The Fallacy of Islamic and Christian Arguments
against Astrology and Idolatry:

Some Historical Facts

By Durgadas, Veda Kovid

(c) Durgadas, Veda Kovid. 
All Rights Reserved.
 



1. Whether one has Prophets as in Islam, Judaism and Christianity to tell the future or astrology,  it still denotes divination techniques. Astrology is simply the scientific application of this and hence to have "Prophets" or Seers who are given revelations in other faiths is also no better than astrology, as still these Seers act as mediums for higher knowledge of the future.

2. Iconoclasm entered Judaism through Zoroastrianism with Persians who rejected all things Vedic and worshipped the fire. They rejected karma and reincarnation and images. They made Devas (Daevas) the Asuras and Asuras (Ahuras) as their Gods. Zoroastrians were also the first to create a dualism between good and evil, with Ahura Mazda as the Supreme God and Ahriman or Angra Maniyu as the Evil Entity opposing him.

Zoroastrians (Persians) seem to have been the only Indo-European people who did this. In Latin also, we find the term deus and divinus, meaning "god" and "divine" and also dias in Greek. These are also related to the Sanskrit term dyaus meaning sky, deity etc. Lithuanian uses the term dievas for god and Germanic tiwaz / tyr, which is also cognate. None of these cultures of people employed asura / ahura as the deities! It appears the Persians, at odd with their Vedic past, being seen as asura people expelled from India and materialists, created such a philosophy, which then went on to influence the Jews, including of their iconoclasm, which contrasts with all other ancient-world people.

Catholics who have their Jesus and Mary and venerate patron Saints and archangels, is no different to Hindus and Pagans having various deities with a one central God. Even Pentecostals still venerate the Bible as a kind of idol - it is a physical living word and it is a book. They also wear symbols and hang symbols such as the cross, which are still idols.

3. One of the three Magi or wise men of the Bible historically was King Gondophares of India from Takshashila, an area rich in astrological and other learning. The Bible calls them astrologers as "men who studied the stars" and predicted Jesus's birth. 

The Greek term used (since the New Testament was first written in Greek) was magos, which referred to the Persian astrologers, and also wizards and magicians as well.  Their own following of the "Star of Bethlehem" and their art, coming from the East, of prediction of Jesus's birth is also all itself testament to the Bible accepting them as astrologers. Without them having come and proclaimed Jesus's divinity - how would man have also known of it? Thus, Christians owe a great debt to Astrology, while they reject it, as historically, it is what has allowed Jesus's birth to have been such a miraculous event in the first place!

In India, the Maga Brahmins included the Shaka or scythian people who also were stationed in Magadha (in Bihar state) and Konark (In Orissa state) at Sun-temples in India and known for their knowledge of astrology. These people are also related to the Tajik people, of whom a form of astrology is known in Jyotisha as well and credits them with this ancient art.  Most translations of the Bible also refer to them as astrologers. 

Note also the kneeling and bowing of these eastern men as per oriental customs was the basis of the Church adopting the kneeling and bowing positions for worship in later Christianity. These relate to Parsi and Hindu customs of doing so or prostration. 

The story of Barlaam and Josaphat in the Christian world is also an adaptation of the story of the Buddha which was translated by the Arabs and reached Europe. This is also an historical fact and makes one question how much of Christianity was influenced by India also. In Caesar's reign, there were Indian monks who set themselves on fire in Athens after anointing themselves with oil - showing their immortality and immunity to the material world. Alexander's Indian Guru, Kalanos in 320BC also did the same in Babylon. The Greek term for anointed is Khristos (from where Christo and hence Christ derives), which is synonymous with Sanskrit Ghrita for ghee, used in yajnas and before anointing anything to be sacrificed in homas. Here also, we see the deeper pre-Christian ideas coming west about sacrifice and leading to the formation of Christianity.

These are historical facts Christians cannot deny!

4. Nostradamus was a noted alchemist and astrologer who used astrology to predict his prophecies. While this was at odds with the Church, he was accepted by them. The book "Christian Astrology" was written in 1647 dealing with this art in the Christian world.

The Cathedral of the Living Pillar, a 17th Century Church in Georgia depicts Jesus with the Zodiac.

The 10th Century "Book of Planets and Regions of the World" was commissioned by Pope Sylvester II, dealing with astrology. Here he dealt with Hindu numerals and the sciences of astronomy and mathematics also.

Companus of Novara in the 12th Century and a Papal Chaplain also wrote on astrology and was a noted astrologer in the Christian world.

Thus, the Christian world and Papacy itself was well-acquainted with astrology and frequently used it.

5. Kaaba is built according to astrological rules. In Muhammad's time there were 360 idols around it representing the 360 days of the zodiac. (Refer: Koran, XVII.81). After the formation of Mecca, it is known Muslims used astronomy and astrology to determine direction of prayers. 

Thus, for Muslims to reject astrology is also to deny their own heritage!

6. Muslims reject images and yet worship the stone in Kaaba, have pictures of it on their walls and even pictures of tombs such as Taj Mahal, which would reflect idolatry of symbols also and contradict their beliefs.

It is also strange that photos of Masjids (Mosques) are hung - which are symbols and as noted, also tombs, which are an impure symbol and symbol of death that otherwise Muslims would not have adorning the walls of their homes! The construction of Mosques is also according to astronomy and the directions, which employs the sciences of mathematics that arose from Hindu Astrologers brought to Arabia or the Islamic world. 

7. Albamansur was a famous Muslim astrologer whose works reached Europe. The calendar of Omar Khayyam was also based on the zodiac and is still Irans official calendar today. Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi was also a famous Muslim astrologer and Avampace whose works he worked upon by studying the heavens was even older.

It is well known much knowledge of mathematics and astronomy came to Arabs from India as with numerals, zero, algebra etc. and ayurvedic surgical techniques translated by Arabs and passed on to Europe up until the 12th Century. This also reveals that Arabs didn't despise Hinduism so much then for they continued to study in their Universities!

If the western world through Rome and the Islamic world through the Arabs and Persians wish to charge Hindus as being "evil" with their astrology and image-worship, then these people should give back the decimal system, system of higher numbers, integers, zero concept and numerals (0 to 9) and start using the Roman numerals again. 

It was also from here that Arab mathematicians adopted the Indian systems - themselves from the Indian schools of Mathematics and Astronomy, which were employed and originated with Hindu Astrologers for calculating the heavens, distances between planets, birth etc. which was impossible in the West until these Indian aspects of mathematics and numeral system was introduced by Arabs studying at Nalanda and Takshashila and who then put these knowledges forward in the West. The basis of Arabic and Western mathematics and calculations is hence Hindu - as also modern surgery and aspects such as Plastic Surgery used in the West.

The original texts of Arabic Astronomy such as Zij al-Sindhind, which was a translation of Hindu Astronomy and Zij al-Shah, which was also based on Indian Astronomy. Hindu Astrologer-Astronomers visited the courts of the Arabs from the 7th Century AD onwards. Kankah an Indian astrologer is famed for visiting during the court of Caliph al-Mamun, along with other astrologers of Indian origin, noted in Arabic texts, such as Judar, Sanjahil and Naq (or Nahaq). That the Arabs also based much of their astrology and devised their own Islamic systems from these also reveals the use of Vedic Astrology in Arabia from ancient times (let alone astrology itself). It is thus also a contradiction for them to speak against it.