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To all those claiming a white man can't be Rasta

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Messenger: GARVEYS AFRICA Sent: 4/26/2015 10:24:34 PM
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African diaspora with African people as recognised by HIM

Nice try


Messenger: GARVEYS AFRICA Sent: 4/26/2015 10:30:52 PM
Reply

a black man is a African anywhere he deh


Messenger: Shasatabe Makonnen Sent: 4/26/2015 11:17:00 PM
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"Rastafari is a religion, it follows the bible and HIM as return of Yeshua. That being said, do some treat it philosophical? Yes. And I wouldn't say the Rasta culture is Ethiopian OR African, I'd argue it's Jamaican for the most part"

I just don't even know how to respond to this... sounds very mislead and confused. ole ting. I mean do you REALLY overs what you're saying here???

Blessings Idren


Messenger: Humble one Sent: 4/27/2015 2:32:07 AM
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Dear Reasoning time and Lemuel,

http://jah-rastafari.com/forum/message-view.asp?message_group=5914&start_row=1

Particularly the final bits, I suggest reading this through first before commenting further (perhaps the final 20 posts).

---------------------------------

I came to Rastafari, it seems in an approach very similar to you. I live a completely ital life, one which is very spiritual, have an understanding of spiritual awareness (to one extent or another), and my life's aim is to physically and spiritually move out of Babylon, and to help others to. I also site HIM as god, and seek union with jah in nature.

Now, at first when everybody was saying "do you really understand what rastafari is" to me, I THOUGHT that it was very ignorant of them, because they simply cannot know me at all. If they knew me, they would certainly know that I am NOT the typical white man.

For this reason, I felt very judged and still would defend myself or anyone who tries to lump me with "the white man", because I can tell you that I am NOT what your typical image of "the white man" is.

I led a spiritual life (and still do), and for me when they were saying "he doesn't understand" they were saying "he perhaps is like all the other white men they know", which I thought was very judgemental.

-------------------------------------------------

However, I came to find that the picture that Babylon paints of Rastafari, ie what you will have thought it is before coming to the forums, is actually very distorted itself.

ShivaJiva said to me a while ago seomthing along the lines of "Rastafari isn't so much a search for the primordial truth, but a black African redemptive culture"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastafari_movement

Even on Wikipedia; key "doctrines"; Afrocentrism. Key scriptures; Royal parchment of black supremacy. The section about Marcus Garvey, a key prophet, mentions his views as "black nationalist, Black separatist,

Even a section from the BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/rastafari/ataglance/glance.shtml

•The movement's greatest concerns are the repatriation of blacks to their homeland, Africa, and the reinstatement of blacks' position in society
•Rastafarians believe that blacks are the chosen people of God

-------------------------------------------

So, in conclusion, I think when lemuel said that it is not a black African culture, almost everywhere says otherwise.

I was confused, too, because I thought a man of any skin colour may LIVE in higher consciousness, may praise HIM as god, may eat completely Ital, and one such person is me (or at least I am on path to living in higher consciousness etc). So I felt very judged being lumped with "the white man".

And comments such as "you seem to forget how evil "that race" is" did not help at all, because it only fuelled the fact that I myself KNOW that InI am not evil, and actually work against Babylon. It did not get to the fact of the matter that Rastafari does seem to be a solely black African CULTURE, and I just had to accept that.

Just like, as much as I may completely disagree with it, I have to accept that Black supremacy is a part of Rastafari (it even names it as a KEY scripture on Wikipedia).

--------------------------------------

Now, in theory a white person can actively support black supremacy, black nationalism, make active steps towards reparations (to Africa). And I completely respect that.

But as someone compared it a while ago, it is like living exactly like a native American indian, you can actively help in all their pursuits, but you could never say "I am a native indian", simply because you were not born into the culture.

--------------------------------------

At least this seems to be what I have learned from these forums, and elsewhere.

