Rastafarianism
RastafarianismRastafarianism
Living in harmony with the environment and the laws of Nature is one of the
central ideas of Rastafarianism. To live in accordance with the Earth is to live in accordance with Jah; it is incorporated into the morality that is Rastafarian consciousness. The Rasta's reverence for nature is influenced by the traditional African religions which are still practiced in Jamaica and which have also influenced Christianity on the island tremendously.
Hinduism, too, has influenced many Rastafarian beliefs and practices. Through the Rastafarian's calculated rejection of Western cultural norms they have come to realize capitalism and the environmental destruction it has caused as Babylon, a place of destruction and greed. In order to escape this "Babylon system" a lifestyle has been employed that is focused on a correlation between man and nature. This lifestyle is an environmentally sound ideal that others around the World are only now beginning to strive for.
The African Tradition
In order to understand the Rastafarian idealism relating to the environment
we must first consider the traditions from which it came. In Jamaica, the survival of the African religious tradition can be felt throughout the island. Most clearly this religious tradition is demonstrated by Kumina groups. Kumina is generally accepted as being West African in origin; brought here by the Ashanti.
Kumina is based on the belief in a pantheon of gods, mostly non-human
spirits associated with natural forces, the worship of ancestors, a high superstitious quality, and the belief that sometimes human spirits return to the living in the form of duppies or ghosts (Bishton 104,1986.) Among the Ashanti is the belief that everything possesses a soul or sunsum, even non-living objects like rocks. Thus the religion of the slaves believed that, "the entire realm of nature has been endowed with personal life; and every tree or plant, every river or stone, becomes a source of energy or power
which may be used, abused, offended or destroyed (Morrish 17,1982.)"
Unlike in Haiti, where slaves were virtually forced to accept Catholicism by the French, the British found their slaves to be unworthy of their religion. One hundred and sixty-one years after the British took over the Jamaican House of Assembly passed an act to bring Christianity into the lives of the slaves. However, opposition to the act was so strong among the British planters that no clergyman would risk the support of his parish in order to carry out the task. In fact, it was missionaries from outside of Jamaica that
brought Christianity to the slaves. The Moravians, Methodists, and Baptists were the first to come. They were non-traditional denominations that had exuberant services that fit into the excitement of Kumina ceremonies. The new mixture has survived. Presently in Jamaica there are three sects of African-Christian religions: Pukumina, the Revival Cult, and Revival Zion.
In Jamaica, where 99 percent of the population is of African decent shamanism and the spirit World are very much a part of reality for many, especially in...
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