Post by Rakehel on May 10, 2021 10:25:36 GMT -5
Rastafarianism
01-02-06, 08:03 AM
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 Caribbean, the US, the UK, and Canada.
Number of Adherents: About 700,000 worldwide.
Clergy: None, individual believers are autonomous.
Requirements to join: 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.
Observances/Diet 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).
Conduct Code: 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.
Some Rastafari choose to classify their movement as Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, Protestant Christianity, or Judaism. Of those, the ties to the Ethiopian Church are the most widespread, although this is controversial to many Ethiopian clergy.
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 ofMarcus 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.[/b]
Myths or 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.
Bob Marley and Reggae music: Reggae music evolved from Jamaican Ska music, which in turn evolved from inported American Big Band music. Reggae took a religious tone with the conversion of musician Bob (Robert) Marley, who is almost exclusively responsible for introducing Rastafarian beliefs to the mainstream.
en.wikipedia/Rastifari
01-02-06, 08:03 AM
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 Caribbean, the US, the UK, and Canada.
Number of Adherents: About 700,000 worldwide.
Clergy: None, individual believers are autonomous.
Requirements to join: 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.
Observances/Diet 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).
Conduct Code: 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.
Some Rastafari choose to classify their movement as Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, Protestant Christianity, or Judaism. Of those, the ties to the Ethiopian Church are the most widespread, although this is controversial to many Ethiopian clergy.
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 ofMarcus 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.[/b]
Myths or 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.
Bob Marley and Reggae music: Reggae music evolved from Jamaican Ska music, which in turn evolved from inported American Big Band music. Reggae took a religious tone with the conversion of musician Bob (Robert) Marley, who is almost exclusively responsible for introducing Rastafarian beliefs to the mainstream.
en.wikipedia/Rastifari