeople.com/main/jewish-roots/178-the-evil-and-good-

inclinations-in-judaism

 5. VIEW OF SALVATION

Judaism

Week 6 Judaism

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“Salvation from sin is unnecessary in Judaism, because Judaism does not

believe that mankind is inherently evil or sinful or in need of Divine Intervention

in order to escape eternal damnation. Judaism does not even believe in eternal

damnation.

“Judaism recognizes that people have sinful impulses, but Judaism also

recognizes that people have an inclination to do good and to be good, and that

people are able to choose whether to follow the evil inclination or the good

inclination.”

http://www.jewfaq.org

 6. VIEW OF AFTER LIFE

Judaism

“Traditional Judaism firmly believes that death is not the end of human

existence. Because Judaism is primarily focused on life here and now rather than

on the afterlife. Judaism does not have much dogma about the afterlife and leaves

a great deal of room for personal opinion. An Orthodox Jew may believe that the

sous of the righteous dead go to a place similar to the Christian heaven, or that

they are reincarnated through many lifetimes, or that they simply wait until the

coming of the Messiah, when they will be resurrected. Orthodox Jews believe that

the souls of the wicked are tormented by demons of their own creation, or that

wicked souls are simply destroyed at death, ceasing to exist.”

http://www.jewfaq.org/olamhaba.htm

 7. PRACTICES AND RITUALS

Week 6 Judaism

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Judaism

“In Judaism, rituals and religious observances are ground in Jewish law

(halakha lit. “the path one walks”). An elaborate framework of divine Mitzvoth,

(commandments), combined with rabbinic laws and traditions, this law is central

to Judaism.

“Halakha governs not just religious life, but daily life, from how to dress

to what to eat to how to help the poor. Observance of halakha shows gratitude to

God, provides a sense of Jewish identity and brings the sacred into everyday life.

“The Jewish religion recognizes several significant occasions in a person’s life.

While many times the individual is the focus of the festivities, the family, and in

many cases the entire community, participate in the commemoration. These

special events are some of the most important practices of Judaism”

http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/practices

 8. CELEBRATIONS AND FESTIVALS

Judaism

“In Judaism, life is marked by numerous special days in which adherents

take time out of their everyday lives to stop work and focus on God and His

Commandments, including Sabbath services and holidays.

“Because the purpose of most of the holidays and festivals in Judaism is to

recall God’s work in history, they are one of the most important aspects of the

Jewish faith. Observing holidays and festivals also has important social outcomes.

Week 6 Judaism

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They help to keep tradition alive, contribute to a sense of community and

belonging, and ensure regular reflection and celebration.”

http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/holidays

Ian Hunter, 1977, Agora, Cleveland, Mick Ronson, Meatloaf, Ellen Foley, Karla DeVito, the Boyz

Whole Lotta' Shakin' Goin' On
Agora

Catholic Boy, People Who Died

Catholic Boy, People Who Died, Jim Carroll, 5:04

https://youtu.be/D4LqjVtXUvE

Jim Carroll

Judaism

Relief panel showing The Spoils of Jerusalem being brought into Rome, Arch of Titus, Rome, after 81 C.E., marble, 7 feet,10 inches high. Speakers: Dr. Steven Fine and Dr. Beth Harris. Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.

6:35

https://youtu.be/2Pz_p8Tf24g

Technology Instruction

IntegratingTechnologyInstructionalPractice

Newton, Massachusetts Islamic Indoctrination

education-without-islamic-indoctrination

Immigration Ban

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (Pub.L. 82–414, 66 Stat. 163, enacted June 27, 1952), also known as the McCarran–Walter Act, restricted immigration into the U.S. and is codified under Title 8 of the United States Code (8 U.S.C. ch. 12). The Act governs primarily immigration to and citizenship in the United States. It has been in effect since December 24, 1952.

The Act was sponsored by two Democrats; H.R. 5678 was named after its sponsors, Senator Pat McCarran (D-Nevada), and Congressman Francis Walter (D-Pennsylvania).

