Not too long ago I learned alot about rastafari over the internet and I am very interested in the faith and lifestyle. However I am having trouble with gaining alot of faith in jah. I want to have faith but I just have not been able to feel the presence of jah and thus have not started living by the livity. I am a teenager in New York and I have never actually met a true rasta to talk to about the faith. I really want to believe and have faith in jah. I just need help trying to figure out where to start and how to gain more faith. Does anyone have any stories about their rastafari journey or how they became rastas? How did you learn about it and how did you strengthen your faith?
why do you want to believe and have faith in jah? i just don't quite understand why you'd want to believe in something that you haven't "felt the presence of." just curious. (do you only want to smoke weed?) you should listen to the band Rebel Fire (they are somewhat local, from ithaca) look them up on myspace if you have it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqdoDMKzuSM my only experience with rasta culture is music and having rasta colors on my bong
@Porkstock41 nahh haha I wouldnt want to be rasta just for smoking weed, I can do that anyways haha. Although whenever I do smoke I dont ever try to just "get stoned", I sortof meditate when I smoke, my mind focuses and I can think more clearly and deeply about things, it helps me figure out whats important to me and what things I should change in my life. But yeah as far as Rasta goes, I just find the lifestyle to be something that I would really like. I like the unity and equality in rasta and the ideas of being healthy and positive, staying organic and natural, spreading love and not hate. I feel kind of drawn to the wholesomeness and love for everything. and then I also have seen how much faith true rastas have in jah and I want faith like that, it just seems right, if that makes any sense haha. Like in reggae music the way rastas sing about their love for jah so powerfully and meaningfully, it makes me want love for jah. I just want to be able to grow in faith and feel jah.
don't bother wasting your time trying to force a belief in a god that is obviously not there for you. you can smoke blunts and eat organic foods and grow dreadlogs and be kind to people and listen to reggae music. im a damn atheist and i do all that bottom line is you won't be able to force it. you may as well force yourself to believe in Zeus
You ask for advice from True Rasta and get advice from atheist! Get out snake! I am not a true Rasta, but I know that TRUTH you are looking for. I was like you, smoking and listening to reggae. The music was very spiritual! I was raised Christian and I it clicked to me: the Rasta is smoking herb, he is Praying! He prays to the same God because there is only one! The Rasta man is my brother! This was very cool to me, so I decided that I would try to pray each time I smoke herb one day. Ok I smoke a lot, so I prayed a lot! I usually just thanked God for blessings (which I began to notice everywhere) but often asked him to reveal himself to me. I asked to be guided by him and to be a righteous man. someone gave me a Bible and I actually read it. I begin noticing things everyday that made me think "wow God really loves us look what he has given us! " and I realized my prayers being answered, God was revealing self to me and many of my old sins and vices were simply forgot and left behind. I grew up in so many ways... some people say that they don't believe in God they can't see, but I see my God everyday. I see him in the kindness of strangers, the beauty of nature, and tranquility of my mind. it is a gift from God that smoking cannabis can bring a man in touch with these things. believe me my brother the Lord is calling his children home, and many like us have heard his call. May he bless you and dwell in your heart and may his glory shine in your life. Peace
