ONE LOVE, ONE LIFE, ONE WORLD!Rasta man just lives and loves. Rasta livity is rooted in natural philosophy. That is why it is said that Rastafari is a natural one.That is to say that there is no one accepted way in Rastafari. As long as one is natural and pure in his conception and action…he is a Rasta man.Rastafari is a vibration one attains from deep and long meditations. In Rastafari one comes to discover the gentle footpaths of nature for oneself. It is a philosophy which arises from the conviction of your own soul based on reason and intuition.Rastafari is a rational methodology that is applied in the task of discovering eternal truths. It is a way to view life, rationalize events and react to the system. Although it emphasizes communal living, at the same time it is highly individualistic because each Ras and Empress must embark on this discovery journey for the truth alone.Despite the teachings and advice of all the elders and brethren around, the decision of each Rasta man or woman on what is right or wrong, is a highly personal thing. Because one cannot decieve himself eventhough he deceives others by seeking to comport with Othordoxy. A Rastaman or woman is not afraid of the truth as he or she knows and truly understands it! Thus the Rasta experience is a journey to the house of truth.When this journey is undertaken with sincerity, it is well possible that certain immutable truths of life may become obvious to one. Just like logic, geometry, astronomy, architecture, arts, music and mathematics are known to contain certain inexorable precepts that are constant and sacred in nature.“Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned, everywhere is war and until there are no longer first-class and second-class citizens of any nation, until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes. And until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race, there is war. And until that day, the dream of lasting peace, world citizenship, rule of international morality, will remain but a fleeting illusion to be pursued, but never attained... now everywhere is war.â€Rasta stands for universal love, a higher spiritual ideal that is not usually emphasized in the mainstream of Western society. To be a Rasta is to be a righteous person, continuously seeking to improve SELF. This process of self discovery is further clarified by the words of a St Lucian Rasta who said "The word Rasta as I understand it means purely, the power that lies within any man which enables him to do anything he wants... To be a Rasta therefore is to be conscious of that divine power, and to be developing one's power potential for achievement... Rasta becomes therefore a philosophy of life fulfillment".Rasta does not seek to conform to the norms of this society, which are steeped in racism, sexism, neo colonialism and injustice. The norm of this society is the relentless pursuit of carnal gratification and one doesn't have to look hard to see where all this alcohol, sacredless sex, and materialistic living is taking us. It is taking our people down a wide road of great karmic consequences. Salvation cannot be found in worldly material possessions, but rather by experiences of divine proportions.Rastafarianism is not a religion...Rastafarianisim is not a religion, it is a group of people who go under the the name of rastafari.Many people view Rastafarian as a none Christian faith. This is a myth!The name Rasta comes from a shorten version of Rastafarian being one of the names of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, who directs his people to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.His Majesty is the head of the Orthodox Church and on many occasions he has encouraged all God's people to keep the 10 commandments. These speeches are recorded and written down.As stated above the basic beliefs of a Rasta is to uphold the truth and defend good over evil, to do the will of God here on earth. These are the teachings of God.
Never stop trodding this righteous road to Zion, if you stumble along the way, InI is Idren and Jah will catch you when you fall. If you find yourself weary, look to Jah He will give you rest."Knowing that material and spiritual progress are essential to man, we must work ceaselessly for the attainment of both… No one should question the faith of others, for no human can judge the ways of God".Most Rasta people believe that HIM Haile Selassie is divine because he is the One who fullfiled the prophecy. Marcus Garvey said that a king should come in Ethiopia and HIM came.
Also it is written in the Revelations chapter 5 that The Lion of Juda, the son of David, shall open the seals. Him is the branch of David, because He belongs to Solomon's lineage. His legal title is "Lord of lords, King of kings, Elect of God, Conquering Lion of the tribe of Juda". The same title that the one written in the Bible.
But not all Rastas identify HIM with Jah. Some Rastas see Haile Selassie as Jah and Messiah, some see HIM as a devout man, living ikon of Christ.Rastafarians live by loving thy neighbor as you love yourself and to do unto others as you'd have them do unto you, irrespective of race color or creed.