Speaking in the Senate on March 2, 1953, the Democrat, McCarran, said (Senator Pat McCarran, Cong. Rec., March 2, 1953, p. 1518):

I believe that this nation is the last hope of Western civilization and if this oasis of the world shall be overrun, perverted, contaminated or destroyed, then the last flickering light of humanity will be extinguished. I take no issue with those who would praise the contributions which have been made to our society by people of many races, of varied creeds and colors. ... However, we have in the United States today hard-core, indigestible blocs which have not become integrated into the American way of life, but which, on the contrary are its deadly enemies. Today, as never before, untold millions are storming our gates for admission and those gates are cracking under the strain. The solution of the problems of Europe and Asia will not come through a transplanting of those problems en masse to the United States. ... I do not intend to become prophetic, but if the enemies of this legislation succeed in riddling it to pieces, or in amending it beyond recognition, they will have contributed more to promote this nation's downfall than any other group since we achieved our independence as a nation.

America is the last hope of Western Civilization and if overrun by any creed (such as Islamism) or any race (i.e., Hispanic or others) that does not assimilate or are enemies the nation will decline as a result.

In fact, Federal law does permit a president to ban those who are deemed security risks from entering the country. The relevant passage states:

"Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate. Whenever the Attorney General finds that a commercial airline has failed to comply with regulations of the Attorney General relating to requirements of airlines for the detection of fraudulent documents used by passengers traveling to the United States (including the training of personnel in such detection), the Attorney General may suspend the entry of some or all aliens transported to the United States by such airline."

Cf. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1182

During the latest controversy over immigration, Khizr Khan spoke alongside his wife Ghazala Khan at the Democratic National Convention. On behalf of Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic nominee for president, Khizr Khan questioned Donald Trump’s policies on immigration—specifically his plan to bar Muslim migration from regions afflicted with rampant terrorism into America temporarily until the United States can figure out the situation.

Khan brought out a pocket Constitution, claiming inaccurately that Trump’s plans were unconstitutional. That’s not true, as Congress has already granted such power to the president under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952—allowing the president to bar migration of any alien or class of aliens the president sees as a threat to the United States for any reason at any time. Such a class of aliens could be Muslims, or it could be people from a specific region of the world, or any other class—such as someone’s race, weight, height, age, national origin, religion, or anything else.

Qur'an: Salafism or Philology?

Salafism or Philology?

Zoroastrianism

What Is? 1:33

https://youtu.be/xsWvxIE649U

Zoroastrianism,[n 1] or more natively Mazdayasna,[1] is one of the world's oldest religions, "combining a cosmogonic dualism and eschatological monotheism in a manner unique... among the major religions of the world."[2] Ascribed to the teachings of the Iranian Prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra),[3] he exalted their deity of wisdom, Ahura Mazda, (Wise Lord) as its Supreme Being.[4]

Leading characteristics, such as messianism, heaven and hell, and free will influenced other religious systems, including Second Temple Judaism, Gnosticism, Christianity, and Islam.[5] With possible roots dating back to the second millennium BCE, Zoroastrianism enters recorded history in the 5th-century BCE,[4] and including a Mithraic Median prototype and Zurvanist Sassanid successor it served as the state religion of the pre-Islamic Iranian empires from around 600 BCE to 650 CE.

Zoroastrianism was suppressed from the 7th century onwards following the Muslim conquest of Persia.[6] Recent estimates place the current number of Zoroastrians at around 2.6 million, with most living in India and Iran.[7][8][n 2] Besides the Zoroastrian diaspora, the older Mithraic faith Yazdânism is still practised amongst the Kurds.[n 3]

The religious philosophy of Zoroaster divided the early Iranian gods.[9] The most important texts of the religion are those of the Avesta.[10] In Zoroastrianism, the creator Ahura Mazda, through the Spenta Mainyu (Good Spirit, "Bounteous Immortals")[11] is an all-good "father" of Asha (Truth, “order, justice,")[12][13] in opposition to Druj (“falsehood, deceit”)[14][15] and no evil originates from "him".[16] "He" and his works are evident to humanity through the six primary Amesha Spentas[17] and the host of other Yazatas, through whom worship of Mazda is ultimately directed. Spenta Mainyu adjoined unto "truth"[18] oppose the Spirit's opposite,[19][20] Angra Mainyu and its forces born of Akəm Manah (“evil thinking”).[21]

