Rastafarianism

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Rastafarianism
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History of Rastafarianism

• Maroons were escaped slaves who survived in the
  Jamaican hills in communities after running away
  from British slave colonies from 1655 until
  around 1800. Maroons faught constantly with the
  British, and signed several treaties in order to
  maintain their freedom and autonomy from British
  rule.Many consider maroons to be the first
  Rastafari.

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History of Rastafarianism

• At the core of the Rastafarian belief system is
  the doctrine that black people are the
  descendants of the early Israelites and were
  exiled because of their transgressions against
  God. Their salvation will come through Haile
  Selassie I (the last crowned black Emperor of
  Ethiopia) who, they believe, is God and their
  savior, the incarnation of Jah-or Jehovah. Haile
  Selassie I is seen as the reincarnation of
  Christ, the one who will bring them to the Land
  of freedom, to Africa. For them, Africa and, more
  precisely Ethiopia, is the home of all Black
  people, the place where they can be saved. This
  salvation comes through repatriation. The meaning
  applied to repatriation varies among those who
  are believers. For some, it means a physical
  return to Africa others, however, think that the
  return to Africa does not need to be a physical
  return most important is to become aware of
  their African identity, to re-establish their
  identity undermined by the different kinds of
  power, and to immediately start changing their
  reality right where they are now.

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History of Rastafarianism

• Although they believe in reincarnation they are
  not overly concerned with the after life, as
  salvation happens here in their search for their
  home, in the search for Africa which is for them
  associated with heaven, while Babylon (that is
  the place of the white man, the white man's
  society) is associated with hell.

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History of Rastafarianism

• Marcus Garvey was considered by early Rastafari
  to be a messenger from God. Garvey was born into
  a Jamaican Maroon family. In 1907 he began
  traveling and witnessed firsthand the plight of
  fellow blacks around the world. 1912 he sent to
  London, enrolled in college, and studied
  Afro-Egyptian history. By 1914 Garvey had
  returned to Jamaica and founded the Universal
  Negro Improvement Association and the African
  Communities League, both designed to establish
  educational and industrial colleges for Jamaican
  Negroes. These associations were built using
  Booker T. Washington's Tuskegee Institute as a
  model. In 1916, Garvey traveled to America and
  founded the Universal Negro Improvement
  Association.

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History of Rastafarianism

• Haile Selassie is the centerpiece for the
  Rastafarian faith. Since there is no official
  Rastafari church, and Rastafarian beliefs vary
  widely, Rastafarians are most often described as
  people who believe that Haile Selassie was divine
  or of divine nature. Selassie was originally
  named Ras Tafari, however changed his name to
  King H.I.M Emperor Haile Selassie (H.I.M stands
  for "His Imperial Majesty) upon being crowned
  emperor of Ethiopia in 1930. Selassie claimed to
  be a direct descendent of David. He was the 225th
  King in a line of Ethiopian kings in unbroken
  succession from the time of King
  Solomon.Selassie was, upon his coronation as
  Emperor, viewed as a messiah or prophet by many
  blacks in Jamaica.

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History of Rastafarianism

• Most Rasta people believe HIM Haile Selassie is
  divine because he is the One who fullfiled the
  prophecy. Marcus Garvey said that a king should
  come in Ethiopia and HIM came.Also it is written
  in the Revelations chapter 5 that The Lion of
  Juda, the son of David, shall open the seals. Him
  is the branch of David, because He belongs to
  Solomon's lineage. His legal title is "Lord of
  lords, King of kings, Elect of God, Conquering
  Lion of the tribe of Juda". The same title as the
  one written in the Bible.But not all Rastas
  identify HIM with Jah. Some Rastas see Haile
  Selassie as Jah and Messiah, some see HIM as a
  devout man, living ikon of Christ.

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History of Rastafarianism

• -Do Rasta believe in Jesus Christ?
• YES! HIM Haile Selassie was a follower of Christ,
  of the coptic orthodox tradition. Rastas, as HIM
  disciple do believe in Jesus (Eyesos Christos).

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Practice of Rastafarianism

• Racism has no place in Rastafarian faith.All
  humanity, black, white, whatever colors come from
  Africa.
• Rastafarians use the same Bible as christians,
  but think that some parts have been rewritten by
  Babylon (Rome). Rastas refer to the old
  testament, genesis, glory of kings, psalms, and
  revelations. HIM Haile Selassie released a new
  version of the Bible based on ancient ethiopian
  scriptures that shall be worth of confidence.In
  addition, Rastas read also other old ge'ez
  ethiopian books that are not included in usual
  Bible, the Kebra Nagast and the Kebra Fetha.

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Ideals of Rastafarianism

• Ideals of Rastafarianism include adherence to
  nonviolence, no accumulation of personal material
  wealth, vegetariamism, consuming food unpolluted
  by industrial chemicals, dressing in clothes made
  from natural fibers, daily Bible consultations.
  The growth of hair into dreadlocks embodies these
  principles by allowing the hair to assume a
  natural, unprocessed form. An optional part of
  Rastafarianism is the smoking of marijuana,
  believed to aid in interpreting decoding the
  Bible.

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