A DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF HOW THEISTS MIGHT ATTEMPT TO ACCOUNT FOR THE EXISTENCE OF NATURAL EVIL

The very concept of evil is one which is ripe for philosophical as well as theological
consideration. It exists in all religions and in all cultures to some extent or another, yet its
true understanding is deeper than what is normally perceived on the surface. The religion of
ancient Iran was derived from that of the ancient Indo-Europeans, or Aryans. The language
of the earliest Zoroastrian writings is close to that of the Indian Vedas, and much of the
methodology is recognizably the same. Two groups of gods were worshiped, the Ahuras
and the Daevas. The worship of the Ahuras (lords) may have reflected the practice of the
pastoral upper classes and tradition holds that Zoroaster was born into a family that
worshipped only the Ahuras. The message of the prophet, however, was that Ahura Mazda,
the wise lord, was the sole creator and lord of the world and that the worship of the Daevas
was the worship of evil. In Zoroaster’s theology the Amesha Spentas, or Bountiful
Immortals,...