Where are the Rastas

[*dave*]

This forum looks like theres not a lot of activity, and the only people posting are non rastas. Where are all my Rastas at????

[natural philosophy]

selassie is dead. there's no reason for anyone to be a rasta anymore

[*dave*]

Tell that to the millions of Rastas around the world. some are not as pacifist as i am. infact why dont u go to the ghettos of Kingston and see if they dont kill you. Peace man

[natural philosophy]

what does that have to do with anything?

[*dave*]

u see, i took that last comment as an attack on my philosophy. to say that i shouldnt be a rasta is very insulting,to me and all rastas. So that has a lot to do with everything. u say u studied Rastafari so u should know that his majesty even after death was the second coming of Christ, according to Rastafari. how can death change all that, please enlighten me.

[natural philosophy]

even though selassie himeslf denied for years that he was christ? what say ye to that young grasshopper?

[*dave*]

Really, he denied it, last time i checked he had nothing to say about Rastafari, he didnt come out and openly say anything.

[natural philosophy]

check again. when he designated land in ethiopia for the jamaicans to repatriate, many rastas came to his palace to worship him and he sent them away, telling them that he was no god. he then told them to convert to ethiopian orthodox christianity. even bob marley, at the time of his death, converted to EOC, denied rastafarIanism, and took the EOC name 'berhane selassie' (sp?). he was buried in an EOC ceremony.

[*dave*]

Boy dont i feel like a dickhead, but still u know that Rastafari is a philosophy and is practiced many different ways. Many rastas honor his Majesty for being christ like and not actually pray to him. i know im contradicting myself, but u just owned my ass.

[*dave*]

Also many rastas believe that by His Majesty denying that he is the incarnation, makes him even more christ like.

[natural philosophy]

yes i understand rastafarIanism is practiced in many different ways. for a long time, my chosen 'religion' was very similar to rastafarI without all the diety worship. Some worship selassie, some actually worship his brother (because he supposedly fulfilled the prophecy more or something) and some reject selassie worship altogether and choose to revere him as the black leader.

which one of these are you?

[*dave*]

i revere him as a black leader and for what he has done for the nation of Ethiopoia

[natural philosophy]

what did he do for the nation of ethiopia?

[*dave*]

he lead his army to victory against the italians but he lost the second time

[natural philosophy]

he didn't lead the army to victory. it was after he fled the country and ethiopia was captured, did he go to england then england's army invaded ethiopia because of the italian armies there during WWII

besides his military failures, what else did selassie do for the nation of ethiopia or africans?

[*dave*]

actually he did, he joined the ranks and fought for Ethiopia and they won, THE FIRST TIME. On the second invasion by the italians he lost and then fled to England. he denounced racism, which can be seen in his appeal to the UN. he constructed a new constitution for Ethiopia. he tried to improve relations between the state and ethnic groups and end feudalism.

[natural philosophy]

^ all good stuff, but haven't other black leaders done more for their people than he did? why does selassie get put on the pedastal?

[*dave*]

im not to sure myself, but i think he is related to David in the Bible. i dont know how someone came to that conclusion???

[natural philosophy]

supposedly he is the 225 in line of the davidic line. (that is his claim, however) he fits a very vague description of a biblical prophecy

[Crystalsatreehugger]

even though selassie himeslf denied for years that he was christ? what say ye to that young grasshopper?
this is why I respect but could never totally get rasta's. Selassie wass a christian, that alone blows my mind.

Also Jesus is remembered (whether he truthfully existed or not) for doing good things. I read a couple books on rastafarianism and they never mention good deeds or great acts from this man. The only thing that made him sound good is what Marcus Garvey supposively said about a king coming.

