Rasta Need to Burn Discrimination Between Us

[hailiniemperor]

Alright check this. I am tired of hearing Rasta say some stupid remark that only plants the seeds of seperation. Now I am a White Male who praise the King, and when people look at me and say in their heart "who does this white man think he is praising Selassie I" and it happened alot with my so called friends, Man the fire in I heart just Burn even greater, cuz I know not one Babylonian thought can penetrate. Now very few white people in the Rasta movement might step up and say something about this discrimination because their conscience has convinced them that it is a Black Movement. Rastafari aint black, Rastafari aint White, Rastafari Is REALITY! JAH didnt just create this world for the black man only, Jah create this world for every living creature therein. Now the First Man was Black, The First Woman was Black, and from that Union sprangforth whate we call Humanity. But that dont mean any person has more merit than another. Now it is true The White Man and I stress Man has done more to pollute this world than any other creature. But evil has existed since shortly after history began. And Slavery, and Murder, and Plundering have been around just as long. So to say that the White Man was the first Evil being is a diabolically incorrect statement in itself. Just as it is to say that the Black Man was the first Evil Being is a diabolically incorrect statement in itself. Now I am not necessarilly proud to be White. I was told by my Father that I have Native American Indian blood, and my Father lives a Native American Shamanistic Lifestyle and what the White people of this country did to the Indians is complete and utter Satanic practice to the utmost extent. Complete Genocide. There are hardly any Indians left in the U.S., I have only seen 2 that I can think off, and practically 99% of these people live on reservations that would make Southeast D.C. which aint but a few miles away from me, look like a playground. I am proud to be who I am and to be living the life I do and to be able to take this next breath, much less even typing this words. JAH RASTAFARI has given I life in Love, just as we need to share our life in Love with eath other and burn all wickedness whether in comes in the form of a Man or in the form of a Thought, with Word, Sound, and Power. Only Babylon uses Force with Mallicious intent, But thats not to say that a Rasta wont protect I-self no matter what the incident. The way I live my life aint dwelling in the past, Reality dwells in the present and the thoughts and actions we plant now determine the future. U plant positive seeds and nurture the root, Your going to get a Tree that Yields positive Fruit EVERY TIME. So man stop burning eathother with this division among ourselves cuz each one of us bleeds red, and without the blood we cant live. Eternal Blessings in Perennial Grace.

[Tyehimba]

The way I live my life aint dwelling in the past, Reality dwells in the present and the thoughts and actions we plant now determine the future.

Rhetoric about dwelling in the past is often an excuse  to ignore history and the lessons that have been learnt from it. Your post illustrates clearly why people need to be aware of their history. By studying their history, Whites can become aware of their own role in perpetuating white supremacy and stop with the nonsensical talk of 'there is evil eveywhere' and 'i never  enslaved anyone, it was my ancestors'. In this shallow attempt to enter the halls of Rasta without doing the necessary work on self and taking responisibility, people ignore the core issues and legitimate experiences of many.

Rastafari aint black, Rastafari aint White, Rastafari Is REALITY!

Your post is an embodyment of white male arrogance/ignorance that Rastas would do good to avoid.
Rastafari is a Black movement which seeks to overturn the injustices and psycholocal effects of centuries of colonialism.Whites, who by the very nature of the social structure have very limited experience of the worse that the system has to offer, should not bring their superior complexes into Rastafari, and try to define for Rastas that have legitimate experiences, what Rastafari is about. If Whites are serious, they would start by examining the nature of their own white priveleges and the complicity in holding up the system of false values.

It is easy to learn the fancy rhetoric, wear the red, gold and geen apparel, but in reality their is no subsitute for experience and a genuine desire to examine ourselves thoroughly.

No Colorless Rasta Movement: http://www.rastaspeaks.com/articles/18082003.html

Racism and Distortions: http://www.rastaspeaks.com/articles/2004/1301.html

The Moral Degradation of White Privilege: http://www.rastaspeaks.com/articles/06082003.html

[Tracey]

Typical to many young White Rasta who come blasting onto the scene spouting much empty rhetoric..comes the old but now very familiar chant to claim what they feel is rightfully theirs to claim..totally disregarding the history that gave rise to the movement in the first place by attempting to sidestep the nasty bits and jump to the parts of Rastafari that make them feel good about their own rebellion within the system.

