What I know of Rasta Fari

May 8th, 2010 | By Reverend

There are many avenues to understand this consciousness.  I don’t claim to be a good representative to explain what this is from a universal prospective.  I have known some Rastas, and I have discovered some great information, sometimes just by accident.  But what a great vibe, I have been blessed by the music and the history of this cultural consciousness.

When i was a kid, and had the blues sometimes.  Listening to my Peter Tosh, or Jimmy Cliff CD would hit the spot.   I was 19 when I bought my first Peter Tosh Album, which was a tape at the time “Legalize It”, cut before I was born but still something that I could relate to very much, because by this time I had been arrested on my 3rd possession of marijuana charge.  I always had it with me, and i wasn’t going to let the no tolerance laws in Utah restrain me.  Im not claiming to be the smartest of criminals, just dedicated to my convictions and conscious of my role in the universe.
I spent time in jail, time as a homeless man, and time in much bondage.  FInding Christ, freed me in so many ways.

Peter Tosh sings a song ‘Nah Goa Jail” Not going to jail for ganja no more!  Love and blessing from that song!

This started my journey into learning of Rasta Fari.  Or as some would call him Haile Selassie I.

It really started with a familar historical person, Marcus Garvey, who many know of only by association with Bob Marley.

Bob Marley was very conscious of Marcus Garvey’s message and Bob considered him a prophet.

Marcus Garvey told his people to “Look to the east for a King”, which was linked to Halie Selassie I, which his name translated, means “Power of the Trinity”, as I understand it.  Halie Selassie I was not King at the time.

Halie Selassie I gave his people, many from Jamaica a homeland, by donating several thousand acres to immigrants of African descent from around the world.  He also visited Jamaica, and gave golden tokens to many Rastafarian elders.

Some 200,000 rastafarians were present for this visit, it was a big showing, according to the footage that you can find on YouTube about this!

I have read a little about Marcus Garvey here and there growing up.  But his movement is mostly left out of text books.  Its almost a hidden history.  But Marcus Garvey made great advancements in a black culture uprising.  He founded a multi-million dollar world shipping business by investing in the “Black Starline”, and despite fending off federal sabotages and inside conspiracies to take power, he did a damn fine job and secured multiple vessels for his fleet.

Marcus Garvey was eventually put in prison for selling a fake bond, which was only a mishap with the image of the ship used on the bond.  Overall it was a very harmless issue.  But he was put in prison, then exiled back to his homeland of Jamaica, where he died poor of old age.

Most rastafarian’s believe that God is African, and that Haile Selessei I is God in the flesh.

They do believe in the Bible, and interpret it in much the same way as anyone else, but there are some differences between what I see in the Bible and what many rasta’s see in the Bible.  The Haile Selessai I thing is an interesting topic though, and I am only partially informed on this issue.

But I did find something very unique, when I have been studying my Mormon heritage.  Mormons claim to have restored the priesthood of Aaron, and that is why their church is true and everyone else is dwelling in total apostasy.
But to have restored the priesthood of Aaron, they would have had to be of Aarons lineage, according to Numbers 3:1.

Mormons have not been identified as Aarons lineage.  But there has been a tribe found called “The Lemba” or “Lemba’ of Zimbabwe.  They appear to be completely African, but for thousands of years they have been practicing Jewish traditions.  As of late, they have matched certain Y chromozone DNA markers with ancient Jews that have been excavated from archeological digs.
They have even identified many members of one clan as being from the particular priestly lineage via DNA.

So in my soul searching from being formerly LDS (Mormon) I found this link to a true priesthood holding tribe. 
Which gave me a particular insight into the truthfulness of the Rasta consciousness.

Im particularly fond of Rasta, despite not agreeing with many rastafarians on some point doctrinal principles.

Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, and Jimmy Cliff helped ignite the journey I would find myself on later as a disciple of Christ.

But that is a story for another time.

Praise Jah!

Is legalization bad for our kids?

September 9th, 2009 | By Reverend

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To me, it seems like the strongest voices and the most well organized legalization groups are asking for “The legalization of marijuana for responsible adults”.. That is the common theme of the legalization movement.
NOT to legalize it for children, not to encourage teens to use, or children to use. It is to get it out of the hands of the black market for these reasons.

1. To stop arresting people for a victimless crime
2. To relieve the burden that prohibition put on our treasury, our tax payers, and our friends and family who get their life wreck based solely on prohibition. When someone gets a marijuana charge on their record, student loans, military, and many jobs are off-limits after getting such a charge. Even teens, like me when I was 19. Got busted for possessing a harmless plant (marijuana), and I got rejected for the military and many college benefits.
3. To get it out of the black market so cartels and drug dealers arent getting rich. Selling it in a legal market, destroys the black market, similar to prohibition in the 30′s. Ending prohibition, destroyed much of the mafia’s activities.
4. To get it out of the hands of children, by putting it into a similar environment as a liquor store. No ID, no buds, 18+ only.

More kids have access to marijuana an illegal drug, than they do to alcohol which is a legal drug, says a recent government survey. Why? Because a black market provides to children, and a legal market doesn’t.

This clip is from “HIGH The True Tale of American Marijuana”

http://www.truehigh.com/

And this is a childrens book that is spoken about on that video.  It is basically a way to talk to kids about marijuana, from a non-reefer madness approach.  The book is called “It’s Just a Plant” by Ricardo Cortes.    (see this video, to hear some of the book read)

That term “It’s Just a Plant” can also be found in the movie  “Humboldt County”.    That is a really good show!

So no, I don’t think that marijuana legalization is bad for kids.  I think it’s going to be much like alcohol legalization, and I truly believe it will be LESS available to children in a legal market for adults.

If you disagree, feel free to comment.