White Rastafarians?
By Nick Poole
When you think about the word “Rastafarian”, you probably imagine a Jamaican man with dark skin and dreadlocks… as a matter of fact, you probably think about Bob Marley. This wouldn’t be an inappropriate association, after-all, Bob Marley is probably the most internationally recognized practitioner of Rastafari. However, not all rastas these days are from Jamaica, and there is even a small but growing population of Caucasian practitioners. No, I’m not talking about teenaged skateboarders who smoke marijuana and listen to reggae music, I’m talking about real, deeply religious, white rastas. Now, depending on how much you know about Rastafari, you’re either wondering, “How does a White person join the Rasta faith?” or you’re wondering, “What’s the big deal?”. I think it may be wise to first address the latter.
Let’s start with a little history of the religion. Rastafari is a relatively new religion, which finds it’s beginnings in the early 1930s, surrounding the coronation of Haile Selassie I as the Emperor of Ethiopia. The word “Rastafari” actually comes from his pre-coronation name: Tafari Makonnen (“Ras” is an Ethiopian title, literally translated to “head”, but more precisely equated to “Duke”). Rastafari began when it was suggested that the coronation of Haile Selassie I as the Emperor of the only fully independent African State fulfilled Biblical prophecy. People of the Rastafari Faith believe that Haile Selassie I is God incarnate, and refer to him as HIM or His Imperial Majesty. The faith is deeply Afro centric, and maintains that Ethiopia is “Zion”. For a short period of time near it’s origin, the faith was not only afro centric, but Black supremacist. This notion of racism towards whites didn’t last very long, as Haile Selassie himself publicly condemned racism. Rastafari is also well known for the practice of smoking Ganja as the sacrament. Which drives many people to wonder, are white rastas real people of faith, or are they just in it for the marijuana?
Well, there’s no question that many people are attracted to the prospect of a religion where marijuana use is not only accepted but widely encouraged. However, A person can’t just dreadlock their hair, smoke ganja, and call themselves a Rasta. Rastafari is a real faith which is earning respect in the theological world as a religion that pulls a lot of weight. It was a beacon of Hope to the poor population of Jamaica in the 1930s and has continued to minister to the under-privileged today. It teaches solid values such as Positivity, Faith, Meditation, and “overstanding”, the Rasta word for understanding which was changed to have a more positive connotation. It warns against the potential danger of corrupt “Babylon” society, and has been instrumental in driving political change. It’s been just as influential in Jamaica as Christianity, and thanks to the Rasta influenced Reggae music of Bob Marley and other popular artists, it’s increasing in global influence.
Rastafari sounds like a fine faith, why is it so strange that a white person would want to be part of it? Bottom line is that it’s not. It may seem strange from the outside, seeing as the majority of Rastas are black. Many people would also argue that because it is an afro centric religion, white people have no place in it. Well, according to that logic, all Christians should be middle-eastern. The truth of the matter is that, in theory, even a White man could preach Afro centrism. While most white men weren’t physically “taken” from Africa, and forced into slavery, modern science fairly universally supports that all life started in Africa. Given the power of that statement, it isn’t hard to see how Africa found it’s place as the center of Rasta faith.
The question is though, In a faith which preaches the rejection of corrupt white culture, how are white patrons received? There seems to be conflict in the Rasta community. Many rastas are skeptical when they meet or hear of a white person who claims to be Rasta. They assume, naturally, that they came to Rasta through listening to reggae music, or worse, as a way of justifying their misuse of the sacrament. There also seems to be a fundamental distrust of white people, and historically for good reason. A true Rasta would say that all man is equal, and every body, white and black, came from Africa, so it is only natural that All people, regardless of race or color, turn to Rastafari for the “highest truth and overstanding”. However, the common sentiment among rastas is that whites cannot understand the “black struggle”, As they were never taken from their homeland and enslaved. But surely, anyone who really cares about the human race on the whole can appreciate the need to stop violent acts like this. After all, Rastafari itself teaches that all people are one with God, Or “Jah” as they say (Derived from jahweh of the old testament).
In modern Rastafari, especially more contemporary sects such as the Twelve Tribes, White rastas are welcomed. Anyone who believes that there needs to be a fundamental change in the way society treats the “down-pressed” and in the way man views and interacts with one another is encouraged to join the faith. Real rastas are peaceful people who overstand the need for equality in the world, and so they extend that principle even to the faith itself, All men are equal in Rastafari. Some Jamaican rastas are even excited to meet white rastas, as they bring a new point of view to the reasoning sessions, and also because they stand as a symbol of whites acknowledging the wrongs of their ancestors and rejecting “Babylon”.
