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Manichaeism

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Religion

The Resume

    (circa 250-circa 1350)
    Born in Iran
    Religion of Middle-Eastern origin founded by Iranian prophet Mani in the 3rd Century AD and lasted over a thousand years before disappearing in 14th Century China
    Posited that the Earth was created from a battle between God/Light and Satan/Darkness
    Sources for its teachings included Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and various pagan traditions
    Saint Augustine converted to the Catholic Church from it

Why Manichaeism might be annoying:

    It had a very complicated theology which included three different creation stories and identified Jesus as three different beings.
    All of its original literature has been lost.
    It influenced later Christian heresies, including Catharism, the Paulicans, and the Bogomils.
    Its followers led repeated rebellions in China leading to its final extinction in the 14th Century.
    The original of its literature is very confusing and includes the spurious Book of Enoch.
    Its teachings are badly misinterpreted in contemporary times, often being equated to simple good/evil dualism.

Why Manichaeism might not be annoying:

    It lasted over a thousand years before dying out due to oppression, so it must have been doing something for somebody.
    For a while, it was the main rival to Christianity as a replacement for Greco-Roman mythology.
    It spread incredibly fast from the Roman Empire to China in less than a hundred years.
    Scholars find it fascinating to study.
    In its time, it particularly appealed to the well educated.

Credit: tom_jeffords


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 9 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 6 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 26 Votes: 65.38% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 28 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 17 Votes: 47.06% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying