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Rastafari
DIR By: guest55
Date: August 2, 2021, 5:52 pm
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--- Quote ---
> Rastafari, also known as the Rastafari movement or
Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during
the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and
a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central
authority in control of the movement and much diversity exists
among practitioners, who are known as Rastafari, Rastafarians,
or Rastas.
>
> Rasta beliefs are based on a specific interpretation of the
Bible. Central is a monotheistic belief in a single God,
referred to as Jah, who is deemed to partially reside within
each individual. Rastas accord key importance to Haile Selassie,
the Emperor of Ethiopia between 1930 and 1974; many regard him
as the Second Coming of Jesus and Jah incarnate, while others
see him as a human prophet who fully recognised Jah's presence
in every individual. Rastafari is Afrocentric and focuses
attention on the African diaspora, which it believes is
oppressed within Western society, or "Babylon". Many Rastas call
for this diaspora's resettlement in Africa, a continent they
consider the Promised Land, or "Zion". Some practitioners extend
these views into black supremacism. Rastas refer to their
practices as "livity". Communal meetings are known as
"groundations", and are typified by music, chanting,
discussions, and the smoking of cannabis, the latter regarded as
a sacrament with beneficial properties. Rastas emphasise what
they regard as living "naturally", adhering to ital dietary
requirements, wearing their hair in dreadlocks, and following
patriarchal gender roles.
>
> Rastafari originated among impoverished and socially
disenfranchised Afro-Jamaican communities in 1930s Jamaica. Its
Afrocentric ideology was largely a reaction against Jamaica's
then-dominant British colonial culture. It was influenced by
both Ethiopianism and the Back-to-Africa movement promoted by
black nationalist figures such as Marcus Garvey. The movement
developed after several Protestant Christian clergymen, most
notably Leonard Howell, proclaimed that Haile Selassie's
crowning as Emperor of Ethiopia in 1930 fulfilled a Biblical
prophecy. By the 1950s, Rastafari's countercultural stance had
brought the movement into conflict with wider Jamaican society,
including violent clashes with law enforcement. In the 1960s and
1970s, it gained increased respectability within Jamaica and
greater visibility abroad through the popularity of
Rasta-inspired reggae musicians, most notably Bob Marley.
Enthusiasm for Rastafari declined in the 1980s, following the
deaths of Haile Selassie and Marley, but the movement survived
and has a presence in many parts of the world.
>
> The Rasta movement is decentralised and organised on a largely
sectarian basis. There are several denominations, or "Mansions
of Rastafari", the most prominent of which are the Nyahbinghi,
Bobo Ashanti, and the Twelve Tribes of Israel, each offering a
different interpretation of Rasta belief. There are an estimated
700,000 to 1,000,000 Rastas across the world. The largest
population is in Jamaica, although small communities can be
found in most of the world's major population centres. Most
Rastas are of black African descent, and some groups accept only
black members.
--- End Quote ---
--- Quote ---
> Beliefs
> Rastas refer to the totality of their religion's ideas and
beliefs as "Rastalogy".[36] Edmonds described Rastafari as
having "a fairly cohesive worldview";[36] however, the scholar
Ernest Cashmore thought that its beliefs were "fluid and open to
interpretation".[37] Within the movement, attempts to summarise
Rastafari belief have never been accorded the status of a
catechism or creed.[38] Rastas place great emphasis on the idea
that personal experience and intuitive understanding should be
used to determine the truth or validity of a particular belief
or practice.(This sounds more Gnostic to me than anything, no? —
Mazda)[39] No Rasta, therefore, has the authority to declare
which beliefs and practices are orthodox and which are
heterodox.[38] The conviction that Rastafari has no dogma "is so
strong that it has itself become something of a dogma",
according to the sociologist of religion Peter B. Clarke.[40]
>
> Rastafari is deeply influenced by Judeo-Christian
religion,[41] and shares many commonalities with
Christianity.[42] The scholar Michael Barnett observed that its
theology is "essentially Judeo-Christian", representing "an
Afrocentralized blend of Christianity and Judaism".[43] Some
followers openly describe themselves as Christians.[44]
Rastafari accords the Bible a central place in its belief
system, regarding it as a holy book,[45] and adopts a literalist
interpretation of its contents.[46] According to the
anthropologist Stephen D. Glazier, Rasta approaches to the Bible
result in the religion adopting an outlook very similar to that
of some forms of Protestantism.[47] Rastas regard the Bible as
an authentic account of early black African history and of their
place as God's favoured people.[40] They believe the Bible to be
key to understanding both the past and the present and for
