The Book Your Church Doesnt Want You to Read

Zoroastrianism: Blueprint For Christianity And Judaism
The Book
darkness are at war with one another. So religions focusing on the
Sun have often tended to militarism. Two examples will suffice.
Zoroastrianism, whose origins are now thought to go back to the
second millennium BCE, became the creed of the militant
Achaemenid dynasty in Persia in the sixth century. It centered on the
struggle between the forces of Order and Chaos, Light and Darkness,
and the Sun was one of the powers fighting on the side of Order and
Light.
A second example comes from the period when, after a century of
largely untroubled peace, the Roman Empire experienced a century
of wars and disasters. In their distress, they looked for a new divine
champion, and went to the Sun, the Unconquered Sun, Sol Invictus.
In 274 CE, the emperor Aurelian actually adopted the Sun as the
Supreme God of the Roman Empire. Moreover, Constantine's family
were worshippers of the Unconquered Sun. When he was marching
on Rome, he had his famous vision of a Cross superimposed on the
Sun. It came from his family god. In the form of a chi-rho in a circle
(or, as often, an iota-chi) it presented the initial letters of the name of
Christ (or of Jesus Christ) in the form of a sun wheel. Constantine
was in fact a syncretist. His statue in Constantinople bore the rayed
crown of the Sun god, made, as he believed, from the nails of Christ's
Cross. His god was a god of war, not peace.
Yet, the Sun, in its all-embracing power, could speak of peace as
well as war. The rulers of Persia were drawn in the direction of
universalism and toleration. What is more, the all-seeing eye of the
Sun made for justice. The Persians were particularly strong about
keeping one's word, about the value and importance of truth, honesty,
uprightness. So although peace does not stand high among the
values of traditional Zoroastrianism, the religion has much in it
which gives positive content to peace. This is why the Parsis, retaining
the strong monotheism of Zarathustra, have been a force for
peace. They influenced the Moghul Akbar to use good counsel, not
the sword, in spreading religion. Ever since they have been in the
forefront in developing philanthropy and social responsibility.
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From The Portable World Bible, Viking Press, 1939
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