All in all, white Rastafarians are out there, and they’re no less devoted to Rasta than the first Rastas of Jamaica. So next time you ask a white man his religion, and he tells you he is Rasta, don’t laugh, It may not be a joke.
http://www.jamaica-travel-vacation.com/white-rastafarians.html
canaanites are of the seed of ham skin color means nothing judge not by what seems to be judge but what IS. 3rd dimension is illusion…dont fall into the trap
The origin of the human race traces back to the Middle Awash region of I-THIOPIA. Science and revelation has revealed that now, time and again. It is because of hatred and greed of the ego that our world community has grown so segregated, based on trivial, Earth-based things like skin color, culture, ancestry, money, power, and in turn, poli-tricks. None of us are equal to or above JAH, only the Most High can judge. It is a false sense of self that leads us to believe we are entitled to do so.
What is in the past must be honored, remembered, and learned from. Tomorrow is a new day, and we can make the change- right here, within IanI. YOU hold the power to enlightenment- the light is within YOU; YOU hold the power to knowing I-self. Don’t let any other man, or wolf as it would be, fool you into thinking it is an entitlement. And don’t be fearful of any man; fear gives way to hate, which manifested ALL of this confusion we reasoning about here. Don’t fear God; whoever your God is, God loves you. Humble yourself before the Most High Giver of Life, Jah Rastafari, and feel love.
It seems with regard to whites adopting Rasta values there are two paths. One is to be against down-pression in a more general sense. This includes recognizing exploitation and oppression of any people. On the other hand, there is something about Rasta that is particular to blackness, and that should never be forgotten. Learning about black experiences provides not only the richness of contributions made by blacks that are left out of more official (white) narratives of society, but also provides a microcosm into seeing what the serious societal flaws are. I have learned from black experiences on many levels.
My question is why do so many “whites” hate Rastas? I suppose misconceptions about them propogated by television, the behavior of dreadlock-wearing individuals who have nothing to do with Rasta, or maybe their own ignorance and lack of concern for (or involvement in) downpression probably something to do with it.
My Fellow Rastas
HAILE SELASSIE, KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS, CONQUERING LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, ELECT OF GOD, HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, JAH!!! RASTAFARI!!!
Blessings and greetings, in the name of the Most High JAH!!! The first thing i will state, Is Jah is Love and Unity,Selassie preached Love and Unity which means Rasta has to be Love and Unity, It was the great king himself who said religion is division and mankind should be seeking world peace.he also said “until th day the colour of a mans skin is no more significant than his eyes” which means that the colour of a real rastas eyes is of the same importance as his skin, and how many of you judge rasta by the colour of his eyes? listen to the teachings of the King and see what he was saying with your third eye not the two you use everyday, ask JAH for guidance and wisdom and he will show you, the couler of a mans skin does not decide if his a rasta, its the contents of his heart. what a mans ancestors done is not the problem, its what he is looking to do about it, and how he corrects and teaches his seed. my grandad was a freemason , when i heard that i just bun a fire pon him, and strive further towards righteousness, i am a black rasta that lived in jamaica for 2 years and came back to england, selassi told me to spread the knowledge and the wise man will hear and i did, and i know two white rastaman who recognised the king, and you cant tell them their not rasta ca they follow selassies teachings more closley than most black man that claim to be rasta.
only Jah can Judge and he didnt just make black man, so every race can praise him, rastafari reached the highest heights, and if a man sees that and is inspired and aspires to reach higher, who are u to pull him down? rastaman uplift all the human race because everyones blood is red. I respect i white rasta more, because as hard as it seems for alot of black people due to mental enslavement, it is easier to see something great among your “own race” a white man has to overstand another mans race, which alot of people turn off to, a whiteman has to deal with the stereotypical critism, and the feeling of being an outcast to his nation, even when he gets his locks, everyone will judge him, but when a man overcomes that, and still has Jahs love, he is truly a Rastafari (RASTA Far High) do u expect a man to overstand rasta, feel the fire and the passion, but then say he cant be a rasta because he is white? anyone who says this was not a true rasta, but from you know and follow selassie you will always be a Rasta because thats who selassie came to fully enlighten, that is Jahs People. They might feel like the outcast of their nation and some of the extremist black Rasta nation, but in JAH’s nation he will fit in because JAH judges a man not by his race, but his words, deeds and actions.