predicting the future,[40] while also regarding it as a source
book from which they can form and justify their beliefs and
practices.[48] Rastas commonly perceive the final book of the
Bible, the Book of Revelation, as the most important part,
because they see its contents as having particular significance
for the world's present situation.[49]
>
> Contrary to scholarly understandings of how the Bible was
compiled, Rastas commonly believe it was originally written on
stone in the Ethiopian language of Amharic.[50] They also
believe that the Bible's true meaning has been warped, both
through mistranslation into other languages and by deliberate
manipulation by those seeking to deny black Africans their
history.[51] They also regard it as cryptographic, meaning that
it has many hidden meanings.[52] They believe that its true
teachings can be revealed through intuition and meditation on
the "book within" which allows them to commune with God.(AGAIN,
is this NOT Gnosis??? — Mazda)[40] Because of what they regard
as the corruption of the Bible, Rastas also turn to other
sources that they believe shed light on black African
history.[53] Common texts used for this purpose include Leonard
Howell's 1935 work The Promised Key, Robert Athlyi Rogers' 1924
book Holy Piby, and Fitz Balintine Pettersburg's 1920s work, the
Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy.[53] Many Rastas also
treat the Kebra Nagast, a 14th-century Ethiopian text, as a
source through which to interpret the Bible.[54]
--- End Quote ---
--- Quote ---
> Jah and Jesus of Nazareth
>
> Rastas are monotheists, worshipping a singular God whom they
call Jah. The term "Jah" is a shortened version of "Jehovah",
the name of God in English translations of the Old
Testament.[55] Rastafari holds strongly to the immanence of this
divinity;[56] as well as regarding Jah as a deity, Rastas
believe that Jah is inherent within each individual.[57] This
belief is reflected in the aphorism, often cited by Rastas, that
"God is man and man is God",[58] and Rastas speak of "knowing"
Jah, rather than simply "believing" in him.[59] In seeking to
narrow the distance between humanity and divinity, Rastafari
embraces mysticism.[7]
>
> Jesus is an important figure in Rastafari.[60] However,
practitioners reject the traditional Christian view of Jesus,
particularly the depiction of him as a white European, believing
that this is a perversion of the truth.[61] They believe that
Jesus was a black African, and that the white Jesus was a false
god.[62] Many Rastas regard Christianity as the creation of the
white man;[63] they treat it with suspicion out of the view that
the oppressors (white Europeans) and the oppressed (black
Africans) cannot share the same God.[64] Many Rastas take the
view that the God worshipped by most white Christians is
actually the Devil,[65] and a recurring claim among Rastas is
that the Pope is Satan or the Antichrist.[66] Rastas therefore
often view Christian preachers as deceivers[65] and regard
Christianity as being guilty of furthering the oppression of the
African diaspora,[67] frequently referring to it as having
perpetrated "mental enslavement".[68]
--- End Quote ---
--- Quote ---
> Afrocentrism and views on race
> The eastern African nation of Ethiopia is given great
prominence in Rasta doctrine.
>
> According to Clarke, Rastafari is "concerned above all else
with black consciousness, with rediscovering the identity,
personal and racial, of black people".[98] The Rastafari
movement began among Afro-Jamaicans who wanted to reject the
British colonial culture that dominated Jamaica and replace it
with a new identity based on a reclamation of their African
heritage.[85] Its emphasis is on the purging of any belief in
the inferiority of black people, and the superiority of white
people, from the minds of its followers.[99] Rastafari is
therefore Afrocentric,[100] equating blackness with the African
continent,[64] and endorsing a form of Pan-Africanism.[101]
>
> Practitioners of Rastafari identify themselves with the
ancient Israelites—God's chosen people in the Old Testament—and
believe that black Africans broadly or Rastas more specifically
are either the descendants or the reincarnations of this ancient
people.[102] This is similar to beliefs in Judaism,[103]
although many Rastas believe that contemporary Jews' status as
the descendants of the ancient Israelites is a false claim.[104]
Rastas typically believe that black Africans are God's chosen
people, meaning that they made a covenant with him and thus have
a special responsibility.[105] Rastafari espouses the view that
this, the true identity of black Africans, has been lost and
needs to be reclaimed.[106]
>
> There is no uniform Rasta view on race.[103] Black supremacy
was a theme early in the movement, with the belief in the
existence of a distinctly black African race that is superior to
other racial groups. While some still hold this belief,
non-black Rastas are now widely accepted in the movement.[107]
Rastafari's history has opened the religion to accusations of
racism.[108] Cashmore noted that there was an "implicit
potential" for racism in Rasta beliefs but he also noted that
