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Rastafari
« on: August 02, 2021, 05:52:42 pm »

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Rastafari, also known as the Rastafari movement or Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control of the movement and much diversity exists among practitioners, who are known as Rastafari, Rastafarians, or Rastas.

Rasta beliefs are based on a specific interpretation of the Bible. Central is a monotheistic belief in a single God, referred to as Jah, who is deemed to partially reside within each individual. Rastas accord key importance to Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia between 1930 and 1974; many regard him as the Second Coming of Jesus and Jah incarnate, while others see him as a human prophet who fully recognised Jah's presence in every individual. Rastafari is Afrocentric and focuses attention on the African diaspora, which it believes is oppressed within Western society, or "Babylon". Many Rastas call for this diaspora's resettlement in Africa, a continent they consider the Promised Land, or "Zion". Some practitioners extend these views into black supremacism. Rastas refer to their practices as "livity". Communal meetings are known as "groundations", and are typified by music, chanting, discussions, and the smoking of cannabis, the latter regarded as a sacrament with beneficial properties. Rastas emphasise what they regard as living "naturally", adhering to ital dietary requirements, wearing their hair in dreadlocks, and following patriarchal gender roles.

Rastafari originated among impoverished and socially disenfranchised Afro-Jamaican communities in 1930s Jamaica. Its Afrocentric ideology was largely a reaction against Jamaica's then-dominant British colonial culture. It was influenced by both Ethiopianism and the Back-to-Africa movement promoted by black nationalist figures such as Marcus Garvey. The movement developed after several Protestant Christian clergymen, most notably Leonard Howell, proclaimed that Haile Selassie's crowning as Emperor of Ethiopia in 1930 fulfilled a Biblical prophecy. By the 1950s, Rastafari's countercultural stance had brought the movement into conflict with wider Jamaican society, including violent clashes with law enforcement. In the 1960s and 1970s, it gained increased respectability within Jamaica and greater visibility abroad through the popularity of Rasta-inspired reggae musicians, most notably Bob Marley. Enthusiasm for Rastafari declined in the 1980s, following the deaths of Haile Selassie and Marley, but the movement survived and has a presence in many parts of the world.

The Rasta movement is decentralised and organised on a largely sectarian basis. There are several denominations, or "Mansions of Rastafari", the most prominent of which are the Nyahbinghi, Bobo Ashanti, and the Twelve Tribes of Israel, each offering a different interpretation of Rasta belief. There are an estimated 700,000 to 1,000,000 Rastas across the world. The largest population is in Jamaica, although small communities can be found in most of the world's major population centres. Most Rastas are of black African descent, and some groups accept only black members.
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Beliefs
Rastas refer to the totality of their religion's ideas and beliefs as "Rastalogy".[36] Edmonds described Rastafari as having "a fairly cohesive worldview";[36] however, the scholar Ernest Cashmore thought that its beliefs were "fluid and open to interpretation".[37] Within the movement, attempts to summarise Rastafari belief have never been accorded the status of a catechism or creed.[38] Rastas place great emphasis on the idea that personal experience and intuitive understanding should be used to determine the truth or validity of a particular belief or practice.(This sounds more Gnostic to me than anything, no? — Mazda)[39] No Rasta, therefore, has the authority to declare which beliefs and practices are orthodox and which are heterodox.[38] The conviction that Rastafari has no dogma "is so strong that it has itself become something of a dogma", according to the sociologist of religion Peter B. Clarke.[40]

Rastafari is deeply influenced by Judeo-Christian religion,[41] and shares many commonalities with Christianity.[42] The scholar Michael Barnett observed that its theology is "essentially Judeo-Christian", representing "an Afrocentralized blend of Christianity and Judaism".[43] Some followers openly describe themselves as Christians.[44] Rastafari accords the Bible a central place in its belief system, regarding it as a holy book,[45] and adopts a literalist interpretation of its contents.[46] According to the anthropologist Stephen D. Glazier, Rasta approaches to the Bible result in the religion adopting an outlook very similar to that of some forms of Protestantism.[47] Rastas regard the Bible as an authentic account of early black African history and of their place as God's favoured people.[40] They believe the Bible to be key to understanding both the past and the present and for predicting the future,[40] while also regarding it as a source book from which they can form and justify their beliefs and practices.[48] Rastas commonly perceive the final book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, as the most important part, because they see its contents as having particular significance for the world's present situation.[49]