I tell you
JAH is Love and SELASSIE is Unity
and I pray
JAH will Protect you and SELASSIE will Guide you
and if you pray
JAH will give you Wisdom and SELASSIE will give you Knowledge
RASTAFARI SPEAKS
SELAH!!!!!!!!
Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior, is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned, everywhere will be wars…..” – H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, so me say WAR to melody matt, and any other man that say white man can’t be rasta. Because you are holding one race superior and another inferior, I don’t care if u think our race is superior, I man will turn around and war my race to protect selassies race, to defend the Kings teachings. Yes, I will fight for he who u say is inferior, because this is what sellassie has taught me. I pay no attention to the outer appearance, just what is on the inside, and so what come out of a person. So one more time until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior, is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned, everywhere will be wars…..” So until u permanently discredit and abandon, that racist opinion, there will be no peace just war. And u can call me a “caggot traitor” cz I will defend a real white rasta, before I attack with your blindwords, but I’d like to think when the whiteman was saying they are superior to us, that there was whiteman, who defended that everyone be treated the same, equal rights and justice!!! Remember don’t turn into the same person u hate, don’t let that hate blind u from JAHs LOVE, its never ending, for all races and creeds.
JAH will give you Power, SELASSIE will give you strength
JAH will give you Good Speed, SELASSIE will give you Steady Footing
JAH will give you Respect, SELASSIE will give you Honour
RASTAFARI SPEAKS
SELAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and like melodymaat say we have tried this love for many moons and you birth defects have taken this love and jammed back down our throats. Go stick with your Scientology bull or your Jedi force religion. The rasta belong to us and was started from the oppression you birth defects put on us. now you want be a part of it…haha! we don’t need you corrupting rasta.
KP then let’s get it on.I overstand EVERY TING….White is not a race,no such people, now what you have is an imitation man & woman,imitating the MOORS ( we used to be called indigenous now we’re the blacks,colored,negro,these are words to describe people who have color),that is not PEOPLE OF COLOR, we are MOORS. Now we speak from experience TRICKERY and BRUTALITY. Next thing you know they will be the Rastas,it’s just kool for them to mat up their hair,and smoke the Herb.The great IMITATOR again, they want to be muslim,getting a head start on it before the African people all over the world wake up.Why would the DEVIL want to come into a thing only MOORS practice, jealously, to break it up, period. Then corrupt it with your wrong thinking.Now don’t get me wrong i do overstand that the majority of CAGOTS (mutant albinos) do have black blood o+ from slavery and are what was called mulattoes.But in your present state through intermingling with these people that are cursed with the disease of leprosy,their minds are bi-everything.Moors 12 DNA strains are re- attaching itself back to the creators plan for the melaninated people.Him that know it feel it.the magic word here is feel, not imitate what JAH feel. See Rasta is the creator,we don’t need no quotes from Selassie,we overstand the cause.FREEDOM from the oppressor who is you.Real rasta is to restore that which has been taken from the original man & wombman,for our children.We don’t need your help, nor ask for it, our men are able enough,once the female puts him back, like ISIS a whole man.Rasta know who the creator is on this earth,but because the whiteman’s got a god (dog) complex we got tricked into serving a man that never existed,and a white invisible one in heaven.But we all know that all things connected with the universe has to have carbon, the essence of all life to be real.WHITE IS THE ABSENCE OF ALL COLOR,not connected with the universe.Not connected to the original people,not even connected to the land,insomuch as the rape & the poisioning of our mother earth.Cagots can not live in peace with any other living creature on this planet,it is the nature of the BEAST.
Like in EGYPT,LIBYA,MORROCO,AND ALL OTHERS THAT DARE STAND UP FOR FREEDOM ALL AROUND THE WORLD MUCH RESPECT!!!! Much respect to my bloodren.So let them call themselves what they will, I&I will still be superior to the third eye blinded ones, who can only say I, cause trust me their other I is up in the sky with Jesus.Now I&I is inside and is one. Now OVERSTAND THAT ONE.When our people become brainwashed to that extent,ME SAY WAR…