FIRE WORSHIP

Term Zoroastrianism is derived from incorrectly pronounced prophet's name to sound like the-roast-rianism which is, IMHO, a bad joke. Also nobody calls Judaism and Islam Elijahism or Muhammadism. I understand that fire is just a symbol of God, not a God himself. The actual Persian pre-Islamic top God is called Mazda (Wisdom). I'd use Mazdaism, but I don't write about religion in this blog. I use fire worship when referring to rituals and symbols (which are not copyrighted by any particular religion) and Persian when I talk about politics, economy, ethnicity, language, nationality or general culture of Persian Empire.

MEDICAL ORIGINS OF RELIGION

Religion started from witchcraft, and so did medicine. Most primitive religions are fire worship and sun worship. Heat (either localized heat or whole body heating and sweating) cures inflammation/infection and eases pain, including neuropathic one. Sunbathing raises Vitamin D levels, which helps a lot too. I guess obsession of early Christians with fish symbol might be explained by benefits of fish oil. All three are super-important for health, I've learned it the hard way.

Many other religious practices: fasting, moderation, staying awake at night for praying/rituals, self-infliction of pain, rejection of "rich stuff" (in old times it was expensive foods and drinks in the first place: spices, teas, alcohol) help cure and prevent the neuropathic pains in male genitalia (caffeine and spices contribute to urogenital inflammation, sleep deprivation and pain suppress libido). Fasting + walking trip to a far-away temple or relic, especially in the summer heat, could do the miracle.

CORE SYMBOLISM

Mazda is also pronounced as Manda by Mandaeists. Manda is a well known Russian "folk" word of unknown(!) origin for female genitalia. Which is linked back to the wisdom/decision symbolism of Y that looks like ...

Tigr is an arrow, the symbolism is even more obvious. If you think that I'm just obsessed with that kind of stuff remember the Greek mythology that is bent on sexuality. Greeks invented exactly nothing.