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> danger of rapid decline due to abysmal fertility rates. The kid of a Zoroastrian mother and non-Zoroastrian father is also not considered to be Zoroastrian.
by sumedh 5y ago
> danger of rapid decline due to abysmal fertility rates.
The kid of a Zoroastrian mother and non-Zoroastrian father is also not considered to be Zoroastrian.
- ffwszgf 5y agoInteresting that it’s the opposite in Judaism. A child of a Jewish mother and a Zoroastrian father would belong to both religions.
- saiya-jin 5y agoIs this actually possible? I am say agnostic myself, but my understanding would be that every major religion considers it a elementary sin if you don't worship their given God, not just any random god. Also isn't 'belonging' to given religion done in some form of baptism or other introduction to it?
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- throaway46546 5y agoMatrilineal descent does make a lot of sense. It is a lot simpler to determine maternity vs paternity.
- glitchc 5y agoCertainly an outdated rule that needs to change.
- CoastalCoder 5y agoCan you elaborate? I'd want to understand why some Zoroastrians hold that view, before claiming that it's incorrect.
- glitchc 5y agoClarification: The below applies only to Zoroastrians in the Indian sub-continent. It's a combination of conservatism and patriarchy at the religious leadership level. Originally, the rules were clear for either gender: If a Zoroastrian married outside the faith, their child was not Zoroastrian anymore. However, certain influential families were able to gain acceptance for children where the father was Zoroastrian and the mother was not. The priests, however, refused to accept the converse, even though most children learn to practice their faith from their mothers. This issue has bifurcated the community between the conservatives who agree with the priests, and liberals who support Zoroastrians marrying outside the community. Zoroastrians are largely Westernized, ergo women are educated, have careers and choose their own spouses, and women have long since complained that this system is unfair to them. Some priests, particularly in North America, UK and Australia, are espousing the liberal philosophy and will conduct the initiation ceremony for any child as long as one spouse is Zoroastrian. In addition, there are also those who feel the situation is dire enough such that conversions should be allowed again.
- 988747 5y agoYeah, because that's what religions are known for: eagerly changing their own rules.
- tomjakubowski 5y agoI mean yeah, surviving religions have done that quite a lot. It's part of what drives schisms.