Peculiarities of Rastafarian Movement - Research Paper Example

?Idalia Bogaert Magic, Science and Religion October 20, RASTAFARI Rastafarian movement, also referred to as Rastafarianism, is a spiritual ideology that traces its roots in Africa though it’s much pronounced in Jamaica. It began in the 1930s and ever since has spread across the globe. As compared to other religions, Rastafarianism come into existent quite recently and its ideologies generally seem to address the issues affecting contemporary society. Nevertheless, whereas the movement is almost evident across the world either through adherents or music, very few people understand the historical, political, spiritual, ideological, and even entertainment angle of this group of people. In this regard, therefore, this research paper seeks to shed some light regarding this group of individuals. Introduction Who are the ‘Rastafari’? Are they some dreadlocked ‘ganja’ smokers to be feared and labelled as criminals? Or are they individuals who sing and dance to the reggae tunes? Based on a letter written to the editor and which featured in Caribbean newspapers in 1982, the author claimed that the ultimate ambition for the ‘Dread’, as they were popularly referred to, is to rip a man’s heart out and feed on his genitals. In Hollywood movies such as ‘Marked for Death’ and television programs, which includes ‘60 minutes’ Rastafarians have been depicted as combative dreadlocked gangsters characterized by red eyes from the smoke of Marijuana. Essentially, an image that one can get from popular opinion is that Rastas are dirty, low-life and drug dealers. They were dreaded in some places, for instance Dominica that they could be shot at first sight. Some of messages conveyed in their music clearly portray the loath that the society they lived in exhibited against them. For example, Bob Marley, the accredited father of reggae music, sings out that ‘he shot the sheriff for self-defense.’ Similarly, in his hit song ‘Redemption song’, he expresses his agitation in the manner that the prophets of Haile Selassie are murdered by the bullet of the gun. Nonetheless, an encounter and research on these individuals gives a totally different picture about them as discussed in the subsequent sections. Rastafarian first came into being in the 1930 in Jamaica and it’s perceived to represent some spiritual ideology. However, a significant proportion of its adherents argue that it is more of “a way of life” rather than a religion. The adherents hold Haile Selassie I, an emperor of Ethiopia who reigned between 1930 and 1974, as God the Father while others as Jesus. Those who subscribe to the teachings of Emperor Haile Selassie are referred to as Rastafari or simply Rastas. As such, Rastafarianism thus describes their way of life although some Rastas consider it as derogatory. This could be explained by their dislike and bias against “isms”, which is generally a part of typical Babylonian culture. The name Rastafari is believed to have been formed by a combination of two words, Ras and Tafari. Ras is s title given to a “head” or rather “leader”. This according to the translation of ras from Amharic, a local dialect group based in Ethiopia. On the other hand, Tafari is the first name of Tafari Makonnen, who is the famously known as Haile Sellasie I. The adoption of the new name followed his coronation. However, there is some discrepancy from Murell who argues out that Ras means Christ; while Rastafari refers to Haile Selassie, the founder of the movement (Murrell 4). Rastafarians claim that Haile Selassie is their Christ who died physically, but lives in their souls. The believers argue that Christ shall come back to save them from the world, and he shall take them to Ethiopia. The followers argue that Ethiopia is the land that Christ promised them, and they refer to it as Mount Zion. Doctrines Hardly will one interact with a Rastafarian without getting to hear the mention of the term “Jah”, which, as is mostly the case, a precursor to the utterance of Rastafari. Generally, this term has biblical origin and it believed to be the short form of Jahweh or Jehovah. As already said, most of the Rastafarian believe that Haile Selassie I, the now famous Jah Rastafari or simply Jah, is an incarnation of God the father or second advent of Jesus Christ. They respect and worship him as God’s chosen king of the earth. There is so much interconnection between their beliefs and those for Christians and Jewish religion. For instance, Rastafarians believe in existence of a singular God whom they refer to as Jah. Also, this Jah exists as a triune-God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Unlike Christians, they believe that Haile Selassie is their Jesus Christ. On the other hand, as Christians, they hold the view that Holy Spirit dwells in human beings. This explains the reasons why they commonly refer to themselves as “I and I”. This phrase “I and I” is used instead of “We” and implies that the Holy Spirit, who is one, dwells within all the adherents, thus making all of them virtually one and the same. The leaders of Rastafari came up with doctrines of the religion, which include despising the whites, reading the Bible, growing dreadlocks, and smoking cannabis. The followers of the religion interpret the Bible in an afro-centric way; because they believe that the white people altered the meaning of the readings in the text. Bob Marley, a reggae singer, is one of the followers of the movement. Tim argues that Bob’s songs contain the doctrines of Rastafarians (Hall 6). Hall believes that the movement is a way of life because it lacks organization like other religions. Something what noting about Rastafarians is that they do not have an established structures of their religion. For instance, they have not established sacred regions where they worship like other religions, for example, Christians build churches while Muslims construct