True enough...there is much we Whites can learn from Rastafari...but ones must be mindful how they enter into its gates..

Many Whites feel they can just ease on in to Rastafari riding on the wave of pretentious 'one-love' rhetoric..feeling they have a "right" to claim "Jah Love" despite all the ill legacy within their history that gave rise to the movement in the first place. It is important to recognize how they might still, to this day, be contributing to the very system they so blindly refer to as "Babylon"..and to which they still feircly deny/defend having any part of.

There is a grand refusal to look at how culture and race plays a major part in the foundation of who we are and how we came to think. Though we are all of the same human tribe and share in many similar feelings and emotions and physiology...it is our experiences that differentiate how we come to interpret the world around us.  And here, we have much to learn from another about human conduct, character, and integrity on that premis alone.

By reconciling oneself to their own personal and collective history..one can begin to acknowledge who they are within the context of how the world came to be, through all that came before, and through what has contributed to what now stands in the present. Their is no sidestepping our history...it tells the story of who we are as distinct peoples. It tells how we came to be who we are by each sharing a piece of our authentic selves within the Whole of our divine humanity..for better or worse ..it is what it is.. and must be rightfully accounted for.

Without the proper reflection of history certain ones just don't..and will not get it. Crying "separation" serves only as a tactical means to difuse the situation by refusing to look at the reality of history with open eyes..and therefore, deny to accept any of the responsibility associated with its legacy.

Question is...whom is separating oneself from what??

It is of vital interest to speak from one's legitimate exprience..Only true fyah can hail from real authenticity...where it's breath can speak from a thunder. This is true WordSoundPower )))...anything less is arrogance.

In accepting one's rightful order of history can one truly claim their rightful order to their higher Self.

[IyahminHotep]

This is so tired, gues how Afrikans feel after generations of racism, discriminisation, decriminalisation etc. What you've experienced amongst Rasta in this life time is not even like a drop of water out of the oceans of pain we've felt and still feeling.

"Rastafari aint black, Rastafari aint White, Rastafari Is REALITY"

Ras- Tafari is a Afrikan man from Ethiopia and the reality is that those who are called by that name embrace their Afrikan heritage wich was robbed from them, get you're facts straight.

"The way I live my life aint dwelling in the past, Reality dwells in the present and the thoughts and actions we plant now determine the future"

T's impossible to be living in the past, time is irreversable. Ever constant, yet a tree without roots............is a dead tree.
This is exactly why we hold on to our past as it does determine our future, if we as Afrikans decide for once to have a future of our own, serving our own and not you or you're people, creating a healthy future for our own as according to Afrikan principles, without catering for you're needs. THAT IS OUR DEVINE CREATOR GIVIN RIGHT! As it was in the  past so shall it be in the future, we was without you in the past, you're people had you're own lives to live, so we will have it again. SELFDETERMINATION !  

Now you can go a ahead and call us reverse racist or whatever,

[hailiniemperor]