I'd like to meet:
YOU MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!Many early Rastas for a time believed in black supremacy. Widespread advocacy of this doctrine was shortlived, however; at least partly because of Selassies explicit condemnation of racism in a speech before the United Nations. Most Rastas now espouse a belief that racial animosities must be set aside, with world peace and harmony being common themes. One of the three major modern sects, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, has specifically condemned all types of racism, and declared that the teachings of the Bible are the route to spiritual liberation for people of any racial or ethnic background.Rastafari deals with factual love and not emotional love. So stand firm and know yourself and what you want. Now there are no book or contextual manual to follower on relationship in Rastafari. There is no known spokesman who gives out rules and principles to follow. Therefore, you will have to be a strong woman to learn what is good for you and your relationship. Most Brethren like a strong woman who can be feminine at the same time. Therefore, much of what you do in your relationship with your or for your family will be up to your judgement call. However, do remember to use your intellect and make sense of living. As for the clothes that will be up to you and your Idren, no known Rastafari houses set those rules. In Rastafari rules are not set up to hold or chain but to liberate so it is up to you to decide the chain you want to place on yourself, but remember that our objective is to rid I self of Mental chains.
Music:
Reggae is a music genre developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s.The term reggae is sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, although the word specifically indicates a particular music style that originated after the development of ska and rocksteady. Reggae is based on a rhythm style characterized by regular chops on the off-beat, known as the skank. The tempo is generally slower than that found in ska and rocksteady. Reggae is often associated with the Rastafari movement, which influenced many prominent reggae musicians in the 1970s and 1980s. Reggae song lyrics deal with many subjects, including faith, love, relationships, poverty, injustice and other broad social issues.Robert "Bob" Nesta Marley OM (February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, guitarist, and activist. He is the most widely known performer of reggae music. A faithful Rastafari, Marley is regarded by many as a prophet of the religion.[1]Marley is best known for his reggae songs, which include the hits "I Shot the Sheriff", "No Woman, No Cry", "Three Little Birds", "Exodus", "Could You Be Loved", "Jammin", "Redemption Song", and "One Love".[2] His posthumous compilation album Legend (1984) is the best-selling reggae album ever, with sales of more than 12 million copies.
Movies:
Rastafarian faith originated in Jamaica and has its roots in Africa. But it doesn't mean that Rasta is only for black people. Rastafari is for all humanity, all people who accept it.
Rasta is goodness and love, how could it be reserved to only some people?
HIM Haile Selassie said that africans will fight "until the color of the skin has no more significance than the colors of the eyes". HIM said also that "until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned...there will be war". So racism has no place in Rastafarian faith.
All humanity, black, white, whatever colors come from Africa. So how could man divide something that Jah has not divided, that Jah made to His own image, with one unique blood?"YOU CAN'T CONSUME YOURSELF INTO EQUALITY; YOU CAN'T CONSUME YOURSELF INTO POWER. THOSE NATIONS THAT DEPEND UPON CONSUMPTION WILL SEE AS THEY CONSUME THE PRODUCTS OF OTHERS AND DO NOT PRODUCE THEMSELVES, THAT THEY WILL BE CONSUMED BY OTHERS."
"LAND IS NOT ENOUGH. WE NEED RESOURCES, EQUIPMENT, AND MATERIALS TO DEVELOP THE LAND AND BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO ENJOY THE LAND. A JOB IS NOT ENOUGH. SLAVERY WAS A JOB PROGRAM. WE MUST OWN OUR JOBS. WE ARE A PRODUCTIVE AND CONSUMING PEOPLE. IT (IF?) WE OWN THE MEANS OF PRODUCING WHAT WE CONSUME, WE WILL HAVE JOBS FOR LIFE. REPARATION MUST LIBERATE US FROM DEPENDING ON OTHERS FOR JOBS, EDUCATION AND MATERIAL, SPIRITUAL SOCIAL MOVEMENT"...
