Moomoocow2014

Rastafarian Movement Essay

    The Rastafarian Movement is a religion that started during the 1930’s in Jamaica. Rastafarian Movement is not it’s own religion. The black population of Jamaica started the Rastafarian Movement when they felt like the white population was taking over. Members of the Rastafarian Movement are sometimes know as Rastas. Rastas are known for having long dread locks, wearing red, green, and gold, and listening to Reggae music. To many believers in this religion it is not a religion it is a way of life. Rastafarians believe in simple way of life with praise to animals and nature. Rastas don’t believe in trying to convert people to their way of life. In the Rastafarian religion their in only one god called Jah.

    Rastas have a very natural diet. They do not eat any food with artificial flavors for preservatives. They also stray away from eating meat so all Rastafarians are vegetarians or vegans. They don’t eat meat because they don’t believe in hurting any living beings. Rastafarians also don’t eat any shell fish or pork. They believe that eating or touching meat is as if touching death. Rastas also do not believe in drinking alcohol because it is said to be bad for your health.

    Rastafarians dress in a very different way from street clothes. The main colors rastas wear are red, gold and black. They wear these colors because they are the colors on the Rastafarian flag. Rastas wear their hair in dreadlocks because they do not believe in cutting their hair. They also don’t believe in shaving so most men rastas have beards. Rastafarians don’t believe in cutting their hair because it is removing life from your body even though hair is dead cells.

    Rastas have many traditions and two ceremonies, the ceremonies are called Reasoning and grounding. The Reasoning ceremony is were the members of the Rastafarian Movement gather together to discuss religious issues. Grounding is a ceremony or Binghi is were the Rastas sing, dance feast and pray around a bonfire. Rasta smoke a special plant called Ganja or Cannbis during these ceremonies. The Rastafarians worship one god called Jah. Jah is thought to be the holy spirit of the holy trinity. The rastafrians go to a temple to worship jah. Rastas feel insulted when people called them Rastafarianisam because they don’t think of their way of live as a religion.

    The people of the Rastafarian Movement have different political views. For the first many years of the Rastafarian were not allowed to vote in the United States. One of the main political characters in the Rastafarian Movement is Haile Selassie. Haile Selassie is a man Ejersa Goro, Ethiopia. Halie Selassie was the emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He was born as an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian and during his life he became entranced with the beliefs of the Rastafarian Movement. Haile Selassie was one of the most well know Rastafarian worshipers know to history. He died when he was 43 in 1974.

    The Rastafarian Movement is about giving back to the planet and nature. Living in the  Rastafarian ways makes you let go of life’s worries and to enjoy life’s pleasures. It was very different for me to be looking at a religion with strong political view when I’m used to not having strong political views I made we want to understand politics so I can develop my own opinion.  The Rastafarian Movement is a very different religion I was glad a spent my four weeks of school I learned a lot and took knowledge away from this project.

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