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Ancestors Roots History

1 - 1011 - 2021 - 29
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Messenger: Ark I Sent: 1/6/2015 11:08:28 PM
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When I started to Learn about RasTafarI I was taught about the importance of I and I Roots and Ancestors. Many people of European ancestry who walk towards RasTafarI disregard their History and Ancestors and only look to Caribbean, Israelite and Ethiopian Culture and History. I also Learn from Caribbean, Israelite, Ethiopian and various other people whether within or outside of Africa, but I made sure to Learn as much as I could about Serbian History, because that is the path of I Ancestors, and it is I own path throughout I Generations. RasTafarI didn't cause I to disregard I Ancestors, this Trod caused I to connect with them and Learn I Roots, much more than I did before I Learned about RasTafarI way.

Even though this is what I was taught, I never thought to ask some of I African RasTafarI Idren and Sistren why they were not Learning about their History and Ancestors. The reason I never thought to ask was that Israelite history was seen as their history. Some Idrens and Sistrens did put more focus on African history and culture, but many only looked to Israelite history, and some called other African religions Pagan. Some RasTafarI people in present times don't see Israelites as African. Whether or not Israelites were African, Africa is a large continent with many people and cultures, and the Israelites are just a small group of people in comparison. Which makes it more than likely that Africans who live in the Caribbean and the Americas come from various African ancestry.

Africans were taken from their people and over time it became harder and harder for many to trace their Ancestry and remember their History. The connection between their experience and parts of the story in the Bible made people relate to it as prophesy about their situation, because of the prophesy that says that the Israelites would be taken into slavery in the future because of their iniquity. That is a problem in itself, because Africans should never think that their enslavery was a punishment for their iniquity of the past. It is the evil of the slavedrivers that was the cause.

People didn't have access to all the information I and I have today, even in the 1990s when I started I Trod as RasTafarI, so it was harder to learn about African culture and history, but there were still other Africans in those times that did spread some information about African history and religion, but many RasTafarI people didn't want anything to do with that because the Bible was the only ancient history they looked to. The Bible is full of verses designed to scare people from joining or even exploring another religion or culture, so once people are indoctrinated by it especially after many generations, they are too scared of damnation to even question the bible, let alone learning or daring to partake in the customs of their Ancestors before Christianity came.

Years ago when people came here speaking against the Bible, it was just a matter of time until they started to speak against Haile Selassie I. But it seems that now with the help of Mutabaruka and others, more Ones are able to refuse the Bible without turning away from Haile Selassie I. Ones and Ones can Learn their History and Connect with their Ancestors, instead of only looking to the Bible, which for many people is the history of other people's Ancestors, not theirs. Some people who have refused the Bible have replaced Israelite history with Egyptian history without looking deep enough into other African History. While some are honoring their Ancestors by doing this, others are not, they are just trading the history of other people's Ancestors with the history of other people's Ancestors, while still disregarding the history of their own Ancestors. That is not to say that Learning about Egyptian ways is wrong. Egypt was a great civilization and there is much to Learn from them and use to forward the Heights of Ones and Ones, but for those who can find their own History and Ancestors, it is a must because it is their Life.

Even though Haile Selassie I recognized the good within the Bible and glories in it, He has shown through His Example and Words that He has the ability to look beyond the Bible and is not limited or controlled by it. Just one example of this is His Teachings on Tolerance.

Haile Selassie I says

No one is today so foolish as to believe that any one nation constitutes a perfect monolith of faith and ideology. Nor could anyone wish that there should be such utter vanity of thought and aspiration.



In the Bible, it presents it's ideology as the only way to salvation, it even talks of people who murder men, women and children because they say they worship"false gods". The general consensus within most Christian and Jewish (and other) religions is that there way is the perfect and right way and other religions are wrong, even between themselves. Haile Selassie I has taught I and I that this is utter vanity of thought and aspiration.

Even though I say these things, I still don't completely discard the Bible, I Sight the useful Teachings within the Bible, and discard the parts that don't fit with I Irits. Another scare tactic people use from the Bible is the quote in Revelations which talks about not adding or taking away from the book. The funny thing about this scare tactic is that it is inaccurate. That verse was referring to the book of Revelations, not the Bible as a whole. The Bible is a collection of many books, and the book of Revelations is a book on its own. Even so, I do not add or take away from Revelations or the Bible, I add and take away from Iself, and will continue to do so until all is acceptable within I Irits. Out of Respect for Haile Selassie I and also I Ancestors during the centuries of their Christianity, I attempt to not be disrespectful when I speak about the things I don't agree with in the Bible. Some may still see it as disrespectful and blasphemous to question or not accept any verse in the Bible, but I can't please them without doing a disservice to Iself and others. People need to stop being scared of the Bible and stop locking their minds because of this fear. I and I should accept the parts of the Bible that are acceptable and refuse the parts that are not instead of fearing damnation for questioning it.


Messenger: Black heart Sent: 1/7/2015 1:03:49 AM
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Giv thanks my Lord fe de powerful word sound. I wish all Black Idrens & Istrens could get de massage loud & clear. It realy is a disgrace fo an African in de trod to dis his own ancestors, Istory, heritage & embrace other people s' ancestors through blind following. Many Rastas ina mama land are so misinformed about de trod such dat dem think dem haffe migrate from current places dem a dwell ina Africa to Shasheman Ethopia. Some Idem even dis I & I African languages fo Amharic, English, Patwa


Messenger: GARVEYS AFRICA Sent: 1/7/2015 6:08:51 AM
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Very powerful

Now one Has to ask.....

