Explain to me Rastafarianism

It arose in the 1930's and rastas worship the former emporer of Ethipoia Haile Selassie I, who they believe is an incarnation of Jah. It is not a strict religion, and there are no 'rules' however, many rastas are vegetarians and refuse to cut hair ect. because they beleive in respecting the bodies that they have been given. (Good example was Bob Marley who refused a leg amputation becuase of his religion.)

Not sure what else you'd like to know; I'm not a rasta by the way, I just know a fair deal about the subject.

 

I think it was a toe amputation that Bob Marley refused. Do you know why they chose the Ethiopian emperor?

 

I've heard it is offensive to call it Rastafarianism because rastafari's do not want it to labeled as an "ism." Instead it should be called The Rastafari Movement.

Sources:
Wiki- Rastafari movement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Rastas believe that Ethiopia (Zion) is the birthplace of mankind, and they believe that Haile Selassie I is a messiah who will lead the people of Africa to freedom (from Babylon). He was seen to be a messiah because of his lineage and title which appears to fit with the prophetic book of Revelation in the New Testement. (Rastafari has strong links with Christianity).

 

Well I am Eritrean and my mom lived in Ethiopia and considers herself more ethio and shes told me why.

Basically one of the many reasons they worsip Haile Selassie is because when he visited there was a major drought. And when his plane landed, while a buncha jamaicans were waiting for him to come out smokin a shit ton of bud, the doors of the plane opened and clouds came into the sky, and right when he visited it began to rain and everyone was happy and they started to worship him.

My mom thinks its a dumb religion, i think its kinda cool cuz they smoke a buncha bud lol.

 

Thats kind of unfair... In my opinion everyone has the right to believe what they want. No matter how wrong or strange it is. Without people opening their mouths against them. However, I am atheist and IMO all religion is misleading. People should think about the survival of the species than what your deity wants you to do...

 

This is fictional and the first time I ever heard this particular falsity.

 

@Judgement

I can tell your a rastafarian so im going to assume what your saying is true. I didn't think it was true because I never heard it any where then from my mom. Maybe she was raised on that or something to keep her from getting interested in it.

 

Idk, honestly, it's nonsense just like a bunch of other religions.

It's pretty much entirely Afro-centric, and based on historical inaccuracies. They call themselves the real children of Israel, which can be easily disproved through genetics, linguistics...anything really. Then there is the fact that it is Pan-African, so it disregards the numerous differences amongst the peoples of Africa (Bantus, Semitic (which is what most Eritreans and Ethiopians are, I believe, such as Salahassie, and completely unrelated to most Africans), Nilo-Saharans, etc). Basically it is a religion that rejects Western society for a Pan-African view that is, honestly, very flawed. It's the same a religion saying Europe is the good guys, Asia is the bad guys. This disregards the numerous differences of Europeans (Basques are isolates, Finno-Ugric peoples are completely unrelated and in Hungary a more recent migration, etc). I mean, no, most religions don't make sense, but Rastafarianism (and the rejection of -isms? Seriously, -ism is just a common suffix derived from ismus that denotes a noun, usually abstract, to reject it makes no sense) is highly politicized and based on gross historical inaccuracies.

I think the only reason it has so much support is, frankly, cause it holds weed in such regard.

 

don't forget the violent persecution of homosexuals..

 

Good point. For being such a peaceful religion, the vast majority of rastas would beat up any batty boy they come across.

 

Posts like the above 3 are exactly why I try to stay away from these silly conversations about Rasta upon the internet, but I poked by neck out like a dummy. SO much misinformation and misunderstanding, people who know little talk much... The internet, reggae, hearsay and just plain "not making any type of sense" make for interesting views on Rastafari although.....

 

Care to explain then?

To me, Rastarianism seems to be exclusive to Africans (embracing a superficial supranational identity that is largely fabricated by physical similarities, ie race, a completely artificial construct, denying the numerous different groups that inhabit the continent. Lots of Africans are African, as are Berbers, are they included? What are the links between Hausas and Bantus?) that leaves no room for the corrupted Babylonians (Europeans and related ethnic communities). To me, that religion just doesn't make sense and is more of a pseudo-religious racist ideology.