Knowledge

[Kankakee]

I have been studying Rastafarianism lately and I mean no intrusion or harm. I have great respect for the Rasta movement and it's struggle. I want to learn  much more about Rasta on a religious base and I want to further expand what I already know. I want to come out and say that I am a white man. I do know of Howell's hatred for all white people and this concerns me. I know that many people think that as a white man I just expect to be "excepted" but I don't mean to. I ask for knowledge. I think that Rastafarianism, in whole, is a beautiful way. I do note that I would like to partake in this experience, for what i have come to know about Rasta, I believe to be the truth. Once again, I mean no intrusion, harm, or ridicule. My ancestor come from Quaker decent, so I have no family history involving the aid of the worldwide African depression, enslavement, bigotry, etc. I just clearly seek truth in the answer to one question; As in present day terms, do Rastas, in a whole, hate all white people? Thank you for taking time to read this and answer. It means a lot to me. I mean respect.

[Tyehimba]

My ancestor come from Quaker decent

You only have one ancestor?

[Kankakee]

No that was a mistake. I'm sorry.

[melaninmagic]

I think it is fairly safe to say that the true Rastafarian hates ALL White people who practice deceit upon those Non-White peoples as a means of distracting, confusing and misleading them away from their true liberation and self empowerment.

Kankakee... Who are your Ancesors?

[Oohway]

Kankakee...

clever

Either way, many Rastas will hate you because they think white men and woman cannot hold a sincere concern for the Pan-African movement. Even those here who have never experienced slavery will hold that as a standard to you, because of what your ancestors may or may not have done to.....their ancestors. Great system for hate, right? Regardless, there are many Rastafari who won't hate you IF you're serious about being Rastafari yourself. If its for ganj, then you'll be rejected. However it seems here you are more interested in the philosophy, which is good.

Those racist Rastafari do exist, and probably always will. Think of it as a testament of the power of hate to infect people's souls if they don't remain aware of it. If you want to be Rastafari, however, that is your decision and no one can tell you otherwise. Even then, only you can be aware of the sincerity of your beliefs and concerns, so don't make a decision like this lightly

[gman]

So there is someone here who *has* experienced the western chattel slavery that was abolished in 1888 in Brazil (last western hemisphere country to do so?) If so, I would like to meet that esteemed elder and hear directly from them about their experiences.
Kankakee might or might not be sincere in his or her question but your response is just so typical of the type of rubbish that comes out of the mouth of many white people involved in Rastafari (I did not say "all"). YO WHITE BOY OR GAL OR WHATEVER U BE... it ain't about "hate" based on what ancestors did to ancestors, it's about what is going on HERE and NOW just as much as what went on 100 years ago... it's about all the barefoot bruck-pocket malnourished Black people who are expected to cater for fat white tourists (including sexually) NOW... it's about all the land that was STOLEN from us that has not been returned... the hundreds of years of free labour that have not been compensated for... the so-called "debt" we supposedly owe (that Haiti, for example, spent the last 200 years paying back to France for daring to throw off the yoke of slavery)... It's about Oscar Grant and the god damned white pig who shot him in the back of the head while he was handcuffed... etc etc etc and on and on and on.... and Rastafari people don't have time or energy to waste on "HATE"... trust me, if there was any critical mass of Black people who really "HATED" white people YOU WOULD KNOW.... cos they would be KILLING you EVERY DAY. "Racist Rastafari"... gimme a flipping break. Bu'n out... not cos you happen to have pale skin (you can't help that, nor should you want to, there is nothing wrong with having any colour of skin) but because you're a damn idiot (you can help that and you should want to).
And re Kanakakee's original post: how do you know that Leonard Howell "hated" all white people? Cos a white anthropologist wrote that he did in an academic study? I have never heard the supposeded "six points" of Rastafari quoted in that study anywhere else, except in that study.

