Rastafari- A Way Of Life – Pure And Simple – A Rejoinder

Emperor Haile Selassie I
Emperor Haile Selassie I Photo Courtesy: Getty Images
In an article written by James Annan and I quote:
“Initially, I was reluctant to write this article because of the reaction of some disgruntled Rastafarians, following my publication on Haile Selassie I titled, ‘The myth about Jah Rastafari’.
 However, I was encouraged by the overwhelming feedback from some readers who flooded my e-mail with messages. It is obvious that majority of those who read the article were pleased.
In summary, the objective of that article was to demystify the divinity of Haile Selassie. In fact, the Ethiopian emperor cautioned Rastas not to worship, but some still believe he was God-incarnate.
As a fan of Bob Marley and reggae, I have no ulterior motive against Rasta in any way. My aim was to educate the public on the concept of ‘Jah Rastafari’.
There is an adage that,” Telling someone the truth is a loving act”. It is often said that the truth hurts, but it is better to tell someone the truth and make them cry than to tell a lie and make them happy.
Undoubtedly, thousands of reggae lovers and Rastas around the globe will celebrate the 71st anniversary of ‘The Legend’.”
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The Rastafari Council would like to respond to some misleading article published in the daily graphic edition of Wednesday 10th February, 2016 by a certain Mr James Annan titled “Celebrating the legendary Bob Marley”. For clarity sake this is the Rastafari Council of Ghana responding to a misinformed writer and not  some disgruntled Rastafari.
First of all,as Rastafari we are a peace and loving,educated and ancient Christ like people and would not be derogatory with our words usage as it is unprofessional rather we would like to continue to teach Mr James Annan about this ancient but new way of life reflecting Christ consciousness in us all.   Unfortunately Mr Annan is mis-educating his followers or readers and we would like to correct some of the misguided information he shared in his article to his followers or readers.
The writer of the daily graphic article is on a very egoistical reactionary agenda to stop the influence of Rastafari by taking on this impossible task of trying to demystify Rastafari which stands for Truth,Equality,Justice and Righteousness(M’aat).Can one demystify the truth? Many have tried the same approach in the past and present and we still expect them in the future to demystify the divinity of Haile Selassie I and have all failed and will continue to fail.
We are very much aware of people or writers like Mr Annan who is ready to serve the cause of Africa’s enemy rather than stand up for Africa. We have Rastafari in all discipline,be it medicine,physics,media,law etc and are professional and responsible saints of the most High. The same already happened to Christ and today we are still waiting on his second coming when he said he is coming as a thief and has already revealed himself in the personality of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I .
For someone to write an article to say he is demystifying the truth sound illusional and should be disregarded as a whitewashed information promoting an agenda. A better read of the bible will help you understand the divinity of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I who wears the crown as the king of kings and lord of lords,conquering lion of the tribe of Judah,root of David and the Lamb of God,the earth rightful ruler and lets remember that 72 nations of the world were there to crown the king and bowed to HIM.
This book will guide and impact Mr Annan and his followers on the knowledge of Emperor Hale Selassie. Read, -“My life and Ethiopia’s progress(volume one 1892-1937-The autobiography of Emperor Haile Selassie I King of Kings and Lord of Lords)
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the Church that Haile Selassie I defends, One of His titles is Defender of the Faith and it is This Faith that he defends.The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest organized churches (If not the oldest) in the world and dates back to biblical times (Read Acts 8:27-39 to learn more).
We as Rastafari follow the teachings of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I who as Christ incarnate guides us. You may have many have followers because of new media which evolved in the later part of the 21st century and as the saying goeth people want to listen,read and watch lies or accept lies more than truth so we will not dispute that and would only want to draw your followers to the truth so they don’t get entrapped. When Yashua a.k.a Jesus was hauled before pilate did he agree that he was the king of the Jews when he was asked,NO and same thing Haile Selassie I did when he was asked.