 Ok. Call me ignorant. Maybe I am ignorant to some things. I do try to educate myself as much as I can, and I take a non-partial attitude towards my education. I dont go to school. I research books and then read them and make my own decisions about them. My family does not have the money to send me to school nor do I want to go to school when I can educate myself the way that I see fit. As far as the history aspect. History in fact is most of my reading. Because it is correct that we all must have as much knowledge as we can about how we have gotten to were we are. And it is true we must have knowledge of our roots. Education of the past is essential yes. Our actions in the past have determined our present state. It is our actions in this present state that carry us into the future. Now pertaining to the statement about Rastafari is Reality. I believe I have struck a nerve, yet not out of malicious intent but strictly for reasoning purposes. Let me ask u something. Did Emperor Selassie I a black man only stand for Black people alone? Did JAH come for One type of Man? Did Jah create one type of Man? The answers to those questions will determine ignorance and arrogance. As far as the black experience, I can not know what it feels like to be black. Just as a black man can not know what it feels like to be white. But what we can do is share our feelings with eachother and try to progress to Oneness. Because it does not matter who you are, it does not matter how smart you think you are if you have not come to the Reality that we are absolutely ONE the YOU ARE IGNORANT and ARROGANT. Now because of the divisions that we have created, white people do benifit. There are some things that u can change like your attitude in dealing with that benifit and promoting equality as much as you can, and there are some things you can not do such as change your skin color. But because I was born who I am is not my fault and is not anyone else's fault because all life is a blessing. It does not matter what the color of a persons skin is, what matters is what actions and works they produce. Just like the actions of those first Portugese enslavers, and Just like those African Men that sold out there own people for their own benifit. I truly Smypathize for those people who had to endure that unscrupulous practice Truly I do. But what Alot of Rasta people try to do is make white people feel bad about themselves and point all the blame. And u wanna talk about colonization, colonization has existed for many years before Europe started to Colonize Africa. Now that does not give any justification to the practice. But What about the African Moors who Colonized Spain and King Roderick and the Visigoths in the 8th century all in the name of Allah. So you see Colonization and Conquest has been around ever since. That does not make it right. Peace is the only right and cooperation and freedom. Because JAH gave this earth to all things in creation. So yes I say One Love and if u wanna cast your opinions on me in maliciousness or whatever then thats your choice. But only when we truly Embrace this concept of One Love will Babylon Fall. I started this reasoning to try to break up the barriers that FALSE Brothers and Sisters try to put between us, Saying This people is that and That people is this. It doesnt matter who we are or where we come from or even what we have done in the past because there are none of us that can say we have lived righteous our entire life, But all are welcome to Repent to JAH RASTAFARI and thus with our works now progress into the future. But as for those people that sight up Rasta and then go and contribute to Babylon, JAH will slay you. Big up.

[Bantu_Kelani]

It is entirely literally kidding oneself, to think white people care enough about Black liberation to say and do anything about it. They tell us a bunch of litany to prevent us to know History for ourselves and stop blaming white people for teaching inaccuracies when we should not be so gullible as to swallow everything that they say as if it was law in the first place...Yes, White Rastafarians typical statements emanate from the bigots establishments of their Caucasian Brethren, whose aptitude is to rationalize denial! The fight now is to free our people from the negative effects of their brainwashing by any means necessary. Too much delusion is bad for the soul!!

Bantu Kelani.

[c-spot_rasta]

This is what makes me mad.

White rastas (myself included) keep on startin up these threads when this issue has been resolved (well not fixed but come to a point where most people agree on it at least on this forum, you know what I'm tryin to say) and then we start kickin it up again. And it is the exact same argument over and over agen. Whites accuse blacks of racism, blacks explain how hundreds of years of pain gives them the right to be the teachers and that whites better just shut up and listen ect.

But since it is the whites who keep on doin this it shows me one thing, They are ones who are not confident and they need to be told "Oh it's ok ur white u can be a rasta" rastas can be white but if u have to question urself something is wrong. Do you believe in HIM and fighting global oppression discrimination and babylon alltogether. Then u r rasta. But when it comes to being a rasta, the pain that we put blacks through automaticlly gives them a higher sense of knowledge of the roots of this movement, makin them the teachers. Now I CAN understand on a certain level their pain, my ancestors were opressed and had there culture taken away as well plus I also am very good at ( I think the word is ) empathy, putting urself in someone elses shoes, but when it comes down to havin to walk down the street everyday knowing that ppl are lookin at u funny or hating u cuz of the way u were born, then we can't relate to that. Like MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. said, let us welcome our white brothers and sisters who have crossed picket lines to be here, TRUE white rastas have crossed the picket lines.



I agree that this is an important issue but can we please stop regurgitating it every month, and all this serious talk is good but the reason I havn't posted for a while is cuz there's no real forums where people are being freindly to each other and it's more of a " happy place" where we can talk about more possitive issues or every day life, not all this politics and stuff.

[c-spot_rasta]

Ok readin that back to myself it's hard to understand, I just really suck at tryin to say what I'm thinkin so if u read something that makes no sense just qoute it and ill try and explain.