temples. Some critics use this reasons to argue out that this is an indication that the movement is a culture rather than a belief. The belief that non-living things such as stones have souls is also another basis of Christian criticism of the movement. Despite the attacks from criticisms, Christians support the movement in believing in Christ, preserving the environment, and reading the Bible (Koepping 104). Christian leaders, however, despise the followers of the religion for interpreting the Bible in an unacceptable manner. According to Barnett, the followers of the movement include the twelve tribes of Israel, Nyabhingi order, and Ethiopian Congress (Barnett 68). The author argues that members of the three groups have different principles, although their origin is similar. Members of the movement who belong to the Israel tribes have twelve doctrines. The major principle of this group is that one has to read the bible every day and finish all the chapters in three and a half years. The Ethiopian followers believe that Marcus Garvey is their Christ while Haile Selassie is the king. Members wear turbans on their heads. The Nyabhingi believe in feeding on vegetables only as a way of honoring their faith (Barnett 102). About Haile Selassie I He lived between 1892 and 1972 and ruled as Ethiopian Emperor for the duration 1930-1974. Rastafarians hold the belief that he is the chosen King who will ultimately lead the righteous adherents to the perfect world referred to as Zion. This place should be the Paradise for the Rastafarians. According to adherents, Zion is the futuristic New Jerusalem which will be the dwelling place of Jah Rastafari. According to interpretation of King James Bible version of Zephaniah 3:10, Rastas believe that they will bring offering to this king who is dwelling in Ethiopia. Upon his death in 1975, various topics and debates have been brought forth in order to justify his role as their Messiah. For instance, some Rastas regard this as the fruition of prophesy of establishment of “Temporary Messianic Kingdom” recorded in some of the apocalyptic books. On the other hand, there are those who view the allege death of Emperor Haile Selassie as a hoax. Others have also asserted that he entered the monastery and is currently referred to by some as Abba keddus, which is an Amharic interpretation of Holy Father. They further believe that at some moment in time the Emperor will come back to liberate his adherents and bring to an end all evil, hence bringing restoration to his creation. Presumably, the famous reggae Musician some up this view in his hit song “Jah Live”. The song means the God cannot die. A significant number of these adherents have claimed to have met Haile Selassie following his allege death. They also affirm that his current name is Abba Keddus. Marcus Mosiah Garvey Rastafarians regard him as their prophet and his ideologies were critical in influencing and shaping the philosophy of the movement. In addition, some of the Rastas view him as the second John the Baptist of the Bible who predicted the coming of the Messiah. A famous prophesy attributed to him is the pronouncement of the coronation of Haile Selassie that was made in 1927. He is quoted as having urged the Rastafarians to look to the Far East Africa as there is the place where a black King shall finally be crowned. Marcus was a firm believer of Black Nationalism and Pan Africanism. This belief urged all black people to join together and work towards decolonization of Africa continent which was then under the colonial masters. Even though Garvey’s ideas have hugely shaped Rastafarianism, he ironically never associated himself much with the movement. In fact, he was critical of Haile Selassie for running away from Ethiopia at the time Italian Fascist occupied it. Leonard Percival Howell He is regarded as the First Rasta. During the colonial era, Howell became a thorn in the flesh of the British government, which was by then the colonial masters of Jamaica. He was accused of inciting people to protests against the King of the Great Britain. Essentially, the then government could not tolerate a person who showed allegiance to Haile Selassie. In spite of this order, Howell continued with his anti-British sentiments long even after his first release from jail. Later on he started a settlement referred to as Pinnacle that attracted over 4000 people. Once again reports emerged that Rastas were inciting communities around to boycott payment of taxes. Further raids on Pinnacle took place by the colonial forces and eventually destroyed. Leonard Howell was among the first leaders of the religion, and despite the struggle to lead the Rastafarians in Jamaica, his leadership failed. Lack of education and poverty are the major reasons for failure of the leadership of Howell and Garvey (Dunkley 27) Rastas and Cannabis sativa Cannabis Sativa is the scientific name for bhang. However, it is commonly referred to as herb, weed, or ganja by the Jamaicans, who form the highest proportion of the Rastafarian community. According to them, smoking bhang is a spiritual act that in most cases happens simultaneously with Bible study. They regard the weed as a sacrament that purifies the body and mind, enhances the consciousness, promotes state of peacefulness, comforts the soul, increases pleasure, and also draws one closer to Jah. The weed is commonly burn and smoked whenever one desires some insight from God. However, whereas they view Cannabis in such high regard, the use of the plant has remained widely illegal across the globe including in Jamaica. This is in fact one of the single reasons that has generated a lot of controversy and arguments between Rastas and modern societies. There is a general belief amongst Rastafarians that the illegality of cannabis in most countries is an evidence of the persecution that they are facing. For them, they are not surprised as to why it has been