BUT FIRST STOP LIMITING OUR FREEDOMS. GIVE US AND OUR CHILDREN A RIGHT OF CHOICE. GIVE BACK OUR GOALS AND DREAMS WITHOUT OPPRESSING US WITH YOUR BELIEFS. LET US LIVE IN PEACE BY GIVING BACK FREEDOM TO ALL NATIONS. DO NOT POISON OUR MINDS WITH LIES THAT U TRY TO TELL US EVERY DAY. LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITHOUT THE LIMITATIONS AND DIFFERENCE. LET US PRAISE AND PRAY TO OUR GOD. LET US WEAR OUR CROWNS( DREAD LOCKS) WITH GLORY, WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT BEING JUDGE BY YOU...
Television:
I LET MY TV WATCH ME. IN LIFE THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAN LET OTHERS POISON MY MIND WITH THEIR OPINIONS AND THEIR REALITY. I AM A SIMPLE WOMAN WITH A DREAM OF BETTER TOMORROW, AND EVERY DAY I BUILD MY BRIDGE SO IT WILL ABLE TO CARRY ALL THE LOVE, FAITH AND PEACE TO PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD. TO WOMEN THAT I REPRESENT IN THOSE DIFFERENT CORNERS OF THE WORLD.-I LOVE YOU MY SISTERS, AND KEEP STRONG AS TRUE QUEENS YOU ALL ARE.Child Abuse Statistics in the USA* An estimated 906,000 children are victims of abuse & neglect every year. The rate of victimization is 12.3 children per 1,000 children
* Children ages 0-3 are the most likely to experience abuse. They are victimized at a rate of 16.4 per 1,000
* 1,500 children die every year from child abuse and neglect. That is just over 4 fatalities every day.
* 79% of the children killed are younger than 4.In the past four years, 400,000 people in Darfur, Sudan have been killed by their own government. Millions more need our help. Each day, government sponsored troops massacre civilians, rape girls, and shoot children for sport. But now, a growing number of activists around the world are demanding world leaders take action to end the killing.A free person is a person without hope, without 'should'. A free person simply is, in every moment, free. And a free person is the only kind of person who can be trusted, because he will never try to convince you to be or do anything which you can not, or choose not, to be or do.Freedom is narrowly defined by Classic Liberals and Neoliberals as the ability to act without restraint from the government, or more broadly defined as the ability to have access to particular resources from the government without constraint by Social Liberals and most variants of Socialism. Defined thusly, 'freedom' is a broad notion, not necessarily covering the same field as 'free will'.The protection of interpersonal freedom can be the object of a social and political investigation, while the metaphysical foundation of inner freedom is a philosophical and psychological question. Both forms of freedom come together in each individual as the internal and external values mesh together in a dynamic compromise and power struggle; the society fighting for power in defining the values of individuals and the individual fighting for societal acceptance and respect in establishing one's own values in it.
Books:
"Is that your child?" the lady asks-
it's not the first time, not the lastI'm not too sure what to say to these people
who look at my child as if she were evil.So I just smile and tell her "Yes,
she's blood of my blood
and flesh of my flesh.In case you're wondering, she is biracial-
and she's not cursed, she's very special.
She has TWO cultures, can't you see
and not just one like you and me.We'll teach her that true love is blind
and of one race--that is, mankind.
She's God's child first and then she's mine
Yes, she's my child, and she's one of a kind!"