Contrary to scholarly understandings of how the Bible was compiled, Rastas commonly believe it was originally written on stone in the Ethiopian language of Amharic.[50] They also believe that the Bible's true meaning has been warped, both through mistranslation into other languages and by deliberate manipulation by those seeking to deny black Africans their history.[51] They also regard it as cryptographic, meaning that it has many hidden meanings.[52] They believe that its true teachings can be revealed through intuition and meditation on the "book within" which allows them to commune with God.(AGAIN, is this NOT Gnosis??? — Mazda)[40] Because of what they regard as the corruption of the Bible, Rastas also turn to other sources that they believe shed light on black African history.[53] Common texts used for this purpose include Leonard Howell's 1935 work The Promised Key, Robert Athlyi Rogers' 1924 book Holy Piby, and Fitz Balintine Pettersburg's 1920s work, the Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy.[53] Many Rastas also treat the Kebra Nagast, a 14th-century Ethiopian text, as a source through which to interpret the Bible.[54]
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Jah and Jesus of Nazareth

Rastas are monotheists, worshipping a singular God whom they call Jah. The term "Jah" is a shortened version of "Jehovah", the name of God in English translations of the Old Testament.[55] Rastafari holds strongly to the immanence of this divinity;[56] as well as regarding Jah as a deity, Rastas believe that Jah is inherent within each individual.[57] This belief is reflected in the aphorism, often cited by Rastas, that "God is man and man is God",[58] and Rastas speak of "knowing" Jah, rather than simply "believing" in him.[59] In seeking to narrow the distance between humanity and divinity, Rastafari embraces mysticism.[7]

Jesus is an important figure in Rastafari.[60] However, practitioners reject the traditional Christian view of Jesus, particularly the depiction of him as a white European, believing that this is a perversion of the truth.[61] They believe that Jesus was a black African, and that the white Jesus was a false god.[62] Many Rastas regard Christianity as the creation of the white man;[63] they treat it with suspicion out of the view that the oppressors (white Europeans) and the oppressed (black Africans) cannot share the same God.[64] Many Rastas take the view that the God worshipped by most white Christians is actually the Devil,[65] and a recurring claim among Rastas is that the Pope is Satan or the Antichrist.[66] Rastas therefore often view Christian preachers as deceivers[65] and regard Christianity as being guilty of furthering the oppression of the African diaspora,[67] frequently referring to it as having perpetrated "mental enslavement".[68]
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Afrocentrism and views on race
The eastern African nation of Ethiopia is given great prominence in Rasta doctrine.

According to Clarke, Rastafari is "concerned above all else with black consciousness, with rediscovering the identity, personal and racial, of black people".[98] The Rastafari movement began among Afro-Jamaicans who wanted to reject the British colonial culture that dominated Jamaica and replace it with a new identity based on a reclamation of their African heritage.[85] Its emphasis is on the purging of any belief in the inferiority of black people, and the superiority of white people, from the minds of its followers.[99] Rastafari is therefore Afrocentric,[100] equating blackness with the African continent,[64] and endorsing a form of Pan-Africanism.[101]

Practitioners of Rastafari identify themselves with the ancient Israelites—God's chosen people in the Old Testament—and believe that black Africans broadly or Rastas more specifically are either the descendants or the reincarnations of this ancient people.[102] This is similar to beliefs in Judaism,[103] although many Rastas believe that contemporary Jews' status as the descendants of the ancient Israelites is a false claim.[104] Rastas typically believe that black Africans are God's chosen people, meaning that they made a covenant with him and thus have a special responsibility.[105] Rastafari espouses the view that this, the true identity of black Africans, has been lost and needs to be reclaimed.[106]

