Zoroastrianism is an ancient religion that is still practiced. Some people believe that there are about 140,000 people in the world who practice Zoroastrianism. It was founded in the area in the Middle East that is now called Iran. Zoroastrianism is considered by many to be the first monotheistic religion in the world. It is a very interesting religion and has influenced some of the other major religions in the world today.
Zoroastrianism was founded in the 6th century B.C. by a man named Zarathushtra . He lived in Persia. According to a legend his birth was predicted to happen and that the attempts were made by the forces of evil to kill him as a child. Zarathushtra preached monotheism in a land in which people worshipped many gods. He was targeted for his teaching, but finally won the support of the king. Zoroastrianism was the state religion of the Persian empires, until the 7th century B.C.
Zoroastrian's believe in a single god named Ahura Mazda. Ahura means "Lord" and Mazda means "Wisdom". The followers of Zoroastrianism are called Parsis. They are from Persia, from where they fled to escape persecution. Zarathushtra was the first person to believe in one god.
The website Religious Tolerance states that Zoroastrians live by the motto "Good thoughts, good words, and good deeds." They believe that their purpose in the world is to help Ahura Mazda make the world be a better pace. There are two ways of thinking in the world. Everyone is free to choose between good and bad, but only the ones who choose good will be able to achieve happiness. Zoroastrians pray at fire temples. They respect the fire because it is the symbol of their god. Zoroastrians have a holy book called the Gathas. The bo ...