Rastafari: Religious Practices
Rastafari: Religious Practices
Rastafari: Religious Practices
Religious Practices
Religious Items
Requirements for Membership
Medical Prohibitions
Dietary Standards
Burial Rituals
Sacred Writings
Organizational Structure
History
Theology
■ H.I.M. Haile Selassie
■ “I and I” or “InI”
■ The Bible
■ The Devil
■ Repatriation
■ Role of Women
■ Dreadlocks
■ Crowns
■ Ganja
■ The Lost Tribes of Israel
■ Avatar
■ Major Groups Within Rastafarianism
■ Moral Code
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
There are no set, required personal or group practices for Rastifarians. How one
chooses to pray or worship is strictly between the individual Rasta and Jah.
Required Daily Observances. There are no required daily religious observances for
Rastifarians. Each person is encouraged to create and follow his/her own personal
spiritual path.
Required Weekly Observance. There may or may not be a set time to conduct
worship. Some consider Saturday a holy day to be used for celebration. Drums are used
in ceremonies. The Association of Rastafarian Theologians states that "we do utilize
incense and oils in our ceremonies." What remains unclear is the type of oil used, its
frequency, amount, and purpose.
Meetings open and close with a prayer that has been associated with the movement for
many years (The Rastafarians, p. 125):
“Princes shall come out of Egypt, Ethiopia shall stretch forth her hand unto God.
Oh thou God of Ethiopia, thou God of divine majesty, thy spirit come within our
hearts to dwell in the parts of righteousness. That the hungry be fed, the sick
nourished, the aged protected, and the infant cared for. Teach us to love and
loyalty as it is in Zion.
Deliver us from the hands of our enemy that we may prove faithful to the last day,
when our enemy has passed, and decayed in the depth of the sea or in the belly of
a beast. O give us a place in thy kingdom forever and ever. So we hail our God
Selassie I, Jehovah God, Ras Tafari, Almighty God, Ras Tafari, Great and terrible
God, Ras Tafari. Who sitteth in Zion and reigneth in the hearts of men, and
women, hear and bless us and sanctify us, and cause thy loving face to shine upon
us thy children that we may be saved. Selah.”
Required Occasional Services. The most important meeting for Rastifarians is the
"Nyabinghi," which involves members from many areas. This meeting is comparable to a
convention, general conference, or synod, and may last up to a week.
RELIGIOUS ITEMS
Personal Religious Items
■ Crowns.
■ Religious medallion, usually an ankh (an Egyptian symbol meaning life) and
chain.
Security note:
■ A crown is multi-colored (red, yellow, green threads running through a black cap).
■ A crown may not have a bill or peak and must be free of symbols.
■ Flag of Ethiopia.
■ Incense.
■ Picture of H.I.M. Haile Selassie.
■ Larger Ankh.
Searches. While Rastafarian inmates may place great value in the Bible, religious
medallions, crowns, and other religious items, these can be handled by other people.
Staff are expected to show the same respect for such items as for religious articles
belonging to all traditions. Religious articles are not to be mishandled, thrown, placed on
the floor, or brought into the bathroom and placed on the toilet or basin.
MEDICAL PROHIBITIONS
There are no restrictions on medical treatment. Cosmetic surgery is forbidden (cf. the
first of the statements of the moral code below). Blood transfusions, even the use of birth
control, are not permitted by some Rastafarians, as those practices are against nature
and the natural (I-tal) way of life.
Some Rastafarians may object to the TB screening by PPD (mantoux method) and
request an X-ray instead. The first point of the Moral Code states, “We strongly object to
sharp implements used in the desecration of the figure of Man; e.g., trimming and
shaving, tattooing of the skin, and cutting of the flesh.” All inmates, however, receive this
screening unless medically contraindicated. The antigen used in the skin test does not
contain pork or pork derivatives. HIV screening is also mandatory. These are public
health issues in which all inmates must participate.
DIETARY STANDARDS
Some Rastas eat I-tal foods. Ordinarily, the dietary needs for Rastifarians
can best be met by self-selection from the mainline, which includes the no-flesh option.
Meat may or may not be a part of the individual’s diet. Fish, however, is a staple of I-tal
foods as long as the fish is not more than 12 inches long. Scavengers of the earth or of
the sea, such as pigs, crabs, and lobsters, are forbidden. As a result, many Rastafarians
are vegetarians.
BURIAL RITUALS
SACRED WRITINGS
Holy Bible, King James Version.
Holy Bible, Jerusalem Bible – The importance of the Jerusalem Bible is in the fact that
God's name is spelled Jahweh, the closest approximation to JAH.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
HISTORY
In the early 1920's, Marcus Garvey, the founder of the “Back-to-Africa” movement and
the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), stated that people should “look to
Africa for the crowning of a black King, he shall be the Redeemer.” On November 2,
1930, the coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie, which means Power of the Holy Trinity,
as king of Ethiopia took place. In addition, Haile Selassie claimed the following titles,
“Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah,” “Elect of God,” and “King of Kings” of Ethiopia.
After the coronation and the apparent fulfillment of Marcus Garvey’s prophecy, the
Rastafarian movement officially began in 1930. Haile Selassie was born Tafari
Makonnen on July 23, 1892. He married the daughter of Emperor Menelik II and
became Ras (prince) Tafari, the name taken by his followers in Jamaica.
One of the early leaders was Leonard Howell, whose teachings helped develop the
theology of the movement and whose arrest in 1933 by the Jamaican government
helped develop the organizational structure as well. As a result of his arrest, no strong,
central leadership was encouraged or developed. After his release from prison he
founded the Pinnacle Commune in the hills above Kingston, where it is believed that the
use of ganja (marijuana) was adopted as a religious ritual.
