rastafari question

i have been reading alot about the rastafari beliefs..really just out of curiosity...anyway, i was wondering..the idea behind dreadlocks is that you should not take a comb/scissors, or "western tool", to your hair..now being that the followers of this are predominantely(sp) afro american, that means, of course, dreadlocks form...so why would it not be wrong for white people to have their hair made into dreads, who practice this system of beliefs? it seems that it would be disrespectful to dread it as the point is to be natural, and it isnt natural for our hair to do that....seems the appropriate thing to do is not cut it, brush it.....anyone?

over time and the right conditions everybodys hair will dread eventually. Its just long dirty hair twisting together. If you were to give yourself dreads for fashion you are technically not following the ways of the rastafarians.

that is what i was getting at, sorry if i didnt make it clear....in a nutshell, i am wondering why it isnt disrespectful for white people to wear "made" dreads i guess....i know that sounds dumb, but i am just trying to understand it..i dont have an opinion per se..just curious....

Im sure no rastafarian would feel disrespected by seeing John Doe with dreads. They just wouldnt see you as a real rastafarian. I think an even better question about rastafari is if white people are really allowed to be rastafarians. Alot of the early teachings center around being black. Did you read up anything on that....im curious

I don't know much about the Rasta's, but what I do know I like. I'm not sure about the race issues, but they seem to be pretty genuine. I like the Marley's a great deal, but only because they are the only Rastafari's I know of, lol.

I watched an interview on youtube with Bob Marley, and they talked about his religion. It was pretty cool. The prophet said very little about dreads, but he did say they weren't required to be in that religion. He said the same thing about the herb, and it's a central part of their beliefs, isn't it?

rastafari's say that it is what is in the heart that counts and a love of Jah, not colour....at least in all that i have read...

Yeh rastifari is cool. but im wiccan. learning about other peoples beleifs is pretty interesting.


BTW surrey's princess..can you take off a neg rep i got from some idiot who doesn't read before he types.it will eat away at me until you do.
He was calling me racist for saying aguys blunt looks liek someone took a dump on his hand...i was reffering to the blunt.
thanks in advance.

Well rasta is about the movement of the black people, from outside of slavery. The idea of travelling the road to zion is about that long gruesome trip it takes to reach freedom.

It is pretty race specific.

that is true, but it isnt only black people and rasta's fully support their white and yellow and green and any other colour, brothers and sisters..like i said, it is about having Jah in the heart..rasta is about peace and righteousness moreso than colour, but again, everyone has their own opinion and understanding...

Rastafarian.net / Rastafarian.org

thank you for asking this question princess, I've often wondered about their religion and what it is like, I think that it is crazy about the whole black/white thing, actually yesterday I joined a group of girls trying to get delta sigma theta started on our campus, which is predominantly black sorority, and i'm white, but its just so crazy how "afraid" races are of each other, the girls were overjoyed i joined because they need open minded people, i just believe if you have an open heart and mind things will work out for you

All hair will lock if you let it. The rejection of things believed to be Babylonian inventions in my opinion is somewhat a afterthought to the primary belief that we should not cut our hair, beards or flesh. Just having dreadlocks has always been anyone ever needed to know to accept me (talking about rasta acceptance) no questions of why or how have ever been asked of me. Much to the opposite, no one feels I am showing any disrespect, in fact I get respect where I go from rasta that I don't know. Countless times I have been saluted and greeted with various comments, comments I would compare to a catholic priest or church goer saying "peace be with you"

Now there is a dread, then there is a rasta. Some people lock their hair out of vanity or style. If I see a person like this I can almost immediately determine them as just a dread. People see my appearance and they know what is in my heart, and know that they can just talk to me for no reason, it is a good feeling, like "we're all in this together"

good points...though i did think the not raising western tools as it is said was based on the oppression by the western world...am i wrong or misunderstanding?

wtg bent.....colour is just the outside....

ive got dreads and ive never been given any shit by anyone.....except by some extremely closed minded people
like redlocks, ive been saluted many times.
idk why, to me, dreadlocks are a way of life, not just some hairstyle

Just a little info. Ras Tafari was an ethiopian prince whose name changed to Haile Selassie after he became king of ethiopia. Haile Selassie can trace his bloodline back to King Solomon in the bible. Queen of Sheba had a child for King Solomon, and this is the bloodline Ras Tafari was born from. Back in the 50's Jamaican learned that ras tafari was a direct descendant from this holy bloodline and they call him the conquering lion of the tribe of Judah. They believed that he was the messiah or second coming. Rasta do not cut there hair because in the book of leviticus no one from the tribe of levi can cut there hair, so dreads are a holy hairstyle. And also, the tribe of levi were the priest of the hebrews. They were the wise. And I think rasta saw this and incorporated this hairsyle into the lives as a sign of strength and also as a sign of rebellion against babylon.