racism was not "intrinsic" to the religion.[109] Some Rastas
have acknowledged that there is racism in the movement,
primarily against Europeans and Asians.[103] Some Rasta sects
reject the notion that a white European can ever be a legitimate
Rasta.[103] Other Rasta sects believe that an "African" identity
is not inherently linked to black skin but rather is about
whether an individual displays an African "attitude" or
"spirit".[110]
--- End Quote ---
--- Quote ---
> Babylon and Zion
>
> Rastafari teaches that the black African diaspora are exiles
living in "Babylon", a term which it applies to Western
society.[111] For Rastas, European colonialism and global
capitalism are regarded as manifestations of Babylon,[112] while
police and soldiers are viewed as its agents.[113] The term
"Babylon" is adopted because of its Biblical associations. In
the Old Testament, Babylon is the Mesopotamian city where the
Israelites were held captive, exiled from their homeland,
between 597 and 586 BCE;[114] Rastas compare the exile of the
Israelites in Mesopotamia to the exile of the African diaspora
outside Africa.[115] In the New Testament, "Babylon" is used as
a euphemism for the Roman Empire, which was regarded as acting
in a destructive manner that was akin to the way in which the
ancient Babylonians acted.[114] Rastas perceive the exile of the
black African diaspora in Babylon as an experience of great
suffering,[116] with the term "suffering" having a significant
place in Rasta discourse.[117]
--- End Quote ---
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Entire article:
HTML https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastafari
See also:
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/some-very-compelling-evidence-the-tower-of-babel-was-real/
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/jesus-said-'allah'-not-'deus-'/
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/what-is-zoroastrianism/
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/the-first-monotheistic-religion-akhenaten's-religion-of-light/
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/what-is-manichaeism/
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/the-10-commandments-how-to-read-them-from-a-tribalist-perspective/
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/gospel-of-thomas-why-is-it-not-in-the-bible/
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/antropocentricism-the-most-dangerous-ideology-in-the-world/
'Nope. Jesus is Not Yahweh' ~ Dr Bart Ehrman
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfQ6bU6GYDw&list=PLPyBwDvuhUcE6tA-04WJgtKBSLxvEmano&index=4
Reminder:
--- Quote ---
> Demiurge:
> The term demiurge derives from the Latinized form of the Greek
term dēmiourgos,
δημιουργός,
literally "public or skilled worker".[note 20] This figure is
also called "Yaldabaoth",[49] Samael (Aramaic:
sæmʻa-ʼel, "blind god"), or "Saklas" (Syriac: sækla,
"the foolish one"), who is sometimes ignorant of the superior
god, and sometimes opposed to it; thus in the latter case he is
correspondingly malevolent. Other names or identifications are
Ahriman, El, Satan, and Yahweh.
>
> The demiurge creates the physical universe and the physical
aspect of humanity.[61] The demiurge typically creates a group
of co-actors named archons who preside over the material realm
and, in some cases, present obstacles to the soul seeking ascent
from it.[49] The inferiority of the demiurge's creation may be
compared to the technical inferiority of a work of art,
painting, sculpture, etc. to the thing the art represents. In
other cases it takes on a more ascetic tendency to view material
existence negatively, which then becomes more extreme when
materiality, including the human body, is perceived as evil and
constrictive, a deliberate prison for its inhabitants.
>
> Moral judgements of the demiurge vary from group to group
within the broad category of Gnosticism, viewing materiality as
being inherently evil, or as merely flawed and as good as its
passive constituent matter allows.[62]
--- End Quote ---
HTML https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticism
See also:
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/catharism-the-'good-christians'/
Fred Locks Says, "In The 60's Rastafari Called Reggae 'Babylon
Music" Pt.2
--- Quote ---
> In this clip Fred Locks tells a story how Bob Marley, Peter
Tosh, and Bunny Wailer were called 'commercial dreads' by
Rastafari elders.
>
> Fred Locks goes on to speak about the disdain Rastafari elders
had towards reggae during its inception. Fred Locks says
Rastafari elders used to call reggae 'Babylon Music'
--- End Quote ---
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO0A7rSEpdE
Question: If Yahweh has always been known as the devil by
Gnostics and early Christians, then why is the "confusion"
Yahweh brought down upon the mind's of humanity at the Tower of
Babel seen as a positive event? In this regard, Reggae should be
seen as the music of Babylon that will reunite all of humanity
after the "confusion" that the devil Yahweh rout upon all of
humanity in the Tower of Babel, not just the African diaspora
living in Western Civilization, no?
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