Zoroastrianism has no major theological divisions, though it is not uniform; modern-era influences having a significant impact on individual and local beliefs, practices, values and vocabulary, sometimes merging with tradition and in other cases displacing it.[22] In Zoroastrianism, the purpose in life is to "be among those who renew the world...to make the world progress towards perfection". Its basic maxims include:

Humata, Hukhta, Huvarshta, which mean: Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds.

There is only one path and that is the path of Truth.

Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do, and then all beneficial rewards will come to you also.

The most important texts of the religion are those of the Avesta, which includes the writings of Zoroaster known as the Gathas, enigmatic poems that define the religion's precepts, and the Yasna, the scripture. The full name by which Zoroaster addressed the deity is: Ahura, The Lord Creator, and Mazda, Supremely Wise.

He proclaimed that there is only one God, the singularly creative and sustaining force of the Universe. He also stated that human beings are given a right of choice, and because of cause and effect are also responsible for the consequences of their choices.

Zoroaster's teachings focused on responsibility, and did not introduce a devil, per se. The contesting force to Ahura Mazda was called Angra Mainyu, or angry spirit. Post-Zoroastrian scripture introduced the concept of Ahriman, the Devil, which was effectively a personification of Angra Mainyu.[23]

Biography, 1:22

https://youtu.be/NXCMpXqh2vU

Zoroaster

Zoroastrianism was founded by Zoroaster (or Zarathustra), later deemed a prophet, in ancient Iran. The precise date of the founding of Zoroastrianism is uncertain. Zoroaster was born in either Northeast Iran or Southwest Afghanistan. He was born into a culture with a polytheistic religion, which included animal sacrifice[69] and the ritual use of intoxicants, quite similar to early forms of Hinduism in India. Zoroaster's birth and early life are little documented. What is known is recorded in the Gathas—the core of the Avesta, which contains hymns thought to be composed by Zoroaster himself. Born into the Spitama clan, he worked as a priest. He had a wife, three sons, and three daughters.

Zoroaster rejected the religion of the Bronze Age Iranians, with their many gods and oppressive class structure, in which the Karvis and Karapans (princes and priests) controlled the ordinary people. He also opposed animal sacrifices and the use of the hallucinogenic Haoma plant (possibly a species of ephedra) in rituals, but held the rooster as a "symbol of light"[70] and associated it with "good against evil"[71] because of his heraldic actions. Vision of Zoroaster

According to Zoroastrian belief, when Zoroaster was 30 years old, he went into the Daiti river to draw water for a Haoma ceremony; when he emerged, he received a vision of Vohu Manah. After this, Vohu Manah took him to the other six Amesha Spentas, where he received the completion of his vision.[72] This vision radically transformed his view of the world, and he tried to teach this view to others. Zoroaster believed in one creator God, teaching that only one God was worthy of worship. Some of the deities of the old religion, the Daevas (Devas in Sanskrit), appeared to delight in war and strife. Zoroaster said these were evil spirits, workers of Angra Mainyu.

Zoroaster's ideas were not taken up quickly; he originally only had one convert: his cousin Maidhyoimanha.[73] The local religious authorities opposed his ideas, considering that their faith, power, and particularly their rituals, were threatened by Zoroaster's teaching against over-ritualising religious ceremonies. Many did not like Zoroaster's downgrading of the Daevas to evil spirits. After 12 years of little success, Zoroaster left his home.

In the country of King Vishtaspa in Bactria, the king and queen heard Zoroaster debating with the religious leaders of the land and decided to accept Zoroaster's ideas as the official religion of their kingdom. Zoroaster died in his late 70s. Very little is known of the time between Zoroaster and the Achaemenian period, except that Zoroastrianism spread to Western Iran. By the time of the founding of the Achaemenid Empire, Zoroastrianism was already a well-established religion.

