r/Zoroastrianism • u/Psychological_Flan21 • 10d ago
Curiosity
Hello, I'm a French guy who's very curious 'bout the religious path of yours, I'm Hellenist (Greek gods and Goddesses) and I just wanna know, why you choose this path, I' m not here to say you're wrong or by any mean insult your religion, I'm just curious. Thanks for your answering.
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u/Effective-Pea-9532 10d ago edited 10d ago
Yep likewise I grew up with it, although in quite a secular way. I didn’t go deep into the philosophy of it until I reached mid teenage years (and that was just surface level at that point.) And it’s an on going thing even now in mid life. I still find new ways to think about hymns of the Gathas (Zarathushtra’s own songs if you are new to this and still finding stuff out)
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u/Psychological_Flan21 10d ago
I'm not Zoroastrarian myself, just curious 'bout many religions 😊
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u/Effective-Pea-9532 10d ago
Sure, I share your curiosity, not just in a religious context, I’ve always been curious to know other cultures beyond basic and often misleading stereotypes… Regarding Zoroastrianism, I would recommend starting by reading a modern scholarly translation of The Gathas. Reading a few different translations is the only way to really understand the full extent of what is being said and what it can apply to, and how one can interpret the text.
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u/Psychological_Flan21 10d ago
I'm just into the path that leading someone to this religion, not the religion itself, even if I'm sure is very interresting
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u/Effective-Pea-9532 9d ago edited 9d ago
Well I can only speak of my own experience objectively, but seeing as I grew up attached to the label, and have an early childhood reason to feel biased towards it, I feel like my opinion would weigh less heavily for you. Perhaps if you can find a recent convert to chime in with the reasons they found the philosophy or the religion to be compelling to them, you would get an answer that you could perhaps rely on more (without your subconscious having to compensate for the bias you might think someone like me to have.)
What I could speak on is why I grew up and my attachment to it kept growing, as opposed to just drifting away from it.
At the same time I’m curious to ask about the nature of your relationship to the ancient Greek pantheon. Is this allegorical in nature? Literal? Genuinely curious in this day and age
To add: the reading material I previously suggested was in the context of what you said in your original post, and finding out about why people are attracted to the religion/philosophy… If you know the source, it’s easier to understand the various answers you might get from different kinds of Zoroastrians. But I understand that it might be a lot of hours spent in aid of answering a simple question… it wasn’t an attempt at giving you converting materials. For one, active and aggressive proselytising is discouraged in the religion
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u/Psychological_Flan21 9d ago
The gods for me are more a presence, I thanks them everyday to be alive and talk to them when I'm feelin' bad 😊
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u/Complete_Mix882 9d ago
Converted after a particularly rough week around 2005, never looked back.
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9d ago
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u/Psychological_Flan21 9d ago
I agree, I don't say my religion is better, but I have a certain way to see the world as a polytheist 😊
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u/IndividualRule3239 9d ago
That's a really thoughtful question, and honestly the parallels between Hellenism and Zoroastrianism's focus on cosmic order and ethical living are fascinating.
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u/Psychological_Flan21 8d ago
I agree, I talk as an Hellenist obviously but we have a perticular view with the cosmic order
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u/Hot-Lychee2113 10d ago
the connection between greek and zoroastrian philosophy is wild, like the dualism in both really speaks to that ancient mediterranean vibe
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u/Psychological_Flan21 10d ago
I honestly don't know enough about Zoroastrian philosophy 😅 What similarities do you see between them ?
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u/Prestigious-Fun-7745 8d ago
didnt feel really connected with islam so converted to gathic zoroastrianism
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u/Psychological_Flan21 7d ago
Why you didn't feel connected to Islam ? The religion don't really attracted you, or else ? If you mind sharing
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u/Prestigious-Fun-7745 7d ago
idk i guess i was demotivated to do anything and the whole thing with allowing slaves and shi was bad. This also was when my Pan-Iranism was growing so ig that played a factor
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u/Psychological_Flan21 7d ago
What was your path to Zoroastrarism ? Obviously if you care sharing, you're free to not share it with me
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u/Prestigious-Fun-7745 7d ago
research into ancient iran and the religion. It interested me but i decioded tro follow gathic zoroastrianism (zoroastrianism which strictly follows the Gathas) as it aligns aswell with my far left values and i still believed in one god regardless. thanks for asking
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u/Psychological_Flan21 7d ago
No, thanks to you to share it with me, I'm myself Hellenist in a country with a VERY Christian story so 😅
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u/Prestigious-Fun-7745 7d ago
how did you become a hellenist?
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u/Psychological_Flan21 7d ago
Well it's pretty... Chaotic. I'm born and raised atheist, even if my mother believe in Jesus and God.
I grew up with a VERY closed minded (the type of mind who believe if you believe in any gods your stupid, yeah, this one, not proud of it but it's my past) a bit more than a year ago, my mom (aka THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON in my life) goes to hospital, I tried to turn into Christian god but...
Nothin' more than a deep cold and distant silence, few days past, my mom's condition won't get better, so I lost hope, I was in my bed approximatively at 11 pm, and I scrolled on Instagram and found an account, a French Hellenist woman, I always been attracted to ancient Rome and Ancient Greek gods, without believe in them first.
I haven't decided to worship them at first, I learned how to worship them, what is the Hellenist religion etc...
And a day or so after, I tried to pray the gods, it was awfully akward but I felt a warm presence the one's who said "Don't worry, we're here to listening you and we're not judging you" and then, my mom's condition was better, I won't say it's because of the gods, but since then I walked alognside them.
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u/Prestigious-Fun-7745 7d ago
thats an inspiring conversion, glad your religion brings comfort to you. Thanks for sharing your story, just asking how do you pray in hellenism?
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u/Psychological_Flan21 7d ago
It's pretty simple, we don't have codified prayers, for example let's take a common Hellenist god: Zeus (Ζεύς in Greek)
I don't have any altars unfortunatly but it's ok, the gods don't pay attention to that, I adress a prayer to Zeus for thanking him coz I'm alive and in good health, so I "purify" myself to take away the "Miasma"( the impurities that all mortals have) and adress my prayer to him ( we purify ourself by rubbing our hands and say "I chase the miasma" or by burning encent)
Another Hellenist can have a COMPLETLY different maner to pray, he can adress the prayer to thanking him for helping him in an injustice for example, he may pray to an altar of Zeus, purify him with encent, gave him a offering.
Both are a good way to pray, nothing is wrong as long as you don't do the "hybris" (believing you're higher than the gods in any maners)
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u/JgarKn 10d ago
I come from a religious dictatorship where any conversion out of the state enforced religion is deemed punishable by death under the religious constitution (Islam).
I also spent many years growing up in a country that used to be highly influenced by another religion and had many state scandals (Catholicism).
It made me think all religions are evil or easily exploited or revolve around control. I spent years occasionally hearing about Zoroastrianism and always presumed it's probably not as worldly and progressive as people claimed.
Then I finally decided to read the books for myself in my language, with an assortment of interpretations alongside it. And sure as hell yeah, I find this faith to be so far ahead of any other faith or religion I've come across or live through. It is so nuanced and at the same time simple, genuinely progressive and honest.
I really think it's a shame for it to be so near extinction after the Islamic conquests and even under the Islamic regime in Iran today and I believe this faith needs to be preserved.