Last summer we brought our kids to Disney and I saw this young white kid when we came out of this place, and yes lord, this youth of like maybe age 11 or so had the longest thickest dreads. I was totally blown away, and he had had them for a long while ya could tell.

Anyways, Princess your thinking is right and you're not mistaken. There is a lot of reasoning behind locks though, Africans being introduced to the western world through slavery and oppression is right up there on the list. I would call that maybe the political and spiritual side of the reason, then there is the religious and bible related side which is just as important.

hah shouldn't smoke before i post, I'm thinking too damn much:jointsmile:
I love having spell check on the browser lol

thanks red..it is great seeing what you have to say....i originally started reading about the religion from curiosity..i myself could never be a rasta as i am a jew, but it is neat nonetheless...are you really in israel? if so i am quite jealous..

while we are on the subjet..i also read that only jamaican rastafari partake in marijuana, but not other rastafari sects (i dont know if that is the right connotation).......any input on that?

you guys are better than books....lol

princess

It's all about love. We're all the same race. The human race.

Wow. When I was a teenager I had long hair and I wanted dreads because I thought it would be an outward statement of my personality. I never considered that Rastafarians might find it insulting but I can see why some might. Anyway, now age is catching up with me and my hair is thinning on top so iit seems I'll have to let that dream pass.
Hey, mabey when I'm an old man I can dread my beard :)

the long dreads indicate you're not a pawn of society following the western culture;s inventions and customs. a white guy with dreads would just be indicating that he doesn't agree with those customs either. white man dreads are stinky, but not offensive.

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Originally Posted by surreys princess

thanks red..it is great seeing what you have to say....i originally started reading about the religion from curiosity..i myself could never be a rasta as i am a jew, but it is neat nonetheless...are you really in israel? if so i am quite jealous..

while we are on the subjet..i also read that only jamaican rastafari partake in marijuana, but not other rastafari sects (i dont know if that is the right connotation).......any input on that?

you guys are better than books....lol

princess

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hahaha a rastafari that doesn't smoke! never heard of it! that doesn't mean it doesn't exist, i've just personally never seen it. :rastasmoke:

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Originally Posted by surreys princess

thanks red..it is great seeing what you have to say....i originally started reading about the religion from curiosity..i myself could never be a rasta as i am a jew, but it is neat nonetheless...are you really in israel? if so i am quite jealous..

while we are on the subjet..i also read that only jamaican rastafari partake in marijuana, but not other rastafari sects (i dont know if that is the right connotation).......any input on that?

you guys are better than books....lol

princess

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no not in Israel, just couldn't think of a better flag to use and had no urge to use the US flag. Would actually mean a lot to me to go Israel though, the streets Jesus walked on and all, I know Jews have their own holy reasons but ya get what I mean hopefully.

Rasta in Africa suffer persecution the same when it comes to marijuana, but I don't think anyone can say it is about the herb, but thank Jah for the herb. Not everyone smokes marijuana, it just isn't right for some people.
I had been reading a news site from somewhere in Africa, forget what country though. Anyways I read this news about where the police raided the old school building where a group of rasta were using as a church. They said it was because of "dagga". They arrested several of the rastas, and one man even had a length of his locks cut with a knife by one of the police. What it boiled down to was they were just being abused because they didn't follow government religion.
The using of herb is like a government scapegoat to dismiss groups of people that are against war and for things like education and religion. I remember seeing a interview with Bob Marley where he said some pretty good things, but later dismissed in commentary by the American journalist who interviewed him as being "stoned out of his mind on reefer" or something to that tune. Look at the hippies protesting a war American soldiers had no reason to be in and dying by the thousands to no end. They were dismissed as un-American pot head trash by government that wanted war when if at any time the people should have overthrown the corrupt Government for going to far, rather it continued to this day with more needless wars. This is what Selassie told the rulers of the world, that if someone didn't step up to stop the corruption and war in the world it would just get worse.