6:33

Cartoon Zoroastrianism

A video that the life of the Iranian prophet Zoroaster and the essence of his teachings.

This is a product of Mexus Education Pvt. Ltd., an education innovations company based in Mumbai, India. http://www.mexuseducation.com, http://www.ikenstore.in

https://youtu.be/oIEmmndKRSs

Brief History of Zoroastrianism, 3:28

https://youtu.be/6y8BZONPmiM

The roots of Zoroastrianism are thought to have emerged from a common prehistoric Indo-Iranian religious system dating back to the early 2nd millennium BCE.[33] The prophet Zoroaster himself, though traditionally dated to the 6th century BC, is thought by many modern historians to have been a reformer of the polytheistic Iranian religion who lived in the 10th century BC.[34] Zoroastrianism as a religion was not firmly established until several centuries later. Zoroastrianism enters recorded history in the mid-5th century BCE. Herodotus' The Histories (completed c. 440 BCE) includes a description of Greater Iranian society with what may be recognizably Zoroastrian features, including exposure of the dead.

The Histories is a primary source of information on the early period of the Achaemenid era (648–330 BCE), in particular with respect to the role of the Magi. According to Herodotus i.101, the Magi were the sixth tribe of the Medians (until the unification of the Persian empire under Cyrus the Great, all Iranians were referred to as "Mede" or "Mada" by the peoples of the Ancient World), who appear to have been the priestly caste of the Mesopotamian-influenced branch of Zoroastrianism today known as Zurvanism, and who wielded considerable influence at the courts of the Median emperors.

The Zoroastrian Achaemenid Empire at its greatest extent was the largest ancient empire in recorded history at 8.0 million km2 (480 BCE).[35]

Following the unification of the Median and Persian empires in 550 BCE, Cyrus the Great and, later, his son Cambyses II curtailed the powers of the Magi after they had attempted to sow dissent following their loss of influence. In 522 BCE, the Magi revolted and set up a rival claimant to the throne. The usurper, pretending to be Cyrus' younger son Smerdis, took power shortly thereafter.[36] Owing to the despotic rule of Cambyses and his long absence in Egypt, "the whole people, Persians, Medes and all the other nations" acknowledged the usurper, especially as he granted a remission of taxes for three years (Herodotus iii. 68).

Darius I and later Achaemenid emperors acknowledged their devotion to Ahura Mazda in inscriptions, as attested to several times in the Behistun inscription, and appear to have continued the model of coexistence with other religions. Whether Darius was a follower of Zoroaster has not been conclusively established, since devotion to Ahura Mazda was (at the time) not necessarily an indication of an adherence to Zoroaster's teaching. A number of the Zoroastrian texts that today are part of the greater compendium of the Avesta have been attributed to that period. This calendar attributed to the Achaemenid period is still in use today. Additionally, the divinities, or yazatas, are present-day Zoroastrian angels (Dhalla, 1938).

According to later Zoroastrian legend (Denkard and the Book of Arda Viraf), many sacred texts were lost when Alexander the Great's troops invaded Persepolis and subsequently destroyed the royal library there. Diodorus Siculus's Bibliotheca historica, which was completed circa 60 BCE, appears to substantiate this Zoroastrian legend (Diod. 17.72.2–17.72.6). According to one archaeological examination, the ruins of the palace of Xerxes bear traces of having been burned (Stolze, 1882). Whether a vast collection of (semi-)religious texts "written on parchment in gold ink", as suggested by the Denkard, actually existed remains a matter of speculation, but is unlikely. Given that many of the Denkards statements-as-fact have since been refuted among scholars, the tale of the library is widely accepted to be fictional (Kellens, 2002).