I respect Rasta but I don't necessarily understand it

[natural philosophy]

im not to sure myself, but i think he is related to David in the Bible. i dont know how someone came to that conclusion???also, i don't think Garvey meant it literally when he said 'look to africa for a black king'. however, he was a big influence on uneducated poor jamaicans. when leonard howell started to preach his doctrine of black superiority, it took root like wildfire, because many jamaicans and other western blacks were looking for a way to raise themselves and their race up off the ground after feeling oppressed for so long by whites. especially the maroon groups in jamaica. when howell started talking about black superiority, obviously they had to have a black 'god' figure to revere and use as a masthead for the rasta social revolution. it should have ended when the selassie died, but human worship is a killer of the sensible, rational mind. especially when it is part of the culture one is raised in.

crystal: i respect rastafarIans also, and i can understand how human worship works on the mind. human worship is the biggest fault (in my opinion) in modern xtianity and rastafarI. However, the other parts of rasta i totally agree with... ital for the body, the concept of 'inity', 'livity', one love, the nazerite traditions, respect for an individual's wisdom over written doctrine, natural ways of life, the concept of babylon, all these things are the strength of the rastafarI practice to me.

[Leave Me Be]

Haha i respect that Dave, you could've tried to keep arguing but you didn't. Yeah about Rastafari, theres alot of different sects, so its really a big controversy imo. Keep on troddin.

[Puffis]

check again. when he designated land in ethiopia for the jamaicans to repatriate, many rastas came to his palace to worship him and he sent them away, telling them that he was no god. he then told them to convert to ethiopian orthodox christianity. even bob marley, at the time of his death, converted to EOC, denied rastafarIanism, and took the EOC name 'berhane selassie' (sp?). he was buried in an EOC ceremony.Actually Bob Marley was buried in Jamaica, and he was Rasta till the day he died, which is why he did not write a will, because that would forgoe his chance for everliving life, also it is why he did not get conventional treatment for his cancer, because it would conflict with Rasta teachings, Also I am a follower of the great and mighty JAH. (Also the land was not just for Jamaicans it was for all people of African descent)

[Crystalsatreehugger]

Actually Bob Marley was buried in Jamaica, and he was Rasta till the day he died, which is why he did not write a will, because that would forgoe his chance for everliving life, also it is why he did not get conventional treatment for his cancer, because it would conflict with Rasta teachings, Also I am a follower of the great and mighty JAH. (Also the land was not just for Jamaicans it was for all people of African descent)
I understand that Rasta's do not believe in death the way most do, but why would a will destroy (is that what you mean by forgoe?) his chances of everlasting life. Also, I believe Rasta's do not necessarily believe in life after death since they do not believe in death itself (which is why the 12 tribes of Isreal got so much gruff for going to his funeral)

This is all so confusing to me.

[ms.ferate]

selassie is dead. there's no reason for anyone to be a rasta anymorethat was a very ignorant statement in my opinon..
and i definatly take that to be very offensive..

[yumyum2k5]

There is alot of oppression of the rastaman, white or black.

An old rasta saying is that when you accept rasta, the people 'of' this world will forsake you.

People who love their possessions and babylons way of life more then their own souls. people dont die, they just leave this body behind.

I think of the human body like a nutshell, when it breaks open and is discarded the nut can grow into a tree which becomes part of a forest.

Sure selassie 'died' as conventional deaths are seen, but didnt jesus too? and if selassie was just a man then what was jesus?

you'll often see 'atheists' attacking other peoples religions and trying to denounce them, this is basically just reassuring themselves and giving them a sense of purpose and righteousness. when a man tries to become a god, him becomes a devil.

If people wanna follow a faith, learn all you can about it, if you still dont like it, let them live it the way they want, theres no reason to try and attack it.

one love people.

[Domdit]

anyway dave. i am not rastafari nor do i want to be. BUT. i am pretty sure in the rastafari faith u are supposed to give up all vanities for example cutting your hair. thatis why rastafarians have dread locks. so if they give up something like cutting their hair. why would they be on a computer. if anything the computer is a distraction from real life. therefore considered babylon. sorry if that is ignorant. like i said i know very little of the faith

[RastaforChrist]

Now brother, we need not to argue with the likes of him. We know what is right.

[RasLevi]

Arguments still come from others having differing ideas. What a pity.

[RastaforChrist]

Indeed it is

[natural philosophy]

praise ja