Are you saying Israelite history isn't a part of African history or the history of Africans peoples? Not everyone choose to take the holistic approach like I to African history. But even if you prefer to single out certain cultures over others, Israel, Kemet, It is still a part of African culture.... Jus like the Bush Ras dem who are more into Obeah. So maybe that critique go a little too far for the demographic of the Maafa

Now when Africans are all into Indian practice, European practice..... MORESo than their understanding of their own identity.... then I agree 100. And vice versa

Bigup for acknowledging and connecting with your Serbian Roots. That is exactly what it's about. Somebody of European descent from a different thread mentioned Repatriation to Africa...... I was going to reason on this....... but this post from Ark-I does the job from a different angle. Give thanks

Haile


Messenger: VoodooRuutz Sent: 1/7/2015 6:40:48 AM
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D African MAAFA roots are far and wide but certain groups have a more centralized set of roots, but most ones can't jus go say dey people from yah or deh. Remember this was 400 years of people being shipped plAce to place and there are mong different places people were shipped from and most of these or not very known so people a try identify with what's more popular or what d slave/colonial master think is important.

I know a man in I area wha tell me say his great grandmother came from Africa and couldn't speak English but he don't know where in Africa. I love would to know I last ancestor born in Africa and which land but I try use what culture was left to identify what groups had an impact on I area.

I think it's a shame dat d bible got some one hating their ancestors, many in d west look east clean by West Africa whe their roots are to East Africa/Ethiopia, Kemet, Israel.
Then again when one look into West Africa, most a dem say dey migrated from those places in d East so...



Messenger: VoodooRuutz Sent: 1/7/2015 10:54:52 AM
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I sight I roots deh in W.Africa since learning of d cultures I sight similarities to I own upbringing from younger days but don't separate, just branches of the tree. Eating Ethioian seems foreign but not Gambian or Nigerian so some dem things make I kno say I roots deh.

Tho I don't fullup practice W.African spiritual culture I do accept some things
Knowing about W.African civilizations and culture give I an extra about I dat not deh before only if there was more ancient documents on migrations and origins but a blessing to I life Irit still tho

To know elders with names that are W.African towns and tribes, words of W.African origin food and superstitions rise I to a Ieghts.

I think Suriname and Jamaica Coromanti would have a better more direct connection with the roots tho,




Messenger: GARVEYS AFRICA Sent: 1/7/2015 3:17:50 PM
Reply

West and Central Africa we we're taken from. Some of who do still today identify as Israelites, as well as many, many other tribes and culture. I hear say one of my ancestors was known as de guinea. But there's two guinea in Africa..... Probably west

Hail up


Messenger: VoodooRuutz Sent: 1/7/2015 5:24:12 PM
Reply

All d way to Central East in Mozambique and even Madagascar!

True many Israelite deh, a large group in Cameroon

I wonder tho still were InI sayn dis in InI own language BEFORE bible man step deh


Messenger: Ark I Sent: 1/7/2015 10:39:17 PM
Reply

-------------
Are you saying Israelite history isn't a part of African history or the history of Africans peoples?
-------------

No, that is not what I am saying. I point is that it is not the history of most Africans, Israel was a small population, and Africa is filled with many different people, with a history from long before the Torah.



Messenger: GARVEYS AFRICA Sent: 1/8/2015 6:56:45 AM
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^^^ True VDR and true ark I. Garveys africa playing advocate for the Israelite bible reading one dem? lol what's this?.....

Hail HIM


Messenger: Ark I Sent: 1/13/2015 11:47:18 PM
Reply

Yes I Voodooruutz, both in the Caribbean and Americas, Africans have retained some of their old customs from the place they lived in Africa, even if they don't realize it is their old custom.

After looking into I Serbian roots, I found that some of the Orthodox Christian customs in Serbia were old Serbian customs from before Christianity, some being modified to be more Christianized.

I and I Ancestors are I and I. People today are so foolish trying to seek immortality for this present body, not realizing that every one of us up to this point have been immortal, otherwise we wouldn't exist today. I and I Life has continued since the beginning of our existence.

Here is a Reasoning I made before,

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Life

I see my life as the same as my father's and mother's life. I don't see my life as beginning when this flesh came out of I mother. I see I life as beginning when Jah created Life.

And I see that all of my ancestors since the beginning of time, have Itinued their life by fighting to survive and having children to Itinue their line.

So to I it is a shame when I hear people choosing not to have children, because of their lifestyle or any other reason. It is a great disrespect to all their foreparents who have Itinued this life for so very long. The only reason that we exist is because all of our foreparents Itinued Life.

Just think of how many centuries have past since I and I life began. So many centuries of struggling to Itinue this life. Then one selfish generation comes and only sees their life as born and dead, and give up what their foreparents fought so hard to keep.

If Jah strikes a man or woman so that they cannot have children, then this is Jah's doing. But if a man or woman chooses this, it is a great sin, and Jah will not turn his eyes away from this.
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