The religion would be professed many centuries following the demise of the Achaemenids in mainland Persia and the core regions of the former Achaemenid Empire, most notably Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and the Caucasus. In the Cappadocian kingdom, whose territory was formerly an Achaemenid possession, Persian colonists, cut off from their co-religionists in Iran proper, continued to practice the faith [Zoroastrianism] of their forefathers; and there Strabo, observing in the first century B.C., records (XV.3.15) that these "fire kindlers" possessed many "holy places of the Persian Gods", as well as fire temples.[37] Strabo furthermore relates, were "noteworthy enclosures; and in their midst there is an altar, on which there is a large quantity of ashes and where the magi keep the fire ever burning."[37] Through and after the Hellenistic periods in the aforementioned regions, the religion would be strongly revived as a major thing.

Most of the Sassanid Empire was overthrown by the Arabs over the course of 16 years in the 7th century. Although the administration of the state was rapidly Islamicized and subsumed under the Umayyad Caliphate, in the beginning "there was little serious pressure" exerted on newly subjected people to adopt Islam.[43] Because of their sheer numbers, the conquered Zoroastrians had to be treated as dhimmis (despite doubts of the validity of this identification that persisted down the centuries),[44] which made them eligible for protection. Islamic jurists took the stance that only Muslims could be perfectly moral, but "unbelievers might as well be left to their iniquities, so long as these did not vex their overlords."[44]

The Arabs adopted the Sassanid tax-system, both the land-tax levied on land owners and the poll-tax levied on individuals,[44] called jizya, a tax levied on non-Muslims (i.e., the dhimmis). In time, this poll-tax came to be used as a means to humble the non-Muslims, and a number of laws and restrictions evolved to emphasize their inferior status.

Under Abbasid rule, Muslim Iranians (who by then were in the majority) increasingly found ways to taunt Zoroastrians, and distressing them became a popular sport. For example, in the 9th century, a deeply venerated cypress tree in Khorasan (which Parthian-era legend supposed had been planted by Zoroaster himself) was felled for the construction of a palace in Baghdad, 2,000 miles (3,200 km) away.

In the 10th century, on the day that a Tower of Silence had been completed at much trouble and expense, a Muslim official contrived to get up onto it, and to call the adhan (the Muslim call to prayer) from its walls. This was made a pretext to annex the building.[45]

Another popular means to distress Zoroastrians was to maltreat dogs, as these animals are sacred in Zoroastrianism. Such baiting, which was to continue down the centuries, was indulged in by all; not only by high officials, but by the general uneducated population as well.

The first edict, adapted from an Arsacid and Sassanid one (but in those to the advantage of Zoroastrians), was that only a Muslim could own Muslim slaves or indentured servants. Thus, a bonded individual owned by a Zoroastrian could automatically become a freeman by converting to Islam. The other edict was that if one male member of a Zoroastrian family converted to Islam, he instantly inherited all its property.

Despite economic and social incentives to convert, Zoroastrianism remained strong in some regions, particularly in those furthest away from the Caliphate capital at Baghdad. In Bukhara (in present-day Uzbekistan), resistance to Islam required the 9th-century Arab commander Qutaiba to convert his province four times. The first three times the citizens reverted to their old religion. Finally, the governor made their religion "difficult for them in every way", turned the local fire temple into a mosque, and encouraged the local population to attend Friday prayers by paying each attendee two dirhams.[48] The cities where Arab governors resided were particularly vulnerable to such pressures, and in these cases the Zoroastrians were left with no choice but to either conform or migrate to regions that had a more amicable administration.[48]

Due to Islamic oppression and bigotry, Zoroastrians have fled to India, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Persia, and an expatriate community has formed in the United States (some from India), and to a lesser extent in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

Spread, 1:26 (watch)

See the spread of the religion known as Zoroastrianism. It also includes Manichaeism but not any of the other religions that are associated with Zoroastrianism.

https://youtu.be/CuEGCNw3S_8

Zoroastrianism is often compared with the Manichaeism. Nominally an Iranian religion, it has its origins in the Middle-Eastern Gnosticism. Superficially such a comparison seem apt, as both are dualistic and Manichaeism adopted many of the Yazatas for its own pantheon. Gherardo Gnoli, in The Encyclopaedia of Religion, says that "we can assert that Manichaeism has its roots in the Iranian religious tradition and that its relationship to Mazdaism, or Zoroastrianism, is more or less like that of Christianity to Judaism".[66]

They are however quite different.[67] Manichaeism equated evil with matter and good with spirit, and was therefore particularly suitable as a doctrinal basis for every form of asceticism and many forms of mysticism. Zoroastrianism, on the other hand, rejects every form of asceticism, has no dualism of matter and spirit (only of good and evil), and sees the spiritual world as not very different from the natural one (the word "paradise", or pairi.daeza, applies equally to both.)

