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.
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