In de oudheid stonden geen primitieve, agressieve geestdodende priesters, maar 'Vergoddelijkte Principes' centraal in de geloofsbeleving van de bevolking - hetgeen er op wijst dat er sprake was van de aanwezigheid van een sterk moreel besef.
Men was zich er goed van bewust dat een wereld waarin mensen in moreel opzicht dom gehouden worden een helse wereld is (of wordt).
Religie was in die tijd dan ook geen dwangsysteem, dat gericht was op het controleren van de menselijke geest, maar een liberaal moreel systeem, dat de mens in contact wilde brengen met de in de menselijke geest aanwezige potenties.
Daarbij werd duizenden jaren lang gebruik gemaakt van aan de astrologie ontleende symbolen en principes, principes die hun betekenis hebben verloren dankzij de monotheïstisch religies, die het liberale principe van de troon hebben gestoten, om het te vervangen door het verdommende machtswoord 'god', dat daarom dom maakt omdat het eist dat alles wat vrij en zelfstandig in jezelf is zich onderwerpt aan een werkelijkheid waarvan je met zekerheid weet dat die - juist omdat het een menselijk produkt is - NIET goddelijk is..
Zo'n primitieve 'god' is in feite de ontkenning van een rechtvaardige, morele (dus compassievolle) God, dat bewijzen op het ogenblik Israël, Amerika en Engeland, drie landen die zichzelf tot God hebben uitgeroepen, hetgeen noodzakelijkerwijze de vernietiging van het principe met zich meebrengt.
Daarom is het een verheugende zaak dat uitgerekend in Iran, waarin leiders in het verleden de neiging hadden zichzelf op een Israelisch-Amerikaanse wijze te vergoddelijken de nadruk wordt gelegd op het principe.
In een rechtvaardige wereld is niet de machtige man, de kapitalist, de opportunist of de huichelaar de belangrijkste mens, maar diegene die wil vechten voor principes.
Christ and the Persian magi
Marco Polo on Persia's "Christian" fire worshippers, december 22, 1997,
From Chapter XI of Marco Polo's "The Travels"
Persia was anciently a large and noble province, but it is now in great part destroyed by the Tartars. In Persia there is a city which is called Saba, from whence were the three magi who came to adore Christ in Bethlehem; and the three are buried in that city in a fair sepulchre, and they are all three entire with their beards and hair. One was called Baldasar, the second Gaspar, and the third Melchior.
Marco inquired often in that city concerning the three magi, and nobody could tell him anything about them, except that the three magi were buried there in ancient times. After three days' journey you come to a castle which is called Palasata, which means the castle of the fire-worshippers, and it is true that the inhabitants of that castle worship fire, and this is given as the reason.
The men of that castle say, that anciently three kings of that country went to adore a certain king who was newly born, and carried with them three offerings, namely, gold, frankincense, and myrth: gold, that they might know if he were an earthly king; frankincense, that they might know if he were God; and myrth, that they might now if he were a mortal man.
When these magi were presented to Christ, the youngest of the three adored him first, and it appeared to him that Christ was of his stature and age. The middle one came next, and then the eldest, and to each he seemed to be of their own stature and age. Having compared their observations together, they agreed to go all to worship at once, and then he appeared to them all of his true age.
When they went away, the infant gave them a closed box, which they carried with them for several days, and then becoming curious to see what he had given them, they opened the box and found in it a stone, which was intended for a sign that they should remain firm as a stone in the faith they had received from him.
When, however, they saw the stone, they marvelled, and thinking themselves deluded, they threw the stone into a certain pit, and instantly fire burst forth in the pit. When they saw this, they repented bitterly of what they had done, and taking some of the fire with them they carried it home.
And having placed it in one of their churches, they keep it continually burning, and adore that fire as a god, and make all their sacrifices with it; and if it happen to be extinguished, they go for more to the original fire in the pit where they threw the stone, which is never extinguished, and they take of none other fire. And, therefore, the people of the country worship fire. (Fars News Agency, Iran 2003)
Perzië: Land der Wijzen
Magi, priestly caste in ancient Persia. They are thought to have been followers of Zoroaster, the Persian teacher and prophet, and they professed the doctrines of Zoroastrianism. By the 1st century AD, the magi were identified with wise men and soothsayers.
Wise Men of the East, also called Magi or Three Kings of the Orient. In Matthew, noble pilgrims followed a star to Israel to pay homage to the newborn Christ Child. They asked King Herod the Great for assistance in finding the child. Herod could not help them but asked the men to return with news of the child. Warned in a dream, they did not return to Herod.
Zarathrustra was remember as a religious reformer and founder of Zoroastrianism, or Parsiism, as it is known in India. Like Akhenaten in 18th Dynasty Egypt, Zarathrustra introduced the concept of monotheism in his time line. Zarathustra built his monotheistic teaching from the religious material of his time. He named the one God "Ahura," the old name for "God" or "Lord," and added to it the new epithet "Mazda," which means "wise."
Forever after, the name of God for Zoroastrians (or as they are known in Iran, Zarthustis) would be Ahura Mazda, the "Wise Lord."
Zoroaster (Zarathustra) plaats het Koninkrijk der Waarheid tegenover het Koninkrijk van de Leugen. Het is de taak van de Waarheid de Leugen te verslaan. Dan zal het dualisme dat het grote wereldlijden veroorzaakt overwonnen worden en zal de mens in staat zijn een werkelijk moreel bestaan op te bouwen... Monotheisme is dus bij hem: overwinning van het dualisme via het versterken van de waarheidsliefde in de mens.
Marco Polo is hoogst verbaasd als hij merkt hoe tolerant de Turken zijn. Iedere godsdienst is toegestaan in het land van de Grote Khan. Het is een prettige cultuurschok voor iemand die, waar hij vandaan komt, alleen maar vervolgingen heeft meegemaakt, en executies van mensen die zich niet aan de strikte leer van de Katholieke Moederkerk houden...