Manichaeism's basic doctrine was that the world and all corporeal bodies were constructed from the substance of Satan, an idea that is fundamentally at odds with the Zoroastrian notion of a world that was created by God and that is all good, and any corruption of it is an effect of the bad. From what may be inferred from many Manichean texts and a few Zoroastrian sources, the adherents of the two religions (or at least their respective priesthoods) despised each other intensely.

Morgan Freeman's Story of God, 6:42

Zoroastrians believe that there is one universal, transcendent, supreme god, Ahura Mazda, or the "Wise Lord". (Ahura means "Being" and Mazda means "Mind" in Avestan language).[25] Zoroaster keeps the two attributes separate as two different concepts in most of the Gathas and also consciously uses a masculine word for one concept and a feminine for the other, as if to distract from an anthropomorphism of his divinity. Zoroaster claimed that Ahura Mazda is almighty, though not omnipotent.

Other scholars assert that since Zoroastrianism's divinity covers both being and mind as immanent entities, it is better described as a belief in an immanent self-creating universe with consciousness as its special attribute, thereby putting Zoroastranism in the pantheistic fold where it can be easily traced to its shared origin with Indian Brahmanism.[26][27] In any case, Ahura Mazda's creation—evident is widely agreed as asha, truth and order—is the antithesis of chaos, which is evident as druj, falsehood and disorder. The resulting conflict involves the entire universe, including humanity, which has an active role to play in the conflict.[28]

In Zoroastrian tradition, the "chaotic" is represented by Angra Mainyu (also referred to as "Ahriman"), the "Destructive Principle", while the benevolent is represented through Ahura Mazda's Spenta Mainyu, the instrument or "Bounteous Principle" of the act of creation. It is through Spenta Mainyu that transcendental Ahura Mazda is immanent in humankind, and through which the Creator interacts with the world. According to Zoroastrian cosmology, in articulating the Ahuna Vairya formula, Ahura Mazda made His ultimate triumph evident to Angra Mainyu. As expressions and aspects of Creation, Ahura Mazda emanated the Amesha Spentas ("Bounteous Immortals"), that are each the hypostasis and representative of one aspect of that Creation. These Amesha Spenta are in turn assisted by a league of lesser principles, the Yazatas, each "Worthy of Worship" and each again a hypostasis of a moral or physical aspect of creation.

Zoroastrian theology includes a duty to protect nature. This has led some to proclaim it as the "world's first ecological religion." Scholars have argued that, since the protections are part of a ritual, they stem from theology rather than ecology. Others have responded that, since the scripture calls for the protection of water, earth, fire, air, as once of its strongest precepts, it is, in effect, an ecological religion: "It is not surprising that Mazdaism (another term for Zoroastrianism) is called the first ecological religion. The reverence for Yazatas (divine spirits) emphasizes the preservation of nature (Avesta: Yasnas 1.19, 3.4, 16.9; Yashts 6.3-4, 10.13)." [29]

https://youtu.be/s0K3vEBG3sk

Towers of Silence Trailer, 4:55

https://youtu.be/dMXvsg1bN-s

Selects from Zoroastrian Rituals (Towers of Silence): Rituals, 2:22

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtAFDN3I0oQ

https://youtu.be/rtAFDN3I0oQ

TOWER OF SILENCE (ZOROASTRIANISM FUNERAL & DISPOSAL), Ritual Funeral, 4:04

https://youtu.be/opSPc44s9_o

Zoroastrians Celebrate Fire Festival in Iran: Fire Festival, 2:31

One of the worlds last and largest communities of Zoroastrians celebrates its annual fire festival in Iran, where the government has recently been more accepting of its pre-Islamic Persian heritage. WSJ's Bill Spindle reports.