[Oohway]

So there is someone here who *has* experienced the western chattel slavery that was abolished in 1888 in Brazil (last western hemisphere country to do so?) If so, I would like to meet that esteemed elder and hear directly from them about their experiences.
Kankakee might or might not be sincere in his or her question but your response is just so typical of the type of rubbish that comes out of the mouth of many white people involved in Rastafari (I did not say "all"). YO WHITE BOY OR GAL OR WHATEVER U BE... it ain't about "hate" based on what ancestors did to ancestors, it's about what is going on HERE and NOW just as much as what went on 100 years ago... it's about all the barefoot bruck-pocket malnourished Black people who are expected to cater for fat white tourists (including sexually) NOW... it's about all the land that was STOLEN from us that has not been returned... the hundreds of years of free labour that have not been compensated for... the so-called "debt" we supposedly owe (that Haiti, for example, spent the last 200 years paying back to France for daring to throw off the yoke of slavery)... It's about Oscar Grant and the god damned white pig who shot him in the back of the head while he was handcuffed... etc etc etc and on and on and on.... and Rastafari people don't have time or energy to waste on "HATE"... trust me, if there was any critical mass of Black people who really "HATED" white people YOU WOULD KNOW.... cos they would be KILLING you EVERY DAY. "Racist Rastafari"... gimme a flipping break. Bu'n out... not cos you happen to have pale skin (you can't help that, nor should you want to, there is nothing wrong with having any colour of skin) but because you're a damn idiot (you can help that and you should want to).
And re Kanakakee's original post: how do you know that Leonard Howell "hated" all white people? Cos a white anthropologist wrote that he did in an academic study? I have never heard the supposeded "six points" of Rastafari quoted in that study anywhere else, except in that study.

Thank you for all the extra. I also understand the feelings you most likely have for me following the One Drop post. I'll admit now that it wasn't one of my proudest moments to be commenting on those things while I was not in a very clear position in my own life, I said things angrily and I'll take from it what I can, but I still disagree with you. There is a point I am trying to make regarding the nature of, lets call them "feelings" towards white people as it relates to Rastafari, and I'll do my best to present it better.

That(your post) is still what I'm talking about. These things are "going on HERE and NOW", and anybody who denies it is a fool. However, its not too presumptuous to say that many, and it doesn't even have to be Rastafari, any Homo Sapien making judgments (bare with me) of people on the basis of skin color (I.E. I've known lazy black people, therefore Al here is lazy before I actually know anything about his life. I've known Asians to be good at math, therefore I should find an Asian next time I need to find an angle).

Whats really  being encouraged or at least addressed is that all White men should be approached with a certain mentality, because White people traditionally do these evil things. Then we can get into the subject of White people who don't directly do evil things (Go to Africa and shoot people in head), but do them as a result of their Babylonian lifestyles and everything that entails (too many examples to give, but you know what I mean). I'm not saying these Babylonian ways are justified. Obviously, to the man or woman in Africa who is actually experiencing these tragedies as a result of White people, and whatever evil they are most likely committing, this mentality is perfectly reasonable as it serves a real purpose in their own lives. This is also not to say that they aren't experiencing real tragedy, because they most certainly are. However, when in a situation where that mentality toward White people isn't necessary for one's own survival (I.E. at a computer screen on an internet forum), we're in a position to look at how these things relate to the nature of ALL white people a bit more realistically.

I should point out that the mentality I'm speaking of isn't hate, but one of caution, and it exists for good reason in the people who can actually use it.

You said a lot, so I'll do my best to just address what you said, no presumptions.


"trust me, if there was any critical mass of Black people who really "HATED" white people YOU WOULD KNOW.... cos they would be KILLING you EVERY DAY"

Yeah, that's the nature of hate, not of Black People. You'll find that kind of behavior just about everywhere in the world at just about all times. I'll provide links if you wish, though it should be pretty apparent


""Racist Rastafari"... gimme a flipping break."

Sorry, but I won't

"not cos you happen to have pale skin (you can't help that, nor should you want to, there is nothing wrong with having any colour of skin) but because you're a damn idiot (you can help that and you should want to)."

I'll take from that what I can? I think at some point, I'd either have to be an actual idiot or not. I'll let you be the authority on that

"the hundreds of years of free labour that have not been compensated for"

Is this about reparations, or slavery? It was my understanding that slavery is an almost universal cultural evil practiced by many nations and peoples of many different creeds and colors throughout the history of civilization.

