rastafari question

[RedLocks]

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

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!

[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....

[PatrickHenry]

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....

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?

[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?

[PatrickHenry]

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?

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.

[Shovelhandle]

pretty good thread going here....

Shovelhandle

[OLDE ENGLISH '800]

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 !

[RedLocks]

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?

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:

[surreys princess]

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

[OLDE ENGLISH '800]

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