Yeah I'm still smoking, you should see me when I get to thinking in person!

some sects believe it is the elders who should smoke..there are sects in africa that dont smoke....i often read, but not always, that it comes from the jamaican sect as it grows so free there.....it is hard to determine, there are so many different opinions and teachings of rastafari...i saw one that even said 2 of the 6 basic principles are that they hate white people, and want to punish them.....but then they say, the goal is not to oppress who has oppressed them, but to provide teaching for the reuniting of the races...it is all rather confusing....i think it is nifty though, that they have these beliefs and follow them..and if they do hate the white people, well, we kinda did earn that back in the day, and still do now in some regard....

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Originally Posted by surreys princess

some sects believe it is the elders who should smoke..there are sects in africa that dont smoke....i often read, but not always, that it comes from the jamaican sect as it grows so free there.....it is hard to determine, there are so many different opinions and teachings of rastafari...i saw one that even said 2 of the 6 basic principles are that they hate white people, and want to punish them.....but then they say, the goal is not to oppress who has oppressed them, but to provide teaching for the reuniting of the races...it is all rather confusing....i think it is nifty though, that they have these beliefs and follow them..and if they do hate the white people, well, we kinda did earn that back in the day, and still do now in some regard....

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Just read the wiki article about it. Lots of good information there.

It seems kind of cultish to me, but what religion isn't really?

true enough...

Religious Movements Homepage: Rastafarianism

this is also an informing piece on it....interesting, that is for sure...pat.h, do you think all organized religion is cult like?

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Originally Posted by surreys princess

true enough...

Religious Movements Homepage: Rastafarianism

this is also an informing piece on it....interesting, that is for sure...pat.h, do you think all organized religion is cult like?

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To some degree, yes. Doesn't bother me though, people can believe whatever they want... not my business unless they want to hurt me or take away my rights.

pretty good thread going here....

Shovelhandle

i am white with dreadlocks and i try to follow the way of jah i havent seen any discrimination to my dreads because i am white..as i belive that they see that im not just doing it to smoke ganja as im in it it for the spirtual not the material..all of the jamaican rasta's i have met have been genarlly nice and accepting of me as i ussaly like to talk with them about rastafarianism..as for the reason for growing dreadlocks in the rasta religon rastas let their hair grow natually into dreadlocks, in the image of the lion of Judah and they are not to shave there head or shave the corner of there beard nor make any cuttings in the flesh "All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow."In 1954, the Pinnacle commune was destroyed by Jamaican authorities. By the 1950s, Rastafari's message of racial pride and unity had unnerved the ruling class of Jamaica, and confrontations between the poor black Rastas and middle-class police were common. Many Rastas were beaten, and some killed. Others were humiliated by having their sacred dreadlocks cut off.

and as far as "marijuana" Ganja is considered the "wisdom weed" by Rastafarians, as its use helps one to gain wisdom. Rastafarians use it as a part of a religious rite and as a means of getting closer to their inner spiritual self, Jah and Creation.and as far as the race issue i would like to quote H.I.M. Haile I Selassie
"InI (We) must become members of a New Race, overcoming petty prejudice, owing InI (Our) Ultimate Allegiance, not to Nations, but to InI (Our) fellow Man within the Human CommUNITY".....
H.I.M. Haile I Selassie I....JAH RASTAFARI !

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Originally Posted by PatrickHenry

Just read the wiki article about it. Lots of good information there.

It seems kind of cultish to me, but what religion isn't really?

