Rastafarians

From Jamaica Wiki

Rastafari is the second most popular religion in Jamaica after Christianity. It has a great effect over the Jamaican culture and its people.

The Rastafari movement is a mixture of Christianity and Black Messianic Judaism. Some consider it to be a religious cult or a sect. However the followers of that movement, the Rastafarians do not consider themselves part of any religious group or part of a religion at all. That is why the Rastafari religion is in fact considered a movement.

The name Rastafari comes from Ras. It is the title given to Amharic Royalty in Ethiopia. Tafari is the pre-coronation name of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia (1898-1975). The new movement grew up from the social problems of the time of its origin - severe depression, racism and class discrimination during the 1930s. Marcus Garvey's "Back To Africa" movement is considered to be the 'father' of Rastafari.

Rastafarians use Revelations 5:5 and Ezekiel 28:25 as references when they need to prove the origin of their religion. The Emperor Haile Selassie has been seen as the messiah who will lead them to the Promised Land.

The main believes of Rastafarians are:

• God is a spirit; Emperor Haile Selassie I was the one who carried that spirit.
• Rastafarians think Jesus was black.
• According to Rastafarian believes the Ethiopian Solomonic Dynasty is a direct representation of King David.
• According to the Rastafari movement Rastafarians are the Lost Tribes of Israel. They were scattered by Babylon until the appearance of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I.
• According Rastafarians believes God will return them to Zion and Zion is in fact Ethiopia.
• Ethiopia is the Promised Land and that it is Heaven on Earth.
• Rastafarians are sure that The White Man took them away from the Promised Land (Ethiopia/Zion) as slaves to Babylon and a Babylonian system. Moreover they will refer to them as the pink people who were oppressed by the white people.

There are several great differences between Rastafari religion and the Christianity. Rastafarians believe that Jesus is the son of God while Christians believe he is the second person of the trinity. The Holy Spirit according to Rastafarians is the Emperor Haile Selassie while Christians believe it is the third person of the Holy Trinity. One of the main differences between Christian and Rasta believes is connected with the question what happens after death. Rastafari people believe that Ethiopia/Zion is Eden while Christians believe in the physical resurrection at the final judgment. Finally Rastafarians believe that salvation comes with the Emperor Haile Selassie if they follow the Rastafari way of live. Christians, on the other hand, believe that salvation is by God's grace as long as you believe in Jesus' resurrection.

The differences between Rastafarians and Jewish people are also very significant. The key person in Judaism is God and Abraham of the bible while this is His Imperial Majesty (HIM) Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. While the Judaism was found in the Middle East during 2000BC, Rastafari was found in Ethiopia during the 1930s.