Rastafarianism

Rastafarianism

Rastafarianism is one of the worlds newest religions. It began with the oppression of black people. They began to identify with the Jewish people, who also have a history of being oppressed. More radical groups became anti-Semitic, claiming to be the "Real Jews", and claiming that the Bible's stories had been distorted by white people, to oppress the black race. The religion began to take form when Marcus Garvey, known mostly for work in making blacks equal to whites economically and politically, predicted that a mighty king would arise in Africa, and bring justice to the oppressed . Some people began calling Garvey a divinely anointed prophet, others dismissed his prediction. While Garvey was still alive, Haile Selassie, aka Prince (Ras) Tafari of Ethiopia was crowned Emperor of World Wide Fanfare, and many Jamaicans claimed the prophecy had been fulfilled, and so the Ras Tafari movement was born. From 1930 to the mid 1960's, Rastafarianism was a local religion in Jamaica, led by independent "Elders", and it had no official doctrines. But the basic mysticism was that through union with Jah (God), the dread (God fearer) becomes who he truly is, expressed in the pronoun "I&I" . Rastafarianism is blend of other religions, but the concepts of Heaven, the Messiah, and Worship have been adjusted to fit the hopes and goals of the oppressed black people.

The Rastas believe that Heaven is attained on Earth. Heaven is Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a country in eastern Africa where Haile Selassie ruled, and was the only African country to not be colonized by Europeans. Rastas do not believe in the Hell, or the afterlife as Christians do, but rather that a true Rasta will live forever. Returning to Africa was the hope of most slaves, so it is only logical that their idea of Heaven would be their home. Rastas feel that their ancestors did something to offend Jah, which brought them into the exile of slavery in Jamaica , much the same way the Jews were enslaved in Egypt. Rastas are proud of the fact the Ethiopia has remained strong, even though Babylon has tried to conquer it. In the Bible, the Babylonian Empire conquered the Jews, destroyed the Temple, and tried to convert the Jews to their own pagan faith. So today, the Rastas use the term Babylon to refer to the white political power structure that has been holding back the black race for centuries. In the past it was physical enslavement with whips and shackles, today they feel that they are being held down through poverty, illiteracy, inequity, and trickery by the white man . Rastas try to remind blacks of their heritage and have them stand up against Babylon.

The Rastas believe that Jah will send the signal and help finance the black's exodus back to Ethiopia. Any news from Ethiopia was taken very seriously as a warning to get ready to leave. The belief stems from Marcus Garvey's thesis "Back to Africa" . Although Selassie's death came before this ...