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Rastafarianism
History/Founder/important persons/saints: Twentieth
century activist and Jamaican national Marcus Garvey
founded the African Orthodox Church in the nineteen
twenties, as an alternative to Established
"white" churches. While Garvey's Church
was later to become a fully canonical Greek Orthodox
Church, he is best remembered for inspiring the
Rastafarian movement. Garvey, a political activist who
instituted the 'Back to Africa" movement,
made speeches prophesizing a Black messiah. Garvey, an
orthodox believer, was horrified and disgusted when in
1930 a Jamaican religious movement sprang up around
his works, declaring Garvey a prophet, and newly
crowned Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie (formerly Ras
Tafari Markonnen), the expected messiah. With
Selassie's crowning, the movement gained momentum
and a name, Rastafari. In 1966, Selassie obliged the
faithful with a visit to Jamaica, where he advised
believers not to return to Africa until Jamaica had
been liberated. Selassie died fourteen years later,
leading to widespread disillusion among the faithful.
Some believe that Selassie never died, or that he
ascended alive into heaven, and that reports of his
death were spread to confuse believers. .
Current leader/governing body: Official branches exist
in the Carribean, the US, the UK, and Canada.
Number of Adherents: About 700,000 worldwide.
Clergy: None, individual believers are autonomous.
Requirements to join: Non blacks are discouraged
generally, however, there is no official bar to
anyone.
Church/temple: None; worship is often by small groups
in homes. Gatherings of believers, called Nyahbinghi,
usually center around the sharing of the
"Chalice," a large ceremonial pipe
containing the Rastafarian sacrament, Ganga
(Marijuana), a practice likened to the Christian
communion ceremony.
Scripture: Rastafarians accept some portions of the
Hebrew and Christian bibles- an edited Bible, the
"Holy Piby," written in 1913, is often cited
as the Rastafarian scripture. The 'Kebra
Negast," a book purporting to outline the lineage
of kings from Solomon, is also important in
establishing the lineage of Emperor Selassie.
Required observances, dietary restrictions:
Rastafarians are prohibited from cutting or in any way
interfering with the natural growth of their hair, or
from using hair products and stylists. Dreadlocks are
a natural result of this practice, rather than a
cultivated hairstyle.
Rastafarians generally eat only "I-tal"
foods- those that are as pure as possible,
unpreserved, often but not always raw, and without
chemical additives. Rastafarians avoid meat
(especially pork), coffee, salt, tobacco, alcohol, and
seafood (although small fish are allowed).
Code of Conduct: The Rastafarian code of conduct is
generally held to be the Ten commandments as outlined
in the Hebrew Penteteuch.
Basic teachings and Beliefs of Rastafarians:
Rastafarians avoid what they view as the materialistic
and corrupt white culture, which is called
"Babylon." Rastafarian theology emphasises
individual apprehension of God (called Jah), and one
who is "dread," that is, God-fearing, a
belief that is referred to theologically as
"theosis," or God-becoming. Rastafarians
have also adopted a form of the Hindu belief in
Avatars, holding that Heile Selassie was the last of
four incarnations of God which includes Moses, the
Hebrew Prophet Elija, and Jesus. The faithful revere
Ganja (marijuana) as a sacrament that aids in the
discovery of the "I in I," the true
form/will of Jah. Followers are expected to live as
pure a lifestyle as possible, avoiding vice an
materialistic desires. Among the prophecies is the
expected exodus known as "Back to Africa,"
when Jah will give the signal for Rastafarians toi
'return' to Ethiopia. there are three sects
of Rastafarianism: Bobo Shanti (a seperatist order who
ahere to Old Testament law), The Nyahbinghi Order (the
oldest sect, named for Queen Nyahbinghi of Uganda),
and Twelve Tribes, who believe themselves descendents
of the twelve tribes of David.
Holidays and observances: The date of Emperor
Selassie's visit to Jamaica in 1966, April 21st,
is considered an important holiday, called
"Grounation day." Also celebrated is
Selassie's birthday, the birthday of Marcus
Garvey, and others.
Rastafarian Symbols: The most important symbol is the
flag with three bands of red, black, and green, taken
from Garvey's back to Africa movement, and the
Lion of Judah, the personal emblem of Heile Selassie.
The colors on the flag are red, representing the blood
of African martyrs, Black, for the skin color of
believers, and green, for the color of the Promised
Land (Ethiopia) . Other important symbols are the
Magen David (often in highly stylized form) and the
Christian cross.
Myths and misconceptions: The best known rumor about
Rastafarianism is that the religion is simply an
excuse to smoke marijuana, a concept sometimes
embraced by white suburban teens, although very far
from the reality of the religion, which views Ganja as
a sacrament allowing a direct experience of God.
Another rumor, that Rastafarianism is inherently
racist and anti-white, is unfortunately true in some
cases. On the positive side, most have rejected the
notion that the white man is evil, and aver instead
that Babylon is the materialist attitude rather than
the "white" culture.