Rastafarianism
Haile Selassie I – Former emperor of Ethipia
Living close to and as a part of nature is seen as African. This African approach to "naturality" is seen in the dreadlocks, ganja, ital food, and in all aspects of Rasta life. They disdain the modern approach (or, as they see it, non-approach) to life for being unnatural and excessively objective and rejecting subjectivity. Rastas say that scientists try to discover how the world is by looking from the outside in, whereas the Rasta approach is to see life from the inside, looking out. The individual is given tremendous importance in Rastafari and every Rasta has to figure out the truth for himself.
They contrast their herb to liquor, which they feel makes people stupid, and is not a part of African culture.
Before Garvey there were two major events that led to Rastafari: The history of resistance and the forming of an afrocentric, Ethiopian worldview. In Jamaica they carried a tradition of, what musician Bob Marley referred to as, ’resisting against the system.’”
Rastas believe that their original African languages were stolen from them when they were taken into captivity as part of the slave trade, and that English is an imposed colonial language. Their remedy for this situation has been the creation of a modified vocabulary and dialect, reflecting their desire to take forward language and to confront the society they call Babylon.
Rastas have also changed some common words to reflect their beliefs. Some examples are:
• "I-tal" is derived from the word vital and is used to describe the diet of the movement which is taken mainly from Hebrew dietary laws.
• "Overstanding" replaces "understanding" to denote an enlightenment which places on ...