LIVING AMERICAN DREAM IN THIS LAND OF PROMISES, WHERE VIOLENCE AND HATE BECAME OUR FIRST RULE AND SKILL OF SURVIVE. WHERE WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO HATE THE DIFFERENCE-ANOTHER PERSON'S CULTURE, RACE AND RELIGION. WHERE WE KEEP CREATING LIVES WITHOUT PROMISING THEM FUTURE. WHERE WE LEAVE THEM TO THE STREETS SO THEY CAN RECEIVE HER CRUEL LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE. WHERE THE MAIN CHARACTERS OF FAMILY ARE MISSING MEMBERS. WHERE MOTHERS SALE THEIR BODIES IN RETURN OF A FAVOR-TO GET HIGH. WHERE FATHERS PRESENCE EXIST THROUGH THE VISITS TO THE CORRECTIONAL CENTERS. WE ARE LIVING THEIR AMERICAN DREAM AS THEIR STATISTICS. ANOTHER LIFE HAS BEEN LOST. I WILL PROBABLY FIND YOU BEHIND PRISON WALLS OR IN THE CEMETERY HOLE, WHERE THEY WILL LAY YOUR YOUNG BODY AFTER STEALING YOUR SOUL. I WANT TO LIVE, YOU TRYING TO SURVIVE THE REALITY OF BEING ALIVE. I WANT TO SEE MY CHILDREN GROW UP. I WANT TO GIVE THEM LOVE AND TEACH THEM THE TRUTH OF RESPECTING LIFE. EVEN WHEN OUR CHILDREN ARE MURDER AND RAPE TO PROTECT THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE SIN. WE ARE STILL LIVING THEIR AMERICAN DREAM. IN GOD WE TRUST THEY WROTE ON DOLLAR BILLS. WHERE IS THEIR GOD WHEN THEY TOOK AWAY OUR FAITH AND OUR DREAMS.-written by ROOTS DAWTA
Heroes:
MY DADDY IS MY HERO AND MY EVERYTHING._________________________HE WAS THE KINDNESS AND LOVING MAN, AND I BEEN SO BLESSED AND BELOVED BY GOD THAT I HAVE HIM IN MY LIFE AS MY FATHER. HE WITH HELP OF GOD GUIDE ME AND RAISE ME TO BE THE WOMAN I AM TODAY. HE THOUGHT ME THAT LOVE, RESPECT AND FAITH ARE MY BIGGEST WEALTH IN LIFE. THAT GIVING AND HELPING OTHERS IS WHATS MAKES LIFE WORTH. HE THOUGHT ME HOW TO LOVE A STRANGER,NOT TO JUDGE AND NEVER LIMIT MY LOVE FOR OTHERS. HE SHOWED ME HOW TO FORGIVE, AND BUILD BRIDGES TO BETTER TOMORROW. HE TOLD ME LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT, AND TO NEVER TAKE NO FOR ANSWERS OR GIVE UP WHEN THE DOORS ARE CLOSE IN MY FACE. HE BELOVED ME SO MUCH, AND EVERY SINGLE DAY I KNEW THAT I AM SO BLESSED BY HIS LOVE.________________________________________MY LIFE IS HIS LIFE, AND EVERYDAY I WILL CARRY HIS LOVE WITH ME AND SHARE IT WITH OTHERS, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE WEREN'T SO LUCKY TO KNOW AND FEEL THAT UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. ____________________I MISS HIM SO MUCH, AND I CRY AT NIGHT, BECAUSE WHEN HE WAS HERE ON EARTH WITH ME-LIFE SEEM SO
SIMPLE. AND I PRAY AND ASK GOD TO KEEP HIM SAFE TO THE TIME OF MY RETURN TO GOD'S HOME. AND I KNOW THAT IN TIME I WILL HEAL, BECAUSE THE LOVE WE SHARE WILL OVERCOME ANYTHING. AND HE HELPED GOD CREATED A STRONG WOMAN, AND HE IS STILL WATCHING OVER ME.________________________I LOST MY FATHER TO CANCER ON JANUARY 24TH, 2007. AFTER FEW MONTHS OF PAIN, AND STAYS IN HOSPITAL, HE RETURNED TO HIS FATHERS HOUSE.
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was
walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the
sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he
noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one
belonging to him, and the other to the Lord. When
the last scene of his life flashed before him, he
looked back at the footprints in the sand. He
noticed that many times along the path of his life
there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed
that it happened at the very lowest and saddest
times in his life. This really bothered him and he
questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, You said that
once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all
the way. But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life, there is only one set
of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed
you most you would leave me." The Lord replied,
"My son, My precious child, I love you and I would
never leave you. During your times of trial and
suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it
was then that I Carried You."
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