RASTAFARI

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RASTAFARI
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ORIGINS
The origins of Rastafari begin with King Solomon,
and the Queen of Sheba. On her visit to King
Solomon in Jerusalem, she was converted to the
faith of Abraham, and the G-d of the Hebrews.
Upon her return (and with child) she converted
her kingdom of Sheba to Judaism, and promised
that if Solomon died, her son would continue to
teach and prolong the faith of the Hebrews in her
land (which is modern Ethiopia). An undiluted
form of Judaism is still very prominent in
Ethiopia to this day.
Thousands of years later, Paul the Apostle
converted many in Ethiopia to Christianity. Thus
began the Ethiopian Orthodox church, which kept
all of its Judaic and Egyptian/Nile Valley
aspects and influence (which Rastafari also holds
all of). Another two thousand years, and the
coronation of a black Ethiopian King Haile
Selassie I (whos real name is Ras Tafari
Mekonnen) fulfills prophecy for thousands of
blacks around the globe, and thus begins the
religion of Rastafari.
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ORIGINS (cont.)
Coronated as Haile Selassie the First,
Rastafarianism stems from prophecies and
scripture fulfilled through his coronation,
bloodline, and his fending off of the fascist
Italian forces during WW2. A connection is made
in Jamaica, and in the hearts and minds of Rastas
around the globe, between Rome, Babylon in
Revelations, and their invasion of
Ethiopia. Haile Selassie is seen as a living G-d
and the second coming of the Messiah to thousands
of new Rastafarians.
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CREATION
Rastafari teaches the same beliefs of
intelligent design creation that one would find
most reformed, liberal Jews to believe. i.e.
Teaching the book of Genesis in an allegorical
sense, not literal.
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THE HOLY PIBY
The Holy Piby is the main sacred text of the
Rastafari. It was compiled by Robert Athlyi
Rogers of Anguilla from 1913 to 1917 . It was
collected from many sacred Ethiopian texts
written in Amharic, the language of Ethiopia for
centuries. It was printed coincidentally around
the time of much controversy and conflict
erupting through out Ethiopia, the Carribbean and
South Africa. It it is considered to be the
Black Mans Bible by Rastas and many
Afro-centric religions alike. Rastafari also
consider the Torah and much of the Christian
Bible to be sacred and holy.
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SYMBOLISM
The Star of David and the Lion of Judah are both
adopted symbols that are used to represent
Rastafari. The Ethiopian flag can also be seen
being flown along side the flag of Jamaica, or a
flag of whichever nations the Rasta hails from,
to represent their spiritual and ancestral roots
and ties to Ethiopia.
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Rastafari is often mistaken as being a sect of
Judaism. It is similar in the sense that it is an
Abrahamic faith, it is monotheistic, and believes
in Zion being the promised land of Gods people.
Zion being Ethiopia. Yisrael There is a lot of
reference to Israel, and the people of the Torah
through out Rastafari. Ethiopia is believed to be
the promised land which all Rastas should and
will return at a secret time only known by the
true believers. Heaven Hell Rastafari holds
the same beliefs as Christianity does regarding
heaven hell. If one lives a truthful, humble
and compassionate life according to JAH
Rastafari, one will enter the Kingdom of
Heaven. Church There is no church of Rastafari.
Rastas view churches as mud and stone, not places
of JAH, because He is the Earth. Anywhere is a
suitable place for Rastas to meet and Reason
(or speak of and praise JAH). Jesus Christ All
but the 12 Tribes of Israel, see Jesus as the
first begotten Son of JAH, and the predecessor of
Haile Selassie. He is held in high regard amongst
Rastas.
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GUIDELINES
Rastas respect and practice the laws of the
Torah. To what extent, depends on how orthodox,
or liberal the Rasta. All Rastas are encouraged
greatly to follow the laws of the Torah regarding
diet.
There is no dress-code, or law requiring modesty
upon the females (with the strong exception of
the Bobo Ashanti Rastas). Rastas arent enforced,
or policed by taboo or social expectations to
live out specific lifestyles or moral codes. Like
a number of devout Jews and Christians, Rastas
strive for lives of humility and compassion
towards others, in servitude of JAH.
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GUIDELINES (cont.)
