Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Persian prophet Zoroaster, who lived and preached between 1700 B.C and 1500 B.C. Formerly among the world’s largest religions, Zoroastrianism has influenced later belief systems including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Greek philosophy.

Like the prophets Moses, Jesus and Mohammed, Zoroaster’s calling led him into a state of isolation, where he spent many years searching for higher truth. It is stated that at age 20, he left his homeland and after a decade of wandering and contemplation, he received his revelations. He eventually returned to preach the religion of Ahura Mazda, “the Lord of Wisdom”, the supreme deity of Zoroastrianism.

According to Zoroastrianism, good and evil have distinct sources. Ahura Mazda is the creator of Good (asha), and Angra Mainyu the spirit of Evil (druj).

Ahura Masda who is regarded as the righteous creator, is by His name a perfect, good, rational and all-knowing Being who creates light, warmth, good health, happiness and life. Zoroastrians hold that Ahura Mazda created the spiritual and material worlds completely pure. [Effects such as darkness, cold, ill health, sorrow, and death are all excluded from the domain of Ahura Masda]

Angra Mainyu is regarded as an unrighteous and destructive spirit. The effects of disease, decay, and death are vices created by the evil spirit Angra Mainyu and brought by him to the material world to cause suffering, pain, unhappiness and Sin. Aging and death are the effects of the relentless onslaught on the physique by these evil forces.

To combat these forces, Ahura Mazda created six Amesha Spentas (Beneficent spiritual beings) that represented different aspects of the material world. These are plants, water, earth, fire, metal and animals, intended to 'assist' creation from the effects of evil. In response, Angra Mainyu is supposed to have generated numerous Daevas (demons) including those that cause sickness, pollution, decay, and death.

Without the presence of evil, Ahura Mazda’s creations, including humans, would never suffer, grow old or die. The causes for death, from this standpoint are evil, indeed demonic forces. Therefore, there is a perpetual battle between Angra Mainyu trying to destroy good, and Ahura Mazda trying to sustain it.

Mithraism is a mystery religion that originated in Persia, and stems back to one of the oldest religious philosophies of the ancient world, Zoroastrianism. Mithraism is a ritualistic religion featuring strict initiation rites, periods of fasting, ritual baptism, a communal meal of bread and wine, and the promise of deliverance from evil. Mithra’s followers celebrated his birthday on December 25, which is the sun’s “rebirth” at the winter solstice. Mithraism’s ritualistic priests were called “Magi”, the same wise men assumed to have visited Bethlehem when Jesus was born.

Like Zoroastrians, followers of Mithraism believed that life was a battlefield on which opposing forces of light and darkness fought for supremacy. Human beings took part in this cosmic struggle by way of their freedom to choose between good and evil, the consequences of which would determine their fate at the end of time. In the Persian holy texts, the Avesta, a Messiah will appear at the end of time and bring the triumph of good over evil through a final Judgment.

According to Mithraism, a final Judgment at the end of time would consign the wicked to everlasting darkness, while the good would live eternally in the realm of light- the Persian pairidaeza, from which the English word “paradise” derives.

From Persia, Mithraism eventually spread to Europe, and later became popular among Emperors and the military in the Roman Empire, from the 1st to 4th centuries B.C. Scholars believe that some of the basic features of Christianity had already existed in Mithraism, and the religious practices of the "Roman world" prior to the time of Jesus. As result, Mithraic beliefs were eventually incorporated into the 'formation' of the Roman Catholic religion of Christianity.

In religion, a prophet is an individual who is selected by the Divine to serve as an intermediary between Heaven and Earth. As an agent, a prophet acts as a messenger delivering knowledge from the Divine to the realm of humanity.

According to the Book of Exodus, Moses is called to Mount Sinai where he directly communicates with God. On the mountaintop, God reveals to Moses that He is aware of the cries of an oppressed people, and Moses is to act as His messenger, delivering a message to their oppressor. Through this communion with the Divine, Moses eventually delivers a people out of bondage.

