Can you be Christian AND...

[atticus]

Can you be Christian AND Rasta? Asian cultures accept that people can be "multi-religious"(?), that is one could be both Buddhist and Taoist.
There seems to be alot that Rastafarianism and Christianity have in common, but I am still learning about the Rasta way. Trying to sort it all out.... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[Fledgist]

Re: Can you be Christian AND...

Originally posted by atticus:
[qb]Can you be Christian AND Rasta? Asian cultures accept that people can be "multi-religious"(?), that is one could be both Buddhist and Taoist.
There seems to be alot that Rastafarianism and Christianity have in common, but I am still learning about the Rasta way. Trying to sort it all out.... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [/qb]

Shortly before his death, Bob Marley was baptised in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. He did not, as far as I can make out, cease to identify himself as a Rastafarian.

(There were consequences of this decision. One is that at the state funeral, the Roman Catholic archbishop sat on the platform as the guest of the Ethiopian Metropolitan of the Americas. As Archbishop Carter left the National Arena, I, standing four feet away, heard him say to his chaplain, Ken MockYen, 'At least he died a Christian.')

[dahjah]

Re: Can you be Christian AND...

YES.
Rasta believe in Christ, many a Ras is more christian den de christian. Dem jus nuh shove it een a yuh face.
One ting dem nuh believe in doe is babylon's portrayal of christ.

[atticus]

Re: Can you be Christian AND...

Wow! I did not know that about Bob Marley. Your story describes one probalem I have always had with the general Christian population...closed minded to the fact that everybody has a different mind [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] and that thinking different isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Regarding Rasta having a problem with Babylon portrayal of Christ...I can understand that, and believe similarly. Likewise, though, I have a problem with the status given to His Majesty.... I just don't know enough about H.I.M..

There are precepts of Rasta that I feel deeply and that seem to fit into my concept of Christianity well; guess I am really just struggling with that Christian thing about any other religion being wrong.......but I am getting over that. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[jedi]

Re: Can you be Christian AND...

YES.
Rasta believe in Christ, many a Ras is more christian den de christian. Dem jus nuh shove it
een a yuh face.
One ting dem nuh believe in doe is babylon's portrayal of christ.

Question for you sir? Don't all rastas believe that Haile Selassie is God? Or has that position been changed?

[Sunmist22]

Re: Can you be Christian AND...

I remember seeing a film clip of an interview with Robert Nesta and he said "God did not run no wire fence".... I took that to mean many things, religions are man made, faith is of God. Most assuredly you can be a Rasta and Christian and Muslim if you so desire. You can pull good from everything and discard the bad or impure from anything.

To the blessed, always, give thx...

Sunmist

[Sunmist22]

Re: Can you be Christian AND...

Haile Selassie was a descendant of King David, royalty, a black king in his own right. We are all the descendants of the most high, we are all of GOD - SELAH.........

To the blessed.....

Sunmist...

[jedi]

Re: Can you be Christian AND...

Ok Sunmist- Let me be more specific. Do Rastas or do they not worship Haile Selassie or has that changed.

[Sunmist22]

Re: Can you be Christian AND...

Blessed Atticus... Know that as you travel through the roads of this life, you will find many similarities in all good faiths, the Rasta man has much in common with the Muslim man when you compare what is proper to eat. the Rasta man has much in common with the Jewish man when you compare their devotion to their women...mothers, daughters, sisters and lovers alike. Christianity, knowing that your soul can be made clean with conviction of heart to desire the right life...hope and faith.

Never be or allow yourself to be confined to any one thing "religion" is for the confined. Faith is for the one who is free...

The only "religion" I don't get, and never will is Catholic, don't understand the constraints...
Do now that I am a saint though [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Sun

[Sunmist22]

Re: Can you be Christian AND...

Good question Jedi.... For all intents and purposes, I think it stands to be up to each Rasta individually. Same way with Jews who feel that Christ was crucified as the son of God.. And there are Jewish people who are Christians as well.

I know some Rastas who say Haile Selassie is H.I.M. come back, and others who would disagree.

Probably the more important question is, Haile Selassie said himself, to the people, he was not who they thought him to be. What was it that convinced them otherwise?

Sun

[jedi]

Re: Can you be Christian AND...

Er--umm ..........I guess you don't want to respond to the question.......ok later. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[jedi]

Re: Can you be Christian AND...

Reason I ask that is Sunmist, is this God said in His commandment "I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have no other gods besides me." So therefore one cannot say he is a Christian and at the same time worship some other god. Thats the only thing I wanted to clarify or understand with the current Rastafarian thinking, do they still worship Haile Selassie? Afterall whether or not he is a decendant of Judah doesn't make him entitled to be worship. The bible says there is only one name under heave by which a man may be saved and that is the name of Jesus. If you follow me.

[jaith]

Re: Can you be Christian AND...

Check out this site.

www.messiandread.dubroom.org

His "itations" are quite interesting & offer much insight on this topic.

I've been a born-again Christian for almost 7 years....and find myself being drawn to the Rasta position as I find myself increasingly at odds with the traditional "white" church.

[halfwaytree]

Re: Can you be Christian AND...

Jaith:

Web link is gone. Could this be the work of the Almighty? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[RollinCalf]

Re: Can you be Christian AND...

"..the Rasta man has much in common with the Jewish man when you compare their devotion to their women...mothers, daughters, sisters and lovers alike."

Sunmist, tell us about the status of women within the Rastafari movement.