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Rastafarianism

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Rastafarianism

Non-Christian Rastafari

Rastafarianism


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Rastafarians worship Haile Selassie I, (know as Ras [Prince] Tafari) former emperor of Ethiopia, considering him to have been the Messiah and the champion of the black race. Although he has physically ''disappeared'', followers still claim to access his presence as Jah. Rastas believe that black people are the Israelites reincarnated and have been persecuted by the white race in divine punishment for their sins. They will eventually be redeemed by exodus to Africa, their true home and heaven on earth. Rastafarian lifestyle emphasises harmony with the world, and may include a vegetarian diet, growing dreadlocks, and the smoking of ganja (marijuana). Rastafarians draw on parts of the Bible as spiritual texts.
Source: An A-Z of Religions in the UK, NewsUnlimited



Rastafarians acknowledge that their religion is the blending of the purest forms of both Judaism and Christianity; they also accept the Egyptian origins of both these religions. In affirming the divinity of Haile Selassie, Rastafari rejects the Babylonian hypocrisy of the modern church. The church of Rome, and even the council of Rome, are considered to be particularly Babylonian: was it not from this city that Mussolini invaded the holy land of Ethiopia in 1935? Religions always reflect the social and geographical environment out of which they emerge, and Jamaican Rastafari is no exception: for example, the use of marijuana as a sacrament and aid to meditation is logical in a country where a particularly potent strain of 'herb' grows freely.
Source: Beliefs, Practices and Sacraments of Rastafari Part of the Bob Marley Homepage

Articles

Christian Christian Raggae? That's an oxymoron, right? Ex-Rastafarian Mark Mohr answers this question at the web site of his Christian raggae band, Christafari
Non-Christian The Rastafarian Religion Brief description by a Rastafarian
Christian Rastafarianism By Watchman Fellowhip.
Christian Witnessing to Rastafarians (Part 1 | Part 2) By Donna F.G. Hailson

Books

Secular Rastafari and Other African-Caribbean Worldviews By Barry Chevannes, of the Institute of Social Studies (Netherlands). Academic treatment.
Secular The Rastafarians By Leonard E. Sr. Barrett. Enty-level academic treatment.

Discuss

Non-Christian Rastafari.org (Pro) Yahoogroups discussion group.

News

» Religion News Blog's Rastafarian news tracker RNB logs current and archived news about religious cults, sects, alternative religions and related issues.

News Archive

Database of archived news items on Rastafarianism
(Includes items added between Oct. 25, 1999 and Jan. 31, 2002. See about this database)

» For newer items, see Religion News Blog


• Profile

Sites

Christian Christafari "The Word of God, The Sound of Reggae, The Power of the Holy Spirit." Christian raggae band
Non-Christian Rastafari Part of the Bob Marley Homepage, this is good overview of Rastafarianism
Non-Christian Rastafari.org


About this page:
Rastafarianism
First posted: Aug. 29, 1997
Last Updated: Sep. 4, 2011
Editor: Anton Hein
Copyright: Apologetics Index
Link to: http://www.apologeticsindex.org/r19.html
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