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First of all, Buddhism had it's day in the Middle East but was already a very small minority religion by the 7th century and didn't look to make a comeback, it just wasn't as evangelical as it's neighbours were. The Church of The East, however, Sassanid Persia's church, grew voraciously and was the largest of the early churches both in geographical extent and population. I believe Iran was officially Christian for a very brief period under one king. But considering how widespread Christianity was in the middle east prior to the conquest and how evangelical the faith is, coupled with the fact that it's western and northern neighbours had become Christian, it's quite possible Iran could have converted.
I didn't remember any of it ( Christianity in Iran,) so I checked on it and sure enough -
"Persia is considered by some to have been briefly officially Christian. Khosrau I married a Christian wife, and his son Nushizad was also a Christian. When the king was taken ill at Edessa a report reached Persia that he was dead, and at once Nushizad seized the crown and made the kingdom Christian. Very soon the rumour was prove false, but Nushizad was persuaded by persons who appear to have been in the pay of Justinian to endeavour to maintain his position. The action of his son was deeply distressing to Khosrau; it was necessary to take prompt measures, and the commander, Ram Berzin, was sent against the rebels. In the battle which followed Nushizad was mortally wounded and carried off the field. In his tent he was attended by a Christian bishop, probably Mar Aba I, and to this bishop he confessed his sincere repentance for having taken up arms against his father, an act which, he was convinced, could never win the approval of Heaven. Having professed himself a Christian he died, and the rebellion was quickly put down."
Early Christianity was much like Islam in many ways, so what's your point? Christianity is just as easily appropriated by Middle Eastern cultures as Islam (where monotheism was more widespread), moreso than the largely animistic tribal cultures, and polytheistic religions of Southern Europe were.
Trimac, I've re-read your initial question one more time ("If Islam had never existed, would the Middle East be mostly Christian now?")
and my answer is yes, if Islam would had never existed, Middle East would be most likely Christian ( with Christianity of different brand, but still.)
How this would have affected the rest of historical events is questionable of course, because ( for example) we could see the conflicts between Russia and the West ( different brands of Christianity?)
Sorry I couldn't quite understand your (simple) question to begin with, because to me ( from theological point of view) the appearance of Islam ( and thus preset conflict between Islam and Christianity) was simply unavoidable.
...Are you arguing the more well-established larger religions in the Middle East would have prevented it from taking root in the Middle East? ..
Sorry, should have taken more time with a response. No, I am not saying that. Christianity was already established in Mideast. However, Persia had a competing faith, though it did become riven with internal conflicts. And, without the effects of an Islamic invasion, Buddhism might have well moved westward, especially if there was a religious fragmentation in Persia.
I am only passingly familiar with the theory, but I can recall academic references to possible Buddhist interactions with Zoroasterianism in Central Asia. But, of course, whatever might have come of this was put paid to by the emergence of Islam to the detriment of both those other religions.
I did come across this in a Wikipedia article on Gandhara:
"The Hepthalite Huns captured Gandhara around 450, and did not adopt Buddhism. During their rule, Hinduism was revived but the Gandharan Civilization declined. The Sassanids, aided by Turks from Central Asia, destroyed the Huns' power base in Central Asia, and Gandhara once again came under Persian suzerainty in 568. When the Sassanids were defeated by the Muslim Arabs in AD, Gandhara along with Kabul was ruled by Buddhist Turks."
Thus, it would appear that I Buddhism was not a presence at this point in the present-day Mideast, that it at least was an enduring presence on the perifery of the Sassanid empire, and thus (minus the events of the rise of Islam) might have been in a position of move westward given favorable circumstances.
Mani had, of course, been killed several centuries before Muhammed, and the Manicheans then severely persecuted. However, I am unaware if any groups of them survived until the Muslim era, and thus might have been around for a resurgence in the event of a religious crisis in the Persian empire.
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I really don't know much about history compared to most people on this forum, so may questions might appear a bit naive. I am aware Buddhism did spread west of India - i.e. like those giant buddha statutes the Taliban destroyed in Afghanistan (something I had no knowledge of prior to that) but I don't know how Buddhism would have worked within Middle Eastern cultures compared to the cultures of East Asia.
I'd say they'd be Christian with some Judaism mixed in.
Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are actually very similar. If a person believes in either one, they would likely believe in either of the other two if the one they believe in didn't exist. And since Christianity was more widespread and more vigorously propagated, it is likely it would have surpassed Judaism.
Christianity would likely have spread beyond the Middle East as well.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Retroit
I'd say they'd be Christian with some Judaism mixed in.
Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are actually very similar. If a person believes in either one, they would likely believe in either of the other two if the one they believe in didn't exist. And since Christianity was more widespread and more vigorously propagated, it is likely it would have surpassed Judaism.
Christianity would likely have spread beyond the Middle East as well.
I think if the Sassanians finally won that influence struggle with the romans over Armenia and lazica/albania then zoroastrianism would be most prominent spreading downward, i think zoroastrianism would be a more beneficial religion to the mid east than islam or christianity since we saw divisions in bith religions (sunni shiite) and none of this was ever really present in Zoroastrianism plus a promotion of persian culture (including no slavery human rights and such) would put mid east far ahead of europe
Im not being islamaphobic but i think the religion seriously messed the semi-peace already present and without the arabs the peace would only grow.
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