What is Rastafarianism?

Question

is it a christian religion?

Answer 1

What Nicole said...

Answer 2

What Is Rastafarianism

Answer 3

The Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, or simply Rasta) is a new religious movement that accepts Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, as God incarnate, called Jah or Jah Rastafari.



He is also seen as part of the Holy Trinity as the messiah promised in the Bible to return. The name Rastafari comes from Ras (literally "Head," an Ethiopian title equivalent to Duke), and Tafari Makonnen, the pre-coronation name of Haile Selassie I.





The movement emerged in Jamaica among working-class and peasant black people in the early 1930s,arising from an interpretation of Biblical prophecy partly based on Selassie's status as the only African monarch of a fully independent state, with the titles King of Kings and Conquering Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5). Other characteristics of Rastafari include the spiritual use of cannabis,and various Afrocentric social and political aspirations,such as the teachings of Jamaican publicist, organiser, and black separatist Marcus Garvey (also often regarded as a prophet), whose political and cultural vision helped inspire a new world view.



The Rastafari movement has spread throughout much of the world, largely through interest generated by reggae music-most notably, that of Jamaican singer/songwriter Bob Marley. By 2000, there were more than one million Rastafari faithful worldwide. About five to ten percent of Jamaicans identify themselves as Rastafari. Many Rastafarians follow an ital diet which essentially means living by the dietary Laws of Leviticus and Deuteronomy in the Old Testament.



Leonard Howell, who has been described as the "first Rasta," formed a commune which grew as large as 5,000 people at a place called Pinnacle, at St. Catherine in Jamaica.

Answer 4

And no it is is not a christian religion, for rastas believe in Haile Selassie or as they say Jah.

Answer 5

A RastafarI (or Rastafarian) is someone who knows through personal revelation that Jesus fulfilled His promise to return again with a new name in the person of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, Jah Ras Tafari. A RastafarI is a Christian by definition. Haile Selassie did not replace Jesus. Jesus is Love and Jesus returned as He promised He would in the person of Haile Selassie I to renew in the flesh the same Love that He showed us all as Jesus when He perished on the cross for our sins. His New Name and incarnation helped lead many of His lost children back to Him because they had been alienated from the name Jesus Christ. The name Jesus Christ has been corrupted by organizations of Babylon, including Crusades that murdered many of Jah’s children. Jesus is God and therefore He knew that satan would seize the power of His Holy Name and use it for evil purposes. Returning with His New Name and human form fulfilled His promise and provided renewed access to Him for generations that had become convinced that Babylon’s churches of Jesus Christ were false. The adoration of a name, be it Jesus Christ or Haile Selassie or Jah RastafarI or whatever, is idol worship. The essence of His Majesty is not in a name. He is the Love that creates & animates all life. RastafarI say “I &i” because they know that they are both the earthly carbon shell of the human body (“i”) and the Loving life force of Jah RastafarI himself (“I”) which animates that body. This is why RastafarI understand that Jah RastafarI (Jah Love) never perished despite the apparent absence of flesh and bone Haile Selassie I from the planet in this time. The big “I” is shared by and connects all of Jah children with each other because the Love that animates the Life in each of us is Jah. This is why Rastas seek Inity with all of their human brethren regardless of any of the differentiator that satan uses to keep us apart (e.g., race, nationality, religion, gender, etc.) It is not necessary to smoke ganja, eat a certain diet, have a certain skin color or grow dreadlocks to be a RastafarI. People who maintain that these outward symbols of RastafarI are the essence of what it means to be RastafarI are falling for another of Babylon’s deceptions intended to differentiate us from one another and divide us from one another. RastafarI means striving to know Jah Love in every aspect of one’s life and to maintain the constant conscious connection of “i” to “I”. A RastafarI can be identified by the fact that he/she strives to bring to reality and live by the vision of the teachings of Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount. A Rasta is patient with those who have not found truth yet and Loves all of Jah’s children

Answer 6

Rastafarians believe the Messiah is Haile Selassie (hay´ -lee s« -lah´ -see), the last emperor of Ethiopia. As emperor, Selassie was actually called "Ras Tafari." One of the outgrowths of Rastafarianism is its heavy influence in Raggae music, which was made popular and gained worldwide recognition through the late Bob Marley. According to 1995 statistics, Rastafarianism had some 180,000 adherents worldwide.1 A documentary I saw a year or two ago showed how Rastafarianism was rapidly growing among people of all cultural and ancestral backgrounds.