illegalized. This is because it is a powerful herb that opens mind of the users to reality- a situation the Babylonian community is really trying to fight. Comparing Cannabis to alcohol and other drugs, Rastas have a feeling that Cannabis build the mind whereas the others, which ironically are legal, destroy the mind. Rastas and Dreadlocks Dreadlocks are closely associated with Rastafarians as a significant number of Rastas have them. In fact, there is a hairstyle, which resembles dreadlocks, which is referred to as “Rastas”. Their inclination towards dreadlocks is inspired by biblical versus such as Leviticus 21:5 where instructions are given that they shall not make baldness upon their heads. The length of a dreadlock is taken to imply the level of wisdom, knowledge, and maturity. In other words, it not only gives an indication of one’s age but also the period of which one has been a Rasta. Also, this dreadlocks are taken to represent the spiritual journey that one makes in the process of growing and locking the hair. It is believed that patience is the critical attribute in locking hair, a journey that encompasses one’s mind, soul and spirituality. This spiritual dimension is in congruence to the Rastafarian movement. The manner to develop typical dreadlocks is to allow hair to naturally grow, in absence of activities such as cutting or combing, but only by washing it with clean water for the sake of cleanliness. Rastafarians claim that the razor, the scissors, and the comb are the inventions of the Babylonians who are their persecutors. Nonetheless, whereas the dreadlocks have been linked to them, it is not a universally binding condition for all Rastafarians. Morgan Heritage, a Jamaican songwriter puts this into perspective. He sings out that “You don't need to have dread to be Rasta”. Rastafarian Symbols The Rastafarians have generally been linked to pieces of clothing, flag, caps, hoods and/badges that bear green, gold, red and sometimes black colors. The green, gold and red colors are the colors found in the Ethiopian flag. They signify the loyalty or regard that they bear towards Ethiopian state under the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie. Also, it this same colors that Marcus Garvey movement used to signify Africa. It is also believed that the red color represents the blood that was shed by the martyrs, green represents the beautiful Ethiopian vegetation, and gold signifies the wealth of Africa. Spread of Rastafarianism In the history of Jamaica, several forms of social unrests such as revolutions and riots have been witnessed. It all began with early resistances by escaped slaves to the constant riots in opposition to slavery. One may convincingly argue out that this nations has been a state of constant resistance. It is a combination of these efforts for social change that contributed immensely to the emergence and rapid growth of religion, or rather ‘way of life’ popularly referred to as Rastafarianism. In order to communicate their grievances and influence more people to join the bandwagon, reggae music was born as the most powerful channel through which their message could be conveyed. Reggae is a popular music that has undergone changes over the years but the message has largely remained unaltered. It classified as rhythms, dance hall, or roots depending on the nature of the beats. It is in fact this form of expression that largely ended up defining their beliefs, attitudes and ideologies of the Rastas. Much of the influence of in their ideologies traces their roots to the beliefs that were held by their leaders such as Marcus Garvey, Sam Brown, and Leonard Howell. The movement has managed to succeed as it was able to attract and gather people together in support of the indispensable social change that they were trying to affect. But the success was not on a silver platter. At the initial stages of formation of Rastafarian movement, there was spirited resistance from authorities. The resistance began in Jamaica when Garvey and Honnell were creating the movement. During this period, police brutalized members of the religion by cutting off their dreadlocks, and killing those who resisted western laws. Reggae music, which is associated with the faith, was also banned in Jamaica severally between 1970 and 1980 (Lacey 7). The government opposed Rastafari claiming that it was a cult, and that the practices of the followers such as growing dreadlocks were evil. Noteworthy, it is at the stage of influencing people to join their course of freedom that the Rastas were viewed as agitators who simply wanted to disrupt the peace that already exists. The government, through the police force, responded to their call of freedom, end of slavery, and call of fairness by arresting and even killing some of the driving personalities of the ideologies. All these killings were done in an effort of maintaining status quo. Unfortunately for the government, these killings simply served to strengthen the ideologies of Rastas and their call for emancipation from slavery. Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear among many others took the lead role of spreading the message of the Rastafarians. WORKS CITED Hall, Tim. “Rastafarianism: origins and beliefs.” The telegraph, 12 Apr 2007. Web. 18 Oct 2013. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1548384/Rastafarianism-Origins-and-beliefs.html) Murrell, Nathaniel. “Jamaica: The Rastafarian movement.” Global exchange, n.d 2011. Web. 18 Oct 2013. (http://www.globalexchange.org/country/jamaica/rasta) Barnett, Michael. "The Many Faces of Rasta: Doctrinal Diversity within the Rastafari Movement." Caribbean Quarterly 51.2 (2005): 67-112.print. Bonacci, Giulia. "The Ethiopian World Federation: A Pan-African Organisation among the Rastafari in Jamaica." Caribbean Quarterly 59.2 (2013): 73-143.print. Dunkley, Daive A. "Leonard P. 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