I have started reading the book Rastafari by Ennis Edmonds, and after two chapters in I still have no idea what Rastafari is about. I gathered that it orginated in Jamaica and that Haile Sellassie is the both the leader of the movement and possibly the second coming of christ, but other than that I don't anything about what they actually believe. The media has associated Rasta culture with smoking marijuana, and doing drugs.
I spent a little bit of time digging around the web to find out a little more. The Rastas believe that Haile Sellassie is a manifestation of god, and that they will be returned to the promised land of Ethiopa. Some still believe that Haile is still alive and his death was a hoax. Many Rastas believe that the white people are to blame for most everything and refers to them as Babylonians. The smoking of "ganja" is a means to cleanse the spirit and to heal the world.
There is still much I do not know or understand. I hope that the book on Rastafari moves away from long winded speeches on charisma and focuses on what the religion actually is. I want to understand the religion, not some dudes theory on how charismatic people and events change the world.
I also hope that through reading the book that I will know more about the Rastafari because the media has created this association between them and smoking pot but i feel that they should also show them as being religious.
ReplyDeleteI agree that that first two chapters were a bit slow but at the same time you have learned some new things. I never knew rastafari had anything to do with Ethiopia or who Haile Sellassie was until this book. And you have to admit knowing how the religion was formed and under what conditions are important things to consider.
ReplyDeleteTrue, I was just frustrated with the pace of the book, and the long spiel about charisma.
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