Are Christian beliefs not original?
Actor Morgan Freeman believes that an ancient religion that still exists today, Zoroastrianism, is actually the source of beliefs not only of those practicing Christianity but also those who belong to the Islamic and Jewish faiths.
The Academy Award-winning made the daring claim in an interview with The Christian Post ahead of the premiere of the first episode of National Geographic's "The Story of God with Morgan Freeman" Season 2 on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. The episode is titled "The Chosen One."
Zoroastrianism was featured in season one of the documentary series last year.
Freeman retraced the steps he took in his journey of faith, saying that what he gained most in studying Judaism, Christianity and Islam is "knowledge."
He then revealed the one thing that dawned upon him during his journey, the one thing that affected him most.
"I'll give you this, Zoroastrianism. It's one of the ancient religions and apparently the big three (religions) took their tenets from that," he told The Christian Post.
"The three tenets of Zoroastrianism [are] good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, which I think the preponderance of us strive for. So we are almost all believers of Zoroastrianism. I've learned that about myself," the 79-year-old actor added.
Zoroastrianism, one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions, was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) in ancient Iran approximately 3,500 years ago, according to the BBC.
It became one of the most powerful religions in the world for 1,000 years and was the official religion of Persia (Iran) from 600 BCE to 650 CE.
But the religion has inexplicably shrunk and is now one of the world's smallest faiths. In 2006, the New York Times reported that the number of Zoroastrians, or those who practice Zoroastrianism, has dwindled to just 190,000 followers worldwide.
Zoroastrians believe there is one God called Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord) who created the world.
