The Parsee People

40 day Prayer & Fasting for the Parsee People [There may also be a prayer guide at ad2000.org/profiles/parsee40.htm]

Prayer Requests That God would provide workers who are caring, skillful, diligent, and faithful, filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom who have a vision to reach the Parsi people. That God providedoors and divine appointments to minister to the Parsi. That intercessors would be moved to pray onsite at Parsi temples. That the New Testament and the Jesus Film be available to every Parsi in their own language. That He bring healing and deliverance from anarchy, violence, and Muslim oppression. That the Lord would reveal Himself to Parsi leaders around the world. That He grant safety, healing, encouragement, and comfort to all the missionaries working amongst the Parsi, and to their families.

Who are the Parsee?

Please also see the profile at http://www.unreached.org/.

The Parsee are animists. They worship fire as their god and they also pray to other natural elements, such as water. They call on the spirits of deceased ancestors.

Most Parsee live in India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afgahanistan. Thousands also live in the US and UK. They dress well and drive expensive cars. They are among the elite of their cities. They hold important government offices and head philanthropic foundations. But few have ever heard the truth about Jesus Christ.

An Ancient Belief System

The Parsis are an ancient people following ancient beliefs. Their religion dates from before 3000 BC, when it was founded by Zoroaster (Zarathustra). In the Bible, the two Persian kings Cyrus and Darius were Parsis.

After the Persian empire fell, Zoroastrian believers were often victims of persecution and bloodshed. Thousands were killed, first by the forces of Alexander the Great and then by invading Arab Muslims.

Working To Get To Heaven By Worshiping Fire And Spirits

A Parsi is proud of his religious doctrine that instructs every person to do always what he thinks is the most right thing, in order to help bring about the divine plan of perfection for mankind. A cornerstone of their beliefs is "Good thoughts, good words, good deeds." Like other educated and successful people, most Parsis expect that if they maintain a good conscience and observe an ethical code moderately well, they will attain eternal life in heaven. There are some similarities between their beliefs and those of Judeo-Christians.

Zoroastrians declare a belief in and a reliance upon one they call the "All-Wise Creator." They also call upon angels for help. Salvation is by the Wise Creator's grace.

Parsis worship, pray, and bow down to fire, which they call "the son of god." Spiritual activity is centered at fire temples, where fires fueled by sandalwood and oil burn constantly. Weddings, religious initiations, soul purifications, and rituals for the deceased are carried out in the presence of a fire. Parsi homes frequently have perpetual fires.

Pictures of deceased relatives, friends, and leaders are also predominant in Parsi homes. Facing the pictures, and at times kneeling before them, the family prays to the spirits of these deceased people. Demonic spirits have been known to take on the appearance or voice of a deceased loved one or friend.

Each year in March and August, Zoroastrian Parsees dedicate ten days to the spirits of their deceased loved ones and leaders. This period just before their new year is marked by daily invocations for these spirits to manifest themselves.

Both living and deceased Parsis are believed to be entitled to assistance by angels. However, Parsis call directly on angels to do their bidding. The most important angels guard natural elements, such as the sky, the sun, the waters, the earth, and the wind. Other angels are responsible for things like the days of the month and special occasions. The "angel of conscience" is at the top of the hierarchy, being almost as important as fire.

The Culture

To become a Parsi, one must be the son or daughter of a Parsi father. A boy or girl whose father is Parsi undergoes initiation before reaching puberty. Following a ritual bath and special prayers, the child must sip bull urine to purify his soul for entry into oneness with their god. Then - wearing a cap, white trousers, and a white shawl - he is led by the women in a procession to the ceremonial site. There the priest clothes him in a sacred white undergarment. Next the priest circles the child's waist three times around with a band of lamb's wool, tied and knotted in a prescribed way. The shirt and belt are to serve throughout their life as a constant reminder of purity. There are daily rituals regarding tieing and untieing the band while repeating vows.

Most Zoroastrians enjoy respect in their societies. They achieve high standing in the military, legislative, executive, and judiciary. Parsis are also known in business and professional fields for their ability and graciousness. Those in the western world have attained success in technology, business, and the arts.

The sect's membership restrictions have decreased the Parsi population. In Pakistan and India, geographical separation has been the choice of many Parsis, who form colonies where only members of the Parsi sec may live. Zoroastrians in the United States and United Kingdom have formed associations. Efforts are strong to encourage religious identity in Zoroastrianism, especially among the youth, who are invited to conventions featuring activities tailored to their interests. On every continent, a federation links together all the Zoroastrian associations.

Overlooked By Missionaries

Whether because of their relatively small numbers or their educational level and social position, Parsis have remained outside the scope of most evangelistic efforts. They are truly an unreached people group. Yet their culture leaves some areas of approach.

• First, they respect all gods and religions. Many even esteem Yeshua/Jesus as a teacher. It would be uncharacteristic of a Parsi to discard any religious material he might receive, including a Bible.
• More than 90 percent of Parsis can read English.
• Prevalent heart disease and cancer make Parsis willing to receive prayer for healing.
• Parsi compounds and colonies make evangelizing geographically convenient.
• Despite the high ideals of their religion, many are tied to the world by desires for wealth, power, and sensual pleasure.
• The main strongholds that control the Parsis are the spirits of AntiMessiah, witchcraft, deception, and idolatry.
• Their high level of honesty and generous giving to the poor give them false assurance of their right standing with God.
• Pride in their descent from the Persian royalty has kept them exclusive. It also prevents them from leaving. Conversion to Messiah would mean isolation. They would miss the community support and bonding they know among Zoroastrian brothers.

For more information, please see the following web sites:

http://www.unreached.org/	Barukh HaShem Ministries
http://www.avesta.org/avesta.html	Avesta -- Zoroastrian Archives
http://www.zoroastrianism.org/	Zoroastrianism
http://www.fezana.org/	Zoroastrian Associations of North America
http://www.parsee.org	General Parsee Information

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8/25/99