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yo lol... Someone had made a thread in this forum about this what religion are you test on that belief.net website. Scared the crap out of me cause my top 3 religions that most suit my beliefs was something like Mormon, born again Cristian and forget an other I can't recall, and I consider those peoples cultish so..:rastasmoke:

i just read your other post...how can you be a rasta? you arent allowed to have liquor, it is impure to the body....

i didnt say im a rasta i said i try to live my life in the way of jah..and yes its liquor is frowned apon in the rasta belief, Usage of alcohol is also generally deemed unhealthy to the Rastafarian way of life, partly because it is seen as a tool of Babylon to confuse people, and partly because placing something that is pickled and fermented within oneself is felt to be much like turning the body (the Temple) into a "cemetery".i know im not living my life in the exact way jah would like me to but i try,the rasta is in my heart

i believe this is bullshit you are bullying me deleting my threads because you think i am not living my life as a perfect rasta..read my post i never said i was a rasta i said i try to live my life as a rasta read my posts before you jump to conclusions..there are a 100 other threads talking about alcohol and ciggarettes which are legal mind you...so please leave my theads alone

enough of this...i was asking you a question...what you do, i could care less..i was asking you a question..this has nothing to do with the other threads and you need to relax and get a grip already...

i thought dreads were to symbolize their dedication to the beliefs?

damn.

i heard this documentary on TV where bob marley was telling them about what it means, but i totally forgot.

must be the pot.

sorry.

A little bit bored so I decided to dredge up an old post. What is it about rasta thread that attract the rats to come out their holes, someone always gotta piss on the tread. Anyways..

Alcohol is shunned, but I've heard comments about some of the most influential rasta of the day that drink too much. I myself hate alcohol, it gives me a sick feeling the whole next day, not a hang over just the feeling that I poisoned myself the night before, but still on occasion I will drink, and a rather lot. Purity is a long road to travel, and a long way to go. It is our vices and weaknesses that make us human, and it is the struggle to do what is right that blesses us..

Amun, you are right also, it is the length of the dreads that let other rasta know what is in I and I hearts, but as with much of rasta beliefs reasons for wearing our hair fashioned in natural locks is multi tiered.

Although there is so much else involved in the importance of dreads. In the bible many important figures wore their hair in dreadlocks. Samson who is thought to have worn his hair in this fashion had great strength given unto him by God, and that strength was contained within his hair. When Delilah learned of the secret of his power he cut off his hair, allowing the Philistines to capture and mutilate him.

Dreadlocks are also believed to be how many early Christians worldwide wore their hair. Not only Cristians but the most devout of several faiths, and even gods of some pagan religions wore their hair in this fashion.

Not only religions but tribal warriors of Africa and Europe also wore their hair in dreads, which also fits into the theology of things, especially with the somewhat more militant of followers of Ras Tafari who view themselves as warriors in the Name of Jah.

Ok this little quick reply box is starting to get on my nerves, end post

I thought i'd point it out - although you probably all know, but alot of people think of RastafarI as a way of life, as well as a religion.

Bob also said you cant become a rastafari, you have to be one from creation.

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Originally Posted by Pipe Dreams

Bob also said you cant become a rastafari, you have to be one from creation.

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I love bob marley as much as the next man, but since when does bob know everything about the universe.

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Originally Posted by 40oz

I love bob marley as much as the next man, but since when does bob know everything about the universe.

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Since I said he does!

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Originally Posted by Pipe Dreams

Bob also said you cant become a rastafari, you have to be one from creation.

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somewhat cryptic, I read it differently the second time after remembering he wasn't raised rasta, rather learned from his friends (remembering some interview with Rita where she was talking about Bob).. After remembering that and thinking why would he say that I came to the conclusion he meant something like it is predestined that rasta is rasta. Marley isn't all that big of a deal, I respect him as Rasta and as a person, and I like his music, but not to the extent that I actually listen to him when I feel like listening to some music. You'll hear all types of bizarre comments from some artistes (not saying there is anything wrong with what he said though) I even remember hearing Beanie Man who has always just released commercial music (w/e the fad was at the time, from slackness, to singing about rasta, to pure dancehall) say back in the 90s that only Jamaicans could be Rasta, which I am certain that so many of Rasta worldwide in Africa, the States, Europe, etc., would take offense to had they been sitting in county jail on a possession charge watching BET also :jointsmile:

I feel Jah in my heart, I am white, it does not matter. I have a shaved head rite now but i am ready to commence my spiritual journey to bond with Jah. It grows as i type. I am unsure if i could uphold an ital diet, i think that will be my most hardest challenge, but i don't believe it is what a man puts in his mouth that is important, it is what comes out of a mans mouth.