The night before his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his final speech to a devout group of followers in a small church in Memphis, Tennessee. The speech reveals the premonitions Dr. King had about his early death. It also poetically points out his relationship with the Divine, as well as his role as a deliverer. Within his speech, he indirectly compares himself to the Hebrew prophet Moses.  

“…Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountaintop. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord! 

                                                                                                            (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)

If they should ever ask you about the significance of your times,

Tell them that you witnessed a man give his life in order to deliver a people.

That through his actions, Black children and White children everywhere,

Sat at the same lunch table and laughed as though they were one.

That you even saw a man whose ancestors had been prejudice not long ago,

Give up his seat in the front of the bus to an old and formerly oppressed woman,

And actually feel pride towards his actions.

Tell them this and one thing more.
 

That every so often, for as long as there has been human history,

Divinity calls upon one of his mortals to bind heaven and earth closer together,

And through the acts of altruism and self sacrifice for the sake of the greater Good,

This mortal gains the status of Immortality in the the minds of his fellow humans.

Pedram Javaherian  

A Comparison of Democratic and Republican Ideologies

The Democratic Ideology: [Establishing society from the Bottom --> Up]

(1) To build a strong Infrastructure by providing social institutions and services such as schools, parks, libraries, public programs, and universal healthcare for the quality of life of citizens.

(2) To build a strong economy by providing jobs and opportunities for all citizens, especially those most in need. Providing jobs for the middle and lower classes will supply citizens with money. The middle and lower classes which comprise the masses, will ultimately put this money back into the economy as consumers. The Money spent in an economy acts as the "fuel" of the economic machinery, intended to exchange hands, circulate through, and sustain a healthy economy.

The Republican Ideology: [Establishing society from the Top --> Down]

(1) To build a strong military to protect the nation and the freedom of its citizens, while giving America the power to address potential conflict with other nations.

(2) To build a strong economy by providing tax breaks for the ‘Upper Class’, who in turn will use their money to establish industries in America. Industries will create jobs and opportunities for the middle and lower classes. This is considered as a "trickle down" economy!

IN THEORY, the Upper Class is to use this tax break as incentive to create industries in America, and establish jobs and opportunities for the middle and lower classes. Building Industries in America will create Jobs for its citizens, citizens will be paid Money for their jobs, and money will be spent by citizens as consumers. This money will then 'circulate' through and sustain the American economy.

IN PRACTICE, the Upper Class has used this privilege without concern for America or its citizens. For personal profit, rich entrepreneurs have built their industries and corporations overseas in third world countries where labor costs are much less. Instead of investing in America and paying workers $6/hr, they have invested in poorer countries where they pay workers $1/hr. This has occurred mostly in under developed countries in ASIA, such as China, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Taiwan.

By creating industries overseas, American corporations have taken jobs, wages, and consumer power away from American citizens for higher personal profits. Today, it seems little can stimulate America's stagnating economy except for the promise of new industries. New industries always create new jobs, money, and the necessary "fuel" required to circulate through and stimulate an economy. For example, potential industries that address both our environmental and economic needs, such as new ways of creating clean energy, and car companies that run on that energy.

Ironically, Investors today believe American consumers have little buying power due to a weakened economy. For business investors, creating new industries in America might be a risky and unprofitable endeavor. In addition, the long term investments made in Asian countries over the past decades has suddenly brought tremendous consumer potential for the people of Asia. Investors have great incentive to create their industries in such countries that have the consumer power to bring them enormous profits.

Countries such as China and India suddenly are changing from cultures dominated by tradition to modern worlds looking to capitalism to shape their future. More than anyone, China is modernizing and has the desire, capacity, and vast population to shape the global economy. Since 1.3 billion out of 6.6 billion (20%) of the world’s population lives in China, everyone is looking to invest in its tremendous potential.

Once again, American and European investors are looking to build industries overseas in the world's thriving Asian countries. However, investing in these countries only perpetuates an old problem, taking more jobs and money away from America's economy and people. This will only further add to the "Attrition" of the American Economy!