Keeping the faith

Going by our holy books — particularly the Gathas — nowhere is it mentioned that a Zarathushti has to be born of Zarathushti parents, and that others who respect and follow the tenets of our religion cannot be accepted into our fold.
If we believe that Ahura Mazda is the almighty creator of the entire universe and all creation how can a group of mere Parsi priests (high or low) debar the larger section of humanity from accepting that Ahura Mazda is also their creator? In doing so, are we not demeaning the all-inclusive nature of Ahura Mazda’s creation?
If we debar those who are not biologically born into Zarathushti families from being Zarathushtis in their belief and practice, are we not as backward as some practitioners of other religions who regard "non-believers” as "kafirs,” etc, even though they do believe that their "god” is the God of all?
If we truly believe that the message of Zarathushtra makes us good humans and noble citizens, would we not want most of the world to be equally good? Or should we get engrossed in keeping ourselves "pure” at the cost of allowing the rest of humanity to go "bad” in their ways because we refuse to share the noble tenets of our religion with them to make them as "good” as we believe ourselves to be?
Our long domicile in India has resulted in Zarathushtis who consider themselves to be "pure” actually having more Gujarati DNA than Persian DNA. So it would seem that what is kept under wraps does no harm, but we cannot get ourselves to openly accept the fact.
Assuming that the practice of accepting only born Zarathushtis began with — or was reinforced by — the belief that luring persons of other faiths into one’s own faith as a practice is wrong, with what propriety can we refuse to acknowledge others as Zarathushtis who have studied our religion (perhaps more deeply than most of us born Zarathushtis have), and live by the noble tenets of our religion (again, perhaps more genuinely than some moral derelicts born as Zarathushtis)?
In case of interfaith marriage, if the parents prefer that the child grow up as a Zarathushti, who are we to say no? With what right — except a self-proclaimed one — can we deprive this child of a Zarathushti way of life? I don’t even want to refer to whether it’s the father or the mother who is Zarathushti, or get into the argument of whether he/she is still a "practising Zarathushti.”
Assuming that non-acceptance of others into our faith worked well for us up to now, does it still make sense today when our population has reduced below the critical mass required for perpetuation, and our extinction is certain? Should the message of Zarathushtra die with his selfish followers?
If Zarathushtis in the land of our origin can keep their faith without having the clout to keep non-Zarathushtis out of their fire temples, does it not mean that we are taking undue advantage of the indulgent government that we have had the good fortune to live under?
PHIROZE B. JAVERI
phiroze.javeri@gmail.com