https://youtu.be/pB78CnYJfIY

Prayer, 2:31

"Zoroastrian rituals and prayers are solemnized in the presence of a Fire, which is scrupulously tended with sandalwood and frankincence and kept buning in a silver urn in the inner sanctum of every Zoroastrian "fire-temple" also called a Darbe Mehr (door of devotion). Fire is revered as a visual symbol of the Inner Light, the devine spark, that burns in each and every heart; a physical representation of the Illuminated Mind, Enlightenment and Truth. It is important to note that Zoroastirans do not "worship fire" as the religion denounces the worship of any idols or dieties." The mobed (priest) wears a mouth veil to prevent contamination of the fire. "Ashem Vohu, vahishtem asti, Ushta asti, ushta ahmai Hyat ashai, vahishtai ashem -To think a good thought, to speak a good word, to do a good deed, is the best. Everlasting happiness to those who follow the Path of Asha" The World Religions class observing this prayer are wearing hats and head coverings as a sign of respect to the sanctity of the place of worship. It is very special and rare for nonpractitioners to be allowed into the inner sanctum.

https://youtu.be/EoZ1nFfUUpQ

Saving the Zoroastrians (The Feed): Saving 3:53

https://youtu.be/TePcJ6v5fpg

BBC News Keeping Zoroastrianism alive after 3,000 years: Keep Alive, 2:52

BBC News Keeping Zoroastrianism alive after 3,000 years

https://youtu.be/a4ezRTvDrqw

Cosmogony

Creation of the universe

According to the Zoroastrian story of creation, Ahura Mazda existed in light in goodness above, while Angra Mainyu existed in darkness and ignorance below. They have existed independently of each other for all time, and manifest contrary substances. Ahura Mazda first created seven abstract heavenly beings called Amesha Spentas, who support him and represent beneficent aspects, along with numerous yazads, lesser beings worthy of worship. He then created the universe itself in order to ensnare evil. Ahura Mazda created the floating, egg-shaped universe in two parts: first the spiritual (menog) and 3,000 years later, the physical (getig). Ahura Mazda then created Gayomard, the archetypical perfect man, and the first bull.[74]

While Ahura Mazda created the universe and humankind, Angra Mainyu, whose instinct is to destroy, miscreated demons, evil yazads, and noxious creatures (khrafstar) such as snakes, ants, and flies. Angra Mainyu created an opposite, evil being for each good being, except for humans, which he found he could not match. Angra Mainyu invaded the universe through the base of the sky, inflicting Gayomard and the bull with suffering and death. However, the evil forces were trapped in the universe and could not retreat. The dying primordial man and bull emitted seeds. From the bull's seed grew all beneficial plants and animals of the world, and from the man's seed grew a plant whose leaves became the first human couple. Humans thus struggle in a two-fold universe trapped with evil. The evils of this physical world are not products of an inherent weakness, but are the fault of Angra Mainyu's assault on creation. This assault turned the perfectly flat, peaceful, and ever day-lit world into a mountainous, violent place that is half night.[74]

Veritas Deep State

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Shinto Creation Story, Beliefs, Shintoism, Religion in Japan

Creation, 3:57

https://youtu.be/CH-8QHTlj-A

Beliefs, 1:40

https://youtu.be/vufhO3goauU

Shintoism (Powtoon)

4:35

https://youtu.be/d4Qj78_iEVo

Religion in Japan, 3:55

https://youtu.be/mWRSjieo0CY

Female Shinto Spirit

Female Shinto Spirit

Enlarge this image. Female Shinto spirit, Heian period (794–1185) or Kamakura period (1185–1333), approx. 1100–1200. Japan. Wood with traces of pigment. Courtesy of the Asian Art Museum, Transfer from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Gift of Mrs. Herbert Fleishacker, B69S36.This figure represents a Shinto goddess; her name is not known. She is depicted as an aristocratic woman, dressed in a thick kimono-like garment. Shinto images like this one were not meant to be seen but were kept hidden in movable cabinets in a special part of shrines, where they were privately worshiped. Since ancient times, the Japanese worshiped spirits (kami) who were believed to exist abundantly in such forms of the natural world as mountains, rocks, waterfalls, and trees. As such, they were not depicted in human form, male or female. It was only in the ninth century, under the strong influence of Buddhist image-making, kami began to be depicted in human form.