Early Rastafarians considered Selassie the living God who fulfilled a prophecy of Marcus Garvey. In the early 1900s, Garvey was an American black nationalist who tried to form a "back to Africa movement." He hoped this would culminate in the establishment of an independent African country made up of Americans who have African ancestry. Garvey’s prophecy reportedly said, "Look to Africa, where a black king shall be crowned, for the day of deliverance is near."2



Those who heeded Garvey’s words and looked to Selassie—or rather "Ras Tafari"—withdrew from mainline Jamaican society. They also deemed traditional Christianity to be "white religion"—and rejected it as such. They also rejected Western culture because they considered it to be the modern "Babylon." Some Rastafarians also adopted ganja (i.e., marijuana) as their sacred "herb." Some Rasta extremists also turned to acts of violence to further their goals.3



My personal investigation has revealed that Rastafarians consider smoking the "Holy Herb" to being filled with the Holy Spirit. The ancient Greeks and Romans held to similar concepts. They sought alcoholic intoxication at the Bacchanalian Festivals in order to become possessed by Bacchus (Roman) or Dionysius (Greek)—the god of wine, revelry, orgies, and ecstasy. Likewise, American Indians took peyote or mescaline while Timothy Leery took LSD to reach "spiritual highs." However, Paul stressed being "filled with the Holy Spirit" in contrast to the contemporary and ungodly religious practices of his day by saying;



18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess ( literally "unsavedness"); but be filled with the Spirit; 19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; (Ephesians 5:18–19)



Rastafarians regard Africa—Ethiopia in particular—as the "Promised Land" of Moses.4 They also view themselves as the true descendants of David and children of God as defined by the Old Testament. This may be partially due to the traditional belief, that in the 10th century B.C., the kingdom of Ethiopia was supposedly founded by Menelik I. Accordingly, Menelik was Solomon’s first son who was conceived by the Queen of Sheba.5 This supposedly occurred when his mother visited Solomon in Israel. Before she left Israel, 1 Kings 10:13 reports how, ". . . king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants." Some have suggested by interpolation that her "desire" was also to conceive a son by Solomon, the wisest man in the world.



This tradition has some respected acceptance as demonstrated by the 1984 and 1991 airlifts of thousands of Ethiopian "Falashas" to Israel. Upon arrival they were given full citizenship and privileges. This is usually granted only to those who can prove their Jewish ancestry.



Many rigorous adherents of Rastafarianism seek to follow the law of Moses and are strict vegetarians who actually shun alcohol—the leavened fruit of the vine. They have also adopted the "Star of David" and the "Lion of Judah" as key religious symbols of identity.



Rastafarians usually focus on the following for biblical authority:



4I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. 5And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her. 6The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. (Psalm 87:4–6) [emphasis mine]



Rastafarians argue that Psalm 87:4 is a prophetic reference to Haile Selassie being born in Ethiopia as the Messiah. Yet, they have ignored the basic grammatical structure of the overall passage.



Psalm 87 speaks of the love the Lord has for Zion (Jerusalem) and its inhabitants. However, the Lord also inspired David to write about a day in which all people would know the Lord and acknowledge Him as such. The Lord then directs His attention to Rahab (Egypt) and Babylon (modern Iraq). He then says He will also speak of them as being among those who will also know the Lord.



The Lord then refers to another group who would one day also know Him. This one consisted of Philistia (southwest Palestine), Tyre (ancient Phoenicia, which is modern Syria and Lebanon), and Ethiopia. Et

Answer 7

http://www.lastchanceministries.com/Rastafarianism.htm