Rastas are strict pacifists.There are few
occassions and circumstances when Rastafari
encourages an act of warfare in defense. -If a
race of people is opressed, and the opression
could lead to their ultimate destruction. Slave
uprisings would not be condoned. -If a Holy Land
(ie Ethiopia/Israel) is endangered or faced with
invasion or harassment.
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MANSIONS of RASTAFARI
NYAHBINGHI Thought to be the most strict of all
the mansions of Rastafari, the NYAHBINGHI believe
in a theocratic world government of which Haile
Selassie I would be rule as the promised Messiah
and the incarnation of G-d. The name NYAHBINGHI
comes from an Amazon queen who possessed a
Muhumusa, a Ugandan woman in the colonial era of
the late 1800s. Through the influence of the
Amazon queen, Muhumusa spearheaded a movement of
resistance against the colonial forces in Uganda.
This later had much influence on a group of
Jamaican Rastas that started incorporating
Binghi (NYAHBINGHI) chants and riddims into
their music.
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Bobo Ashanti Also known as the Ethiopian Africa
Black International Congress or the Priestical
House of Rastafari. Started under Prince Edward
Emmanuel Charles VII in the 1950s. Bobo Dreads
see Prince Edward Emmanuel Charles VII as part
of a holy trinity, including him, Haile Selassie
and JAH (G-d).
-Bobo men and women are known for wearing their
traditional turbans and robes. -Bobo women are to
be modest, and cover their arms in long
sleeves. -Both Bobo women and children are to be
submissive to the Bobo men. -Bobo men are seen as
prophets or priests. The job of a prophet is
to reason. The job of a priest is clerical.
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Twelve Tribes of Israel Originating in Kingston,
Jamaica under Vernon Carrington, also known as
the Prophet Gad.
The Twelve Tribes of Israel see Jesus (Yesus
Kristo) in almost the same exact manner as
Christians doas the Messiah, and the Son of
G-d. Haile Selassie I is viewed (not worshipped)
as a messenger of JAH(G-d), who empowered and
revitalized the black race to start their own
religion out of the corruption and oppression of
western churches. A noteable follower of the
Twelve Tribes of Israel is Robert Nesta Marley,
or Bob Marley.
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DREADLOCKS
The most well-known practice of the Rastafari is
the tradition of keeping ones hair in
dreadlocks. This practice is not in fact
required for a Rasta to follow. It is in practice
because of the Holy Directive that is written
in the Bibles book of Leviticus 215. "They
shall not make baldness upon their head, neither
shall they shave off the corner of their beard,
nor make any cuttings in their flesh." This
practice, amongst some modern-day Rastas has
become a way to mock the aversion of
non-believers practice of Rastafari, and
rebellion against the western views and ideals of
the black race.
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Ital is the word for the diet that most
Rastafari will adhere to and follow. Rastas
follow a set of doctrinal diet rules that are
almost exactly along the same guidelines as the
dietary laws of the Torah. No meat (especially
pork), no shellfish, scale-less fish, predatory
marine life, scavengers, and in some cases no
common seasonings like salt. As well as a set of
dietary laws, Rastas shun the use of tobacco and
alcohol.
ITAL (DIET)
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GANJA
The most infamous, and well-known practice of the
Rastafariis the smoking of Marijuana (or Ganja).
Like the practice of keeping ones hair in
dreads, it is not a required practice.
For the Rastafari, its a spiritual act. It is
considered to be a sacrament that affects both
consciousness and peace-of-mind, which brings the
Rasta closer to JAH (G-d). It is seen as a tool
that opens minds to the truth, and that is what
makes it illegalbecause the western church does
not want people to be exposed to a truth outside
of the theirs. There are several theories and
explanations for the arrival and wide usage of
Marijuana amongst the Rastafari.
Rastas believe that it grew on the tomb of King
Solomon, and that the Bible even promotes the
usage of the herb. Genesis 318 "... thou shalt
eat the herb of the field." Proverbs 1517
"Better is a dinner of herb where love is, than a
stalled ox and hatred therewith." Psalms 10414
"He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and
herb for the service of man."
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INTERNET BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Life Times of Bob Marley http//www.bobmarle
y.com/life/rastafari/ Swagga The Afrocentric
Experience http//www.swagga.com/rasta.htm Wikiped
ia http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastafarianism Ras
tafari Org http//www.rastafari.org/ Rastafarian
Net http//www.rastafarian.net/