Pope and Breaking Church

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Shinto Introduction, art, 3:47

Shinto Introduction, art, 3:47

An introduction to Shinto, one of Japan's earliest belief systems. Created by Asian Art Museum.

Art

https://youtu.be/RgQ4eCc38dM

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Zen Buddhism, 3:21

Zen Buddhism, 3:21

An introduction to Zen, a form of Buddhism that emphasizes seeking one's own Buddha nature through meditation.  Learn more about Buddhism in Japan on the education.asianart.org. . Created by Asian Art Museum.

Zen Buddhism

https://youtu.be/_WAi2fwUqN4

Buddhism in Japan

Buddhism was officially transmitted to Japan in 525, when the monarch of the Korean kingdom of Baekje sent a mission to Japan with gifts, including an image of the Buddha, several ritual objects, and sacred texts. Buddhism's journey from India to China, Korea, and Japan had taken about a thousand years.

The arrival of Buddhism—which is quite different from kami worship, the ancient native belief system—created political struggles between pro- and anti-Buddhist groups. Eventually, the adherents of Buddhism prevailed, and the new religion became firmly established under imperial sponsorship.

Buddhism also brought with it a political structure, advanced technologies, and sophisticated cultural practices—including music, dance, a new writing system, and above all, elaborate Buddhist art—that would revolutionize many aspects of Japanese life.

Today, some thirteen schools of Buddhism exist in Japan, and the majority of the population professes to be Buddhist. There are about 80,000 temples with some 150,000 priests as well as several colleges dedicated chiefly to Buddhist studies.

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Shintoism

Map of Japan. Courtesy of the Asian Art Museum.

Japan is an island country consisting of four major and numerous smaller islands. The islands lie in an arc across the Pacific coast of northeastern Asia, forming a part of the volcanic “Rim of Fire.” From north to south this chain of islands measures more than 1,500 miles, but it is only about 130 miles across; its total landmass is just under 150 thousand square miles. If placed alongside the Pacific coast of North America, the Japanese islands would extend from northern Washington State to the southern tip of Baja California in Mexico, and as a result Japan has a wide variation in climate.

Japan’s closest neighbors are Russia, Korea and China. In early history the Korean Peninsula acted as a bridge between Japan and the vast expanse of China, where a great civilization emerged—later on, Japan made connections with China directly by sea. As an island people, the Japanese have been aware of their physical isolation since ancient times, and this isolation has had many positive aspects. For much of Japan’s history, the seas protected it from invasion. The Japanese also controlled international contact by expanding, narrowing, and sometimes terminating diplomatic relations with other nations.

Despite such concern with managing contact with the outside world, many Japanese have admired, been curious about, and studied aspects of foreign cultures whenever they have reached their home shores. During closed periods, they digested foreign influences and, based on their tastes and necessities, transformed those influences into distinctly Japanese forms and styles.

YouTube Education

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Ian Hunter Band, My Father's Place, Old Roslyn, NY, 6/12/79

6/12/79

Criticism of the Qur'an

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Bible vs. Qur'an

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Talking Orangutan

Orangutan

Data Analytics

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Houston Hilton Starbucks Enforce Sharia

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Qur'an 5:60 on Jews

Qur'an 5:60 Jews as Apes and Pigs

Koran, sura (chapter) 5, verse 60 (Koran 5:60).

koran_560_refers_to_jews_as_apes_and_pigs

.quranbrowser

The Popularity of Exiting Catholicism

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Qur'an Curses Jews, the Other

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Nail aide arrested for Islamist ties.

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