In Reggae Routes: The Story of Jamaican Music, Kevin Chang and Wayne Chen note:
It’s often said, though no definite date is ever cited, that Haile Selassie himself denied his divinity. Former senator and Gleaner editor, Hector Wynter, tells of asking him, during his visit to Jamaica in 1966, when he was going to tell Rastafari he was not God. “Who am I to disturb their belief?” replied the emperor.
In 1948, Haile Selassie donated a piece of land at Shashamane, 250 km south of Addis Ababa, for the use of people of African descent from the West Indies. Numerous Rastafari families settled there and still live as a community to this day. This is the same love Yashua the Christ taught us all to show and he came back as haile Selassie I and remember that Yahweh already have a covenant with the lineage of David. Black people are suffering today because we have denied ourselves of who we are and what we are supposed to be,for fear of intimidation and rather prefer to accept foreign deities.
Bob Marley was one of Rastafari ambassadors who spread the message of our way of life through music,as then this is the only medium we have to express who we are. Mr James Annan is not a Rastafari,so how do you tell the way of life of a people when you are not one neither are you a scholar of Rastafari,how do you judge yourself as telling the truth?
On Bob Marley as a Rastafari, (the truth has to be told here too) he Refused Amputation of cancer because of our faith and way of life. It was in the month of July 1977, that Bob Marley was found to have malignant melanoma in a football (soccer) wound on his right big toe.  Bob Marley had refused amputation, citing his uncertainties on his ability to dance as he used to after the amputation. Furthermore, as a Rastafari Bob Marley held the Rastafarian belief that the body must be “whole”:
“Rasta na accept amputation. It don’t allow a man to be dismantled.”
He went on to disapprove the amputation which led to the spread of the cancer that later led to his demise physically.
Bob  Marley was baptised into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church where he was named Berhane Selassie(meaning the Light of the Holy Trinity in Amharic).
In Mr Jame’s article he never mentioned where he was baptized,why and who initiated it and that could make a reader think he was baptized into some kind of sect. Bob Marley was baptised in to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is one of the several Coptic Orthodox Churches that rejected the Council of Chalcedon and therefore is not in full Communion with the greater Eastern Orthodox Communion which includes the Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox and the several other Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions.
Marley developed a friendship with Ethiopian Orthodox Archbishop Abuna Yesehaq who had been sent from Africa by the Emperor Haile Selassie I after he found out that many in Jamaica were worshiping him as God incarnate(This belief is the center of Rastafarianism.)
Photo Courtesy: bernews.com
Photo Courtesy: bernews.com
Father Lloyd Malakot, currently the chief priest and administrator of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Jamaica, knew Archbishop Yesehaq well. He shared how the archbishop baptised Bob and many Rastafari over through the witness of his love and respect for them,this is the reason why Rastafari take their baptism in the Ethiopian Orthodox church. When police were arresting Rastafari in Jamaica and shaving their dreads before releasing them, he went to the commissioner of police and stopped the persecution.Archbishop Yesehaq was said to later be close friends with Bob who donated to his ministry, even giving him one of his houses in which the archbishop lived for years.
Bob’s baptism is marked by the heroic conviction with which he lived his life. He was baptized by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church because Haile Selassie commission the Ethiopian church as one to serve his ardent followers. Haile Selassie stood for universal spirituality hence he introduced Rastafari to the orthodox church so they can baptize there but not any other church
Bob Marley is a prophet,” Father Malakot was quoted saying. “Even myself as the chief of the Church in Jamaica, I saw he was a prophet in his own right. His music was inspired by God. It was an expression of his belief that the Lord was with him. And he inspired so many people to enter the Church. Many Rastafari today baptise in the Ethiopian orthodox church because it was set up by HIM.
The Rastafari Council of Ghana wish to make it clear that Rastafari is not a religion but a way of life and we live with the bible but do not worship the bible,this also do not mean we read the bible only but other books that uplift our spirituality. Knowledge they say spread across all disciplines.
Issued by the Rastafari Council of Ghana’: rastafaricouncilofghana@gmail.com

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