Rastaman

God works in awesome ways! Recently in my cults class we had read a profile on Rastafarianism. The profile was well written and can be read along with other profiles at the watchmen fellowship website. One of the beliefs of the Rastafarians is that they grow out the hair into dreadlocks because of parts of the bible that discuss not cutting ones hair. After I had learned about this I thought about a fellow employee that I work with at UPS who had dreadlocks. The very next morning at work I went to Brian, Brian is the one with dreadlocks, and asked him if he knew anything about Rastafarianism. God opened up a great opportunity, Brian knew all kinds of things about Rastafarians. Because of reading the profile I was able to talk with him about some of the things I had read, and he was able to give me some understanding on some of the things I had read. This really opened up a time where Brian and I could talk about the differences in Rastafarian view of scripture and the Christian perspective.

I have downloaded a small clip I had found. The clip is very short. But listen to what Bob Marley says about it not being a religion but “life”.

The Rastafarian movement was started by Marcus Garvey. Some believed Garvey to be a prophet while others believed he was the actual reincarnation of John the Baptist. Garvey had started his new ideas during his “back to Africa” movement. Garvey taught and believed that there would one day be a black king that would bring redemption to his people (the black people). This prophecy was soon fulfilled in an Ethiopian King named Haile Selassie. Selassie was called by his followers “The Lion of Judah” and “King of Kings” This great Lion of Judah was said to always travel with a pet Chihuahua named Chicheebee. (http://www.answers.com/topic/haile-selassie) Selassie passed away in August of 1975, and as you would guess this would probably raise a few questions. It is believed though that Ras Tafari still lives in individual Rastafarians, because divinity didn’t die with Selassie.

This religion or “way of life” is not an organized religion where they go to church every week, and meet together to read scripture. Most of the religion is just individual; you find mostly little pods of people here and there that have their own idea of what Rastafarians believe. But because of a lack of leadership and set rules it is hard to find much information at all of their doctrine.

Leonard Howell a former leader of the group wrote 6 principles of the Rastafarians which you can read online at the watchmen fellowship website. Two of the major principle thought that can be seen almost domineering is the teachings on Babylon, which refers to the Jamaican government, and also the statement “I and I”. “I and I” basically is the idea that God is in all man and that because He is in all man than everyone is one. Rastafarians also believe that much like in Hinduism the doctrine of avatar. They believe that Jesus first came as Moses, first avatar as savior, and than the second avatar Elijah, than the third avatar Jesus Christ.

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