"it's about all the barefoot bruck-pocket malnourished Black people who are expected to cater for fat white tourists (including sexually)"

I'll just stop here, these things aren't exclusive to Africa, and the subject of the conversation is racism as it relates to Rastafari and White people.


At what point is it that these people are committing these acts of evil because of the paleness of their skin? You know just as well as I know that they don't become evil for this reason. That evil exists from a variety of other reasons, depending on the individual person and their culture. So at what point does white become the definition of evil? At what point does it become too difficult to distinguish the evil white man from the righteous white man? (I'm sure someone out there reading this has something to say about the concept of a righteous white man, I'm looking forward to it)

[gman]

Oohway, is wah you dey pon? "racist rastafari"... Rastafari people have practically bended over backwards to show we are not so-called "racist" to anyone, "pro-black not anti-anyone else" as the cliche goes, and it still ain't enough for you? What more you want - a picture of William "I ran a semi-slave colony in Sierra Leone after supposedly getting slavery abolished" Wilberforce on our walls alongside H.I.M. and Marcus?
More later, I ain't got time today...

[Oohway]

Oohway, is wah you dey pon? "racist rastafari"... Rastafari people have practically bended over backwards to show we are not so-called "racist" to anyone, "pro-black not anti-anyone else" as the cliche goes, and it still ain't enough for you? What more you want - a picture of William "I ran a semi-slave colony in Sierra Leone after supposedly getting slavery abolished" Wilberforce on our walls alongside H.I.M. and Marcus?
More later, I ain't got time today...

gman, don't worry about it because it looks like we still aren't even on the same page.

I said those racist Rastafari exist, not that all Rastas are racists. What was that famous quote about Absolutes?

and no, I'm still not even sure why you think I want those things.

Even then, isn't the idea that pro-black is an extension of pro-human, not the other way around?

and take your time, this is an internet argument, you and I both know the merits of what that means (I.E., not much)

[gman]

So what is your definition of "racist rastafari"? Any Rastafari person who says "white rasta" is an oxymoron? Any Rastafari person who sticks to what the Rastafari movemant was originally intended to be, i.e. primarily a this-worldly movement for justice for the dispossessed Black African people, not a religious rainbow coalition of quasi-Christians who just say "Haile Selassie" in place of "Jesus Christ"?
If that's your definition, then indeed there are some such (and praise JAH for that!)
But if you mean people who want to slaughter and/or enslave white people wholesale, I have never met not even one single Rasta who advocates that. And I've met some militant hardcore pro-Black Rasta people - there's many such in Guyana, at least by rhetoric. All of them, without exception, who I've personally met, take care to distinguish between talking about "the whiteman" as a generalisation, and condemning every white individual, which they do not do. Even if they did, it would be nowhere even close to the equivalent of white racism. 999,999 times out of a million, so-called "Black racism" towards whites is nothing but a REACTION to centuries of white racism towards blacks. And it is not and has never been an equal and opposite reaction - otherwise, like I said, y'all (assuming you are white) would be getting slaughtered every day.

[Ras Arshanapul]

Im sorry maybe it's just me don't know.  I will answer your question in a different way because after all Rastafari is a bout LOVE.  To my knowledge the principles of most Religions and Movements promote Love and Good Will FOR ALL. Wether individuals of these religions follow that is another story.  I dont care what anyone says I dont think that JAH the creator of ALL things and ALL peoples no matter what your color intended for us to look at ourselves as individual groups with no commonality.  To me the one commandment Honor/Love Thy Neighbor says it all.  Your neighbor nine times out of ten will not be your color,race,religion etc. but they are your neighbor.  So as an American Born BLACK man who is also in tune and a Rastafarian.....No I dont hate you No I have no right to tell you how to live your life. Lets all come together and promote LOVE because without it there is no Humanity......literally.  Love made your Mother and Father create you.  So in closing my European Black brother with your White skin Im here and Im not the only one.  Rastafari is truelly beutifull and there is nothing including racisim that can change that and it is for You and Me.  For the Father say question not how a man may worship for I AM Father to many nations.....Se'lah Sellassie I JAH Ras Tafar I!!! Bless'ed Love!!!