I think we must admit that there is a big "rastafari" culture outside actual rastafari culture that, in most parts, focuses on Ital living, higher consciousness, Ganja.

But I have no choice but to accept what rastafari is.

All the best,

Joe



Messenger: reasoningtime Sent: 4/27/2015 5:10:24 PM
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thanks for your answers and thoughts on my comments! Excuse my insufficient english skills, please. although i regularly read english versions of books and articles and english was my achievement course in school it's hard for me to pay attention to my grammar and formulations all the time while trying to find the right arguments.

like i've mentioned before, rasta has influenced me consciously since my first days as a reggae fan (i think i was around 12 years old back then) and i keep on identifying more and more with rasta culture. although some more orthodox rastas may claim that even (main stream) reggae music (or at least the reggae and of course the dancehall BUSINESS) is part of the evil system i think that the sound itself works pretty well as a way to spread the rasta way of life. so what i've written before in this thread was my conclusion of all the different impressions i read about on different websites regarding white rastas and of all the things i've heard during my life regarding that topic.

as a newbie from germany without locks i didn't want to be the one who tells the whole story of the early days of rasta in jamaica and the african heritage of black people regarding lemuels post but i have to say that rasta isn't really an official "religion" although you're absolutely right that the whole thing has started in ja and that it's all about a special spiritual orientation and interpretations of the bible. so i have to conclude that there really aren't any delegates who decide which one is in or out of it and that there are many different aspects of rasta (and i really identify myself with their believs and their livity).

since we're both from europe i can imagine that there are some similarities regarding the way we came to rasta, humble one. i already noticed the other thread about caucasian rastas and i think i really followed the whole discussion in this discussions. again, my first post was all about my personal conclusions regarding the whole "white rastas" or even "white rasta allies" thing and i think i really share your opinion!
we were reminded that rasta was meant to be a black african redemptive movement but we're convinced that there is still a way to be a part of it for us. even if the repatriation thing might not be for us and we might never "real rastas" in the eyes of some black rasta people. i think the comparison regarding the native american fits perfectly in this case. but for me it's still possible to adopt rasta believes and their livity to be at least what i guess could be called a caucasian counterpart of a black rasta by those who think that there are no white rastas and honour this way of life. it's all about the dedication of our hearts to me.

i think questions like "do you really know what rasta is all about?!" wouldn't bother me. if those questions are coming from white (or even black) people near you who aren't used to "dreadlocks" they just might wonder what its all about because it's quite exotic to them.

if there are any other rastas or people who are more connected to the whole thing they might have their reasons to distrust a white rastaman. i'd try to show them that i have a clue of what i'm doing by acting right (and maybe let them talk if they insult me). maybe part of being a white rasta (complete with huge locks) is the fact that one has to face certain prejudices some black people or different looking people has to face all the time while living in a foreign country.

i'm afraid i'm really not able to say more about your personal negative experiences. labeling is wrong of course. if that's what they are all about it must be clear that one person doesn't represent his whole race (or "social class" or confession or anything like that) but it's up to us to do the right thing. if you are insulted you don't have to take it but in the end we have to stick to our impression of rasta and are always able to reason.







Messenger: Sister Sent: 5/9/2015 2:12:50 PM
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http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/caucasians-with-dreadlocks-demand-to-face-more-discrimination-2014050786295

Got to laugh..


Messenger: GARVEYS AFRICA Sent: 5/9/2015 3:01:08 PM
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^LOL
!
Say no more.


Messenger: Hemphill Sent: 5/9/2015 4:22:26 PM
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Yes, I agree.. That picture and description is quite ridiculous and laughable.. Manufactured locks and wondering why no dread is struck in the hearts of people... pure babylon..


Messenger: Hemphill Sent: 5/9/2015 4:43:56 PM
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Messenger: reasoningtime Sent: 5/9/2015 5:30:28 PM
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someone said white rastas will never fail to amaze him. ok, this is some good old bs i have to agree


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