There is no uniform Rasta view on race.[103] Black supremacy was a theme early in the movement, with the belief in the existence of a distinctly black African race that is superior to other racial groups. While some still hold this belief, non-black Rastas are now widely accepted in the movement.[107] Rastafari's history has opened the religion to accusations of racism.[108] Cashmore noted that there was an "implicit potential" for racism in Rasta beliefs but he also noted that racism was not "intrinsic" to the religion.[109] Some Rastas have acknowledged that there is racism in the movement, primarily against Europeans and Asians.[103] Some Rasta sects reject the notion that a white European can ever be a legitimate Rasta.[103] Other Rasta sects believe that an "African" identity is not inherently linked to black skin but rather is about whether an individual displays an African "attitude" or "spirit".[110]
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Babylon and Zion

Rastafari teaches that the black African diaspora are exiles living in "Babylon", a term which it applies to Western society.[111] For Rastas, European colonialism and global capitalism are regarded as manifestations of Babylon,[112] while police and soldiers are viewed as its agents.[113] The term "Babylon" is adopted because of its Biblical associations. In the Old Testament, Babylon is the Mesopotamian city where the Israelites were held captive, exiled from their homeland, between 597 and 586 BCE;[114] Rastas compare the exile of the Israelites in Mesopotamia to the exile of the African diaspora outside Africa.[115] In the New Testament, "Babylon" is used as a euphemism for the Roman Empire, which was regarded as acting in a destructive manner that was akin to the way in which the ancient Babylonians acted.[114] Rastas perceive the exile of the black African diaspora in Babylon as an experience of great suffering,[116] with the term "suffering" having a significant place in Rasta discourse.[117]

Entire article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastafari

See also: https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/some-very-compelling-evidence-the-tower-of-babel-was-real/
                https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/jesus-said-'allah'-not-'deus-'/
                https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/what-is-zoroastrianism/
                https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/the-first-monotheistic-religion-akhenaten's-religion-of-light/
                https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/what-is-manichaeism/
                https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/the-10-commandments-how-to-read-them-from-a-tribalist-perspective/
                https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/gospel-of-thomas-why-is-it-not-in-the-bible/
                https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/antropocentricism-the-most-dangerous-ideology-in-the-world/

'Nope. Jesus is Not Yahweh' ~ Dr Bart Ehrman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfQ6bU6GYDw&list=PLPyBwDvuhUcE6tA-04WJgtKBSLxvEmano&index=4

Reminder:
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Demiurge:
The term demiurge derives from the Latinized form of the Greek term dēmiourgos, δημιουργός, literally "public or skilled worker".[note 20] This figure is also called "Yaldabaoth",[49] Samael (Aramaic: sæmʻa-ʼel, "blind god"), or "Saklas" (Syriac: sækla, "the foolish one"), who is sometimes ignorant of the superior god, and sometimes opposed to it; thus in the latter case he is correspondingly malevolent. Other names or identifications are Ahriman, El, Satan, and Yahweh.

The demiurge creates the physical universe and the physical aspect of humanity.[61] The demiurge typically creates a group of co-actors named archons who preside over the material realm and, in some cases, present obstacles to the soul seeking ascent from it.[49] The inferiority of the demiurge's creation may be compared to the technical inferiority of a work of art, painting, sculpture, etc. to the thing the art represents. In other cases it takes on a more ascetic tendency to view material existence negatively, which then becomes more extreme when materiality, including the human body, is perceived as evil and constrictive, a deliberate prison for its inhabitants.

Moral judgements of the demiurge vary from group to group within the broad category of Gnosticism, viewing materiality as being inherently evil, or as merely flawed and as good as its passive constituent matter allows.[62]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticism

See also:  https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/catharism-the-'good-christians'/

Fred Locks Says, "In The 60's Rastafari Called Reggae 'Babylon Music" Pt.2
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In this clip Fred Locks tells a story how Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer were called 'commercial dreads' by Rastafari elders.

Fred Locks goes on to speak about the disdain Rastafari elders had towards reggae during its inception. Fred Locks says Rastafari elders used to call reggae 'Babylon Music'


Question: If Yahweh has always been known as the devil by Gnostics and early Christians, then why is the "confusion" Yahweh brought down upon the mind's of humanity at the Tower of Babel seen as a positive event? In this regard, Reggae should be seen as the music of Babylon that will reunite all of humanity after the "confusion" that the devil Yahweh rout upon all of humanity in the Tower of Babel, not just the African diaspora living in Western Civilization, no?

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