Zoroastrianism and its influence on Christianity

I found this video by “Bible Project” on “The Satan and Demons” interesting; it’s also a good read to find Enns’ description of Satan in “Evolution of Adam.” Thanks.
The Satan and Demons - YouTube

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Some forms of Gnosticism went for that, but borrowed it from Greek philosophy, rather than Zoroastrianism.

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In the book of Job (which is not historical but disturbing anyway), God grants Satan the power to afflict Job. Satan doesn’t possess this power normally, and it is still controlled by God.

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The Gospel shows us that Satan was allowed to tempt Christ but he failed, and Christ ordered Satan to depart. Evil has no place with Christ nor does Satan have any power over us with the exception that we may choose/are tempted to seek evil.

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In a way it’s maybe no big deal, even if we were influenced by the Zoroastrians. . We all tend to evolve a view of God independently, and you see elements of good and evil across all belief systems. Paul wrote of how the Greeks worshiped the one true God on their own (Acts 17:23). In Romans, he alludes to how we all have some light. I still have to think this out a bit. Thanks.

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Ancient Egyptian religion is much older than either and gives us demons (which are anthropological), judgement to heaven or annihilation and ideas that continue in Western superstition to this day. Pretty dual. The Jewish Canaanite evolution to God follows on from the monolatry of Egypt. All the Eurasian religions that tend to monotheism have remarkable suspiciously psychologically similar elements; trinities, virgin births.as well as the more universal good and bad spirits, judgement, heavens and hells.

Best case Christianity transcends them all, as well as its own degenerate forms.

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What’s, where’s Satan’s bailiwick? Earth? The trillions of inhabited worlds universe? The multiverse?

He’s our id projected.

You don’t get to just make a baseless assertion and then say “prove me wrong.” You have offered a non sequitur. Zoroastrianism predating Christianity doesn’t necessitate the latter depends on the former. Substantiate your claim first and then we can discuss its merits. Right now it just looks like uncritical Jesus mythicism type sentiments.

Vinnie

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Or, literally, nothing does.

My favourite book of the TaNaKh.

What would change exactly? I can present pdf files of universities studies. So what? I dont think you as an individual will be interested in reading 300 plus pages of them and actually debate here. Along with @Vinnie it seems like you challenge me for something you have no intetnion to dive into. I can go into this rabbithole. You however and Vinnie maybe wont.

Try me :slight_smile:. You have said that you understand the arguments so why not summarise a few of them for us with links for further reading or provide some key quotes for us to engage with?

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This is a discussion forum. Generally you share thoughts, ask questions and present arguments. Not just say “prove me wrong.”

If you want to claim 1st century Jewish and Gentile Christians were influenced by Zoroastrianism I doubt many will bat an eye. No one disputes how the church has been influenced by Greek philosophy. Many of us moderns are influenced by Nietzsche. And yes, God’s light can be seen in different faiths.

But if you want to claim very specific concepts stem exclusively from Zoroastrianism, or even go further and claim certain ideas in Judaism and Christianity were created out of this influence, you should probably defend those beliefs. No one should dispute generic influences because that’s how philosophies work in general. Cultures can certainly influence one another.

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What about the evils that are systemic, institutionalized from the ruling class on down, that we justify as the way of the world?

I am not sure that you are addressing the topic, but if you mean that we justify some evils, I would say that evil is evil, no matter how it is dressed.

Our cultures are evil. Christendom has done incalculable harm since it was institutionalized. Since it justified war, ‘civilization’, slavery, inequality, capitalism, colonialism and still does in your country and mine.

I see the struggle and crimes committed in the pursuit of power, wealth and influence as central to our culture. If these are dressed as religion (or democracy, or altruism) it simply adds hypocrisy to the list.

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We’re all complicit in this. Christianity has been overwhelmingly deafeningly silent about it. It still is - racism, Islamophobia, inequality, homophobia, sexism, global warming, Covid… or worse - racism, Islamophobia, inequality, homophobia, sexism, global warming, Covid…

Wow - doesn’t leave room for the tyrant, the insanely malevolent, … etc. Christian institutions have shared the evil equally with all other evil does. I guess any good deeds have been shared between Christians and others. :upside_down_face:

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Why do we tolerate them? Worse, embrace them? That ‘Turkish’ proverb comes to mind again. Assyrian via Aesop. The forest accepts the axeman because his blade’s handle is one of them.

I think you confuse the word influence with “borrowed”. They didnt just gkt influenced by them,but rather borrowed some stuff from them. Simple