Bob Marley, who popularized reggae, a mixture of soul music and Calypso, used his
music as a means to spread the teachings of Rastafarianism. Marley used reggae music
as a medium to speak out against oppression, exploitation, and racism. After his
conversion to Rastafarianism, Marley was considered to be one of its great prophets.
The largest growth of the movement has taken place since 1975, largely attributed to
Bob Marley and the worldwide acceptance of reggae as an avenue of Rastafarian self-
expression, which continues today. Marley died of cancer on May 11, 1981.
H.I.M. Haile Selassie was assassinated in a Communist coup on August 28, 1975. Many
Rastifarians believed that the story of his death was a fabrication by white society. Since
H.I.M. is Jah, he could not have died.
THEOLOGY
H.I.M. Haile Selassie. Emperor Haile Selassie is divine and traces his lineage directly
back to Menelik I, son of the Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia) and King Solomon of
Jerusalem. This makes him a direct descendant of the root of David – the same one that
produced Jesus Christ, who was one and the same with Selassie, but of an “earlier
dispensation.” Several passages from Scripture pointed to his coming, such as Psalm
87:3-4, Revelation 5:2-5, and Revelation 19:16. Upon his death in 1975, the divine
continues to live within each member. Life for the Rastafarian is not limited to the flesh.
The name of God is Jah, an abbreviated form of Jehovah (Psalm 68:4).
The Bible. Rastafarians accept the Bible, but with conditions. They prefer passages in
harmony with their specific doctrines and believe that much of the Bible has been
distorted in its translation. The Bible is further interpreted in an Afrocentric manner, a
divinely inspired perspective given by the creative powers of His Imperial Majesty.
Rastas believe that numerous Biblical texts support their teaching that God is black
(Jeremiah 8:21), for to them blackness is synonymous with holiness. Thus Haile
Selassie meets the requirement of the movement that he is both divine and black.
Furthermore, according to Psalm 87: 3 and 4, clear reference is made that God would
be born in Ethiopia. An allegorical interpretation of Biblical passages is preferred. A key
to understanding the Scriptures is to look for hidden meanings and directives in Biblical
passages.
The Devil. The God of the white person is a different God from that of the Rastafarians.
In reality, the God of the white race is the devil, because only the devil is the source of
“all evils that have come upon the world, the god of hate, blood, oppression and
war.” (Barrett, The Rastafarians, p. 108)
Role of Women. Rastafarian women are usually segregated from men. Their role in
Rasta belief is clearly limited and subservient to men’s. Deuteronomy 22:5 dictates
modest dress, while I Corinthians 11: 5 and 6 calls for covering women’s heads while in
public. They do not wear makeup or fragrances. Nor are they permitted to draw from the
chillum, the chalice used with ganja on journeys.
Rastafarians view their dreadlocks as their outward commitment to Jah and are able to
receive inspiration from Jah through their natural “receptors,” the dreads. Dreadlocks
express the Rasta’s commitment to live righteously and naturally.
Crowns. Tams or crowns may be worn to cover or contain the dreadlocks. In the
community, crowns may contain peaks or bills symbolizing the forward progression of
the Rastafarian individual, but in Bureau facilities peaks or bills are not authorized.
Generally, crowns contain red, yellow, and green, taken from the Garvey movement and
also the colors of the Ethiopian flag. Some may contain black as well.
■ Red symbolizes the church triumphant, the church of the Rastas. It can also
symbolize the blood that martyrs have shed in the history of the movement.
■ Yellow represents the wealth of the homeland, Ethiopia.
■ Green represents the beauty and vegetation of Ethiopia, the promised land.
■ Black is sometimes used to represent the African continent.
Ganja. The use of ganja by Rastafarians is one of the ways members are able to
develop insights into their beliefs that are not available by other means. Ganja is the
name given to a specifically cultivated type of Indian hemp (Cannabis sativa) derived
from female plants. As Barrett noted, “its use produces psycho-spiritual effects and has
socio-religious functions, especially for people under stress” (The Rastafarians, p. 129).
The use of ganja in their rituals is Biblically based, Rastifarians believe. Passages that
refer to descriptions of the “herb,” such as Genesis 1:12, Proverbs 15:17, and Psalm
104:14, justify its use. Primarily, ganja, or the “holy herb,” provides a new understanding
of self, the universe, and God. In worship, the prayer recited is:
The Lost Tribes of Israel. To the Rastafarian, Israel and Ethiopia are the same; the
names simply refer to a holy people. The Rastafarians, the true Israelites, have been
punished by Jah for their sins through slavery under whites and, when freed from
slavery, remained under the white structure of oppression. Hence they were exiled to
Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. Although Rastas already should have returned,
they were prevented by trickery of the government. One day all will return to Ethiopia.
Avatar. The Rastafarian belief in reincarnation is similar to that found in Hinduism. God
has revealed himself in various forms in history. Moses was the first Avatar or savior,
since he was actually God revealed in the form of man. Elijah was the second Avatar
and Jesus Christ was the third. Haile Selassie is the climax of God’s creation and the
final Avatar. No other self-revelation of God will appear.
■ Bobo Shante. Bobo Shante Rastafarians view their leader, Prince Emanuel
I, as the Christ who is now revealed. To them, His Imperial Majesty would be the
Father and Prince Emanuel the Son, using Trinitarian terminology. Bobo Shante
Rastas consider themselves to be Nazirites and wear dreadlocks. They generally
do not wear colors on their headdress, which looks like a stylized turban.
Moral Code. Sam Brown, one of the early Rastafarian leaders, wrote this 10-point moral
code (The Rastafarians, p. 126):