format_quote Originally Posted by
azc
So according to their religion :
a : Devil is as powerful as God or more powerful than God
No, no, no.
Angra Mainyu (Equivalent of "Devil" or Shaitan) is
BELOW Ahura Mazda (God), in this religion. The religion is dualistic (battle between good and evil) and they do believe it manifests on the divine planes, as it does in our world but it
doesn't believe that they are equal. In Zoroastrianism Good, or Light - is the prevailing and therefore the ultimate of the two. Evil is just a necessity, nothing more.
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format_quote Originally Posted by
Neithan
That's a really good point demonstrating inconsistency (and how can truth be inconsistent?) — if a proposed teaching states that the material world and the body are evil (very common amongst pagans actually) then that means also their tongues are evil and the sounds they make (language) so how can we trust what they say?
What type of Pagans? I've never come across this personally. In my experience, Pagans are very pro-nature - to the extent that Pagans are often "Nature-worshipers" who deify nature as their chosen gods and goddesses.
format_quote Originally Posted by
Neithan
These are issues I find in Dharmic traditions, which teach that life is a kind of evil from which we must escape, and reality is an illusion. If that's true, then their own supposed ideas about reality are also an illusion.
Depends very specifically on the schools of thought withing Dharmic Traditions (there are more than most people will ever comprehend). Buddhism is more closer to what you're saying, than the general Hindu conception. In Buddhism, life is suffering, so one needs to transcend suffering to reach enlightenment. In Hinduism, there are just too many schools of thought (again) to give a comprehensive overview. But Maya in general, is about the subjective experience to the absolute reality. Many schools of Hindu thought believe consciousness is above the material, so our lives are just part of the process that the soul makes - either into a new incarnation, or to become one again with God. In this light, life is seen as a chance for perfection, to reach Moksha. Don't get try to interpret Dharmic traditions via our Abrahamic traditions though (although, Judaism gets close in areas)