To be very truthful, many of our people who became Rastafari people, were originally members of the European religion, which was force upon our people by the slave masters, who deliberately tried to rid us, of every inch of African culture and heritage which they could. They who invented the slave trading practices against African people, were prominent in the European religion. They went to church on Sundays, they read their bible and consider themselves, to be good decent people, while having many shackled slaves on their plantations, who they whipped when they feel that it was necessary. Since we were considered to be merchandise propertywhich they own. They also forced their religion on us, and if we refused then we would be punished, like they did to Kunta Kinte. They boasted that it was a good thing that they had to kidnapped us, since it was helpful in Christainizing us as a race of people.

So when most of us were children, our parents had these European picture of Jes-us Christ in their houses, and were also members of the various European churches, they were the Roman Catholic, Metodist, Baptist, Church of God, Revival, Pocominia, the Salvation Army and all the various kinds of religions, which were based on the teachings of the Europeans, and there christian teachings. As children our parents would take us along with them to these churches on Sundays, and other days when ever there were some kind of church activities. My parents were members of the Salvation Army, and they would keep meetings on the street corners, and I can remember them singing this song, the Lion of Judah shall break every chain and give us a victory again and again, I was a very small boy then and was trying to play that big drum which they had at that time.

The point which I am trying to make here is that, people who became Rastafari people, had already been through the European's religious doctrines and churches, since their parents made sure that they were always going to church with them, since this was a family thing to do. But when Marcus Garvey and other advocates of African heritage and legacy, started to teach that there is an African way of life for us as a people, this became a very fertile ground for consciousness, but it became more so, when he spoke about the Great African King to be Crowned in Ethiopia. That is to say that since Rastafari people have already been through European Christianity and churches, it became quite amazing that the Ethiopian Arthodox church, which should be really in touch with the Idealogy and teachings of the Rastafari movement, were asking Rastafari people to cut their locks, and was also preaching the same doctrine of christianity, which they have already gone through, and were at that time, living as close to nature as they could.

Now dreadlocks is really given to all of us from we were in our mothers belly, for in her state of pregnancy, the child lives inside of her, and I am very positive that there is no comb, scissors or razers being used inside there, upon the head of this child, while he or she lives inside the mother to be. Every single person upon the face of this earth, was born as a dreadlock, until the nurse or some person, brush and comb this baby's hair. We get our dreadlocks from the same Creative source, from which we get the other members of our bodies, which includes our eyes, ears, mouth, fingers, toes, etc. Dreadlocks is a part of Mother Nature's glory, so therefore it is not in the way of brothers and sisters, becoming priest or holy people, are whatever skills or profession that a person needs to pursue. Dreadlocks is not a wig or a hat, it is a part of the human body and should be allowed to flourish, without the act of social discrimination, by any group of people, be it government are religious.
Again I send many oceans of blessings and self determination to African people everywhere.
ONE BLACK LOVE ONE BLACK HEART
Baba Ras Marcus