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Rastafarianism
Description
Rastafarianism is a personal religion that places emphasis on individual dignity and a deep love of God. Rastafarianism began in Jamaica in the populist politics of Marcus Garvey’s 1920–1930s Back to Africa movement. Rastafarians worship the late Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, the “Lion of Judah,” under his pre-coronation name Ras (Prince) Tafari, considering him divine, the Messiah and the champion of the black race. Selassie’s claim of descendancy from King David and his coronation as emperor in 1930 gave the signal that Garvey’s prophecy that a black king would bring the day of deliverance had come true.
Members of the faith believe that black people will eventually be repatriated to their true home in Africa, which will be a heaven on Earth. They believe that the white race, or “Babylon,” is inferior and that its members will eventually become the slaves of Rastafarians.
Today, the theme of repatriation to Africa is less emphasized. Political militancy, in Jamaica particularly, is a more common aspect of the Rastafarian lifestyle.
Religious Elements
Scriptural and Doctrinal Sources
King James Version of the Bible Kebra Negast, the Book of Kings (not the King James Version of the Bible). The Holy Piby (sometimes called the Black Man’s Bible), compiled by Robert Athlyi Rogers of Anguilla from 1913 to 1917 and originally published in the ancient Hebrew language, Amharic, in 1924. It proclaims that God and all his prophets were black. Going Forth by Day and by Night, the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. No official doctrine. Rather, Rastafarians maintain a common belief system.
Sacraments
The Rastafarians’ use of marijuana, or ganja, is perhaps the most dominant force in the movement’s religious ideology, as well as the most controversial. Its use is grounded in the Bible, in Psalm 104:14. Ganja, also known as the holy herb, took on the role of a religious sacrament for the Rastafarians as the movement gathered speed in the 1930s and symbolized a protest against the oppressive “White Babylon,” or power structure, that had deemed its use illegal. The term ganja, a Hindi word, refers to a specially cultivated type of Indian hemp derived from female plants, in contrast to the Mexican–Spanish variety, marijuana. The flowering clusters from the tops of the plants are carefully cut off, producing a resin with special properties capable of producing altered states of consciousness when used in smoking mixtures.
Moral Code
Houses of Worship
Devotional Practices and Services
Rastafarianism is a personal religion. Devotional time is largely given to reading and contemplation of Scriptures. Contemplation may be accompanied by the use of ganja to aid in reflection on Jah, or God. For those who attend group devotions, including members of the House of Nyabinghi, services consist of singing of the Ethiopian national anthem; chants; reading of psalms; a “reasoning,” or delivery of words of enlightenment by an elder; drum playing; and the smoking of ganja. Services may last for several days.
Clergy, Organization and Government
There is no organized clergy. Respected elders lead by example, living according to the philosophy of Rastafari. Except for two highly organized sects, the Boboshanti and the Twelve Tribes of Israel, most Rastafarians do not belong to a formal organization. They refuse to surrender their freedom and autonomy by joining any organization. This value of freedom from outward constraint finds expression for the majority of Rastafarians in an organization referred to as the House of Nyabinghi.
Major Celebrations and Observances
The following festival days are based on the House of Nyabinghi traditions:
Ethiopian Christmas: 7 January. Groundation Day (commemorates the visit of Haile Selassie to Jamaica): 21 April. African Liberation Day: 25 May. Battle of Adowa (Ethiopian Independence): 11 June. Haile Selassie’s birthday: 23 July. Marcus Garvey’s birthday: 17 August. Ethiopian New Year: 11 September. Haile Selassie’s Coronation: 2 November.
Dress Requirements
Rastafarian women dress modestly. There is a taboo on wearing second-hand clothing, and when hospitalized, Rastafarians may be unwilling to wear hospital garments that have been worn by others. A disposable theatre gown may be preferred. Rastafarians let their hair grow naturally into dreadlocks, which symbolize the Rasta roots, in contrast to the straight, blond hair of the white man. Dreadlocks, in addition to portraying the Rastafarian heritage, are said to be supported in the Bible. Items of clothing in the preferred colours of red, black, green and yellow are commonly worn.
Dietary Requirements
All forms of pork and shellfish are forbidden. Some do not drink milk or coffee. Orthodox Rastafarians are vegetarians. The only proper food is I-tal food. I-tal is unique because it never touches chemicals or metal cans and is completely natural. The food may be cooked, but it is served in the plainest form possible, without salt, preservatives or condiments. Preference is given to raw foods. Drinking preferences rest with anything that is herbal, such as tea. Liquor, milk, coffee and soft drinks are viewed as unnatural.
Medical and Health Requirements
Contraception: Many Rastafarians do not support contraception. Blood transfusions: Rastafarians may be anxious about transfusions because of concerns about contamination of the body. Organ transplants: Transplants are not generally acceptable. Care of the dying: Among Rastafarians, visiting the sick is important. Visits are often made in groups. Family members may wish to pray at the bedside. Apart from this there are no rites or rituals before or after death. Special considerations: Rastafarians are unwilling to receive any treatment that will contaminate the body. They prefer alternative therapies, such as herbalism or acupuncture. However, those who seek the advice of doctors are likely to accept some conventional treatment.
Death and Burial
Routine last rites are appropriate. Burial is preferred, though Rastafarians usually do not attend funerals. Their belief is that the body is the home of the spirit. When the spirit has departed, the body serves no further purpose. A postmortem will be agreed to only if ordered by a coroner.
Other
Some believers consider legal marriage unnecessary, and thus extended families may be complex. Reggae, a distinctive Caribbean style of music made popular in Jamaica in the late 1960s and the 1970s by the late Bob Marley and others, is closely identified with the Rastafarian lifestyle and can take credit for the rapid growth of popularity of the religion in that period.
Sources of Additional Information
OMCSRC (Ontario Multifaith Council on Spiritual and Religious Care). 2000. Multifaith Information Manual (4th ed.). Toronto, ON: OMCSRC.
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=64343 — “Rastafarian,” Encyclopædia Britannica online [note: subscription needed].
http://www.swagga.com/rasta.htm — The Afrocentric Experience: Today in Black History! Rastafari.
http://www.omc.on.ca/ — official website of the Ontario Multifaith Council on Spiritual and Religious Care.
The Ontario Multifaith Council on Spiritual and Religious Care
789 Don Mills
Suite 608
Toronto, ON M3C 1T5
Phone: (416) 422-1490
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