Yes Kelani in my heart I truly don't give a F***. Mabey I'm the only white person on the planet that that is bullsh*t to. But I actually care and do what I can but where I live there's not much to be done, when I get older and can move to a place where I can help more I will, 2 things in mind are going to Nigeria and studying all of the 374 ethnic groups, and bringing an ameture sports program to Haiti and makin it affordable to all Haitians. Just so the kids have something to do and stuff like that.

[hailiniemperor]

My whole purpose for posting this article was to do exactly what it says, Burn Discrimination. Whats sad to me is that had I not disclosed that I am white, people might be agreeing with me. Racism is disgusting. I came out and was not trying to condemn anyone but only stating some facts. And I recieve condemnation. U know but if U dont like someone and Judge based on the color of their skin, thats ur choice and ur problem.

[out_of_Zion]

I make no false pretense of being a white rasta.  I don't have a problem with those that do, because on the outside it looks very attractive.  I came here to try to gain a deeper insight of the theology of the movement rather than the history, but have more or less found that it is even more variant than I thought before, very individualized, and diverse.

But one thing that I have learned is all the talk of "Peace, Unity, and One Love" is COMPLETE BULLS**T.  There's no movement to embrace people of all races.  They jumped on you for calling Rastafari a colorless movement, and perhaps rightfully so; I don't know.  But I do know it is no longer a movement as Haile Selassie started based on the quotes of his I have read.  He stood for a unity between people and a deep sense of respect that many on this site refuse to show on the basis of race.  They flipped out when I said Yeshua was Arab.  I'm certainly not trying to go on an "Arab Power!" rant being that I myself am Eastern European, but not of Arabic blood.  But apparently if you challenge the idea that anyone in the Hebrew scriptures is anything other than black you are racist.  I made the point that the Christ I embrace (not worship) is a spirit and not a person, but that point seemed moot among a throng of race-obsessed people.

Further, a lot of definitions vary on matters.  The Babylon I protest and do not support is not the Imperialistic White Man's world (though that is a part of it, in essence).  The Babylon we people of Jehovah denounce is the world empire of FALSE RELIGION.  But I'm not going to start a theological spinoff in this thread b/c that has nothing to do with the topic.  I'm simply saying that some like myself will say they are not supporting Babylon, and they aren't - not their definition of Babylon.  

Anyway, haileemperor, just don't deceive yourself.  There's about as much "ONE LOVE" in Rasta as there is down here in the dirty south of the US.  We play basketball on playgrounds and get along fine from person to person together as black and whites, but on the whole, little to no progress has been made sociologically - where it counts most.

[iyah360]

Hailiniemporer:

Read this,
http://www.rastaspeaks.com/Rasta/whitesonracism.html

"Whites Should Reason on Racism
You said 'Rastas are about love and peace...', and I agree, so what do 'Love' and 'Peace' mean to you? Does Love mean we don't talk about difficult subjects? Does Love mean I don't look at all the goodies my white skin buys me at the expense of most of the brethren and sisters on this earth? Does Love mean I don't care about Justice? Does Love mean telling my black brethren 'Hey I personally didn't do anything to you so why can't you just get over it?' You see how disrespectful this is, denying another person's LIVED daily reality.

Among the congregation of Rastas is JUST where I and I can and must reason dynamically on race. People must KNOW the history before the new can reveal.

No Peace comes unaccompanied by Truth, and to know the truth ones must be willing to look at history and how it plays out in the HERE and NOW. I know you are not suggesting that racism is a thing of the past. This site is a rich source for many strands of crucial history.

You can't just silence a necessary conversation by holding up your hand and saying, 'Peace and Love'. If Peace and Love is what we want, we trod the Path, extremely difficult and yet in Truth effortless (now There's a paradox for you!) that allows for the manifestation of Peace and Love. First in ourselves, and then shared in relation with our brethren.

How big is JAH? That's exactly how big Love is. Most of what we humans call 'love' is about the mistaken idea that we are lacking and incomplete, and that we NEED something to deal with the pain of that. The reasoning on insecurity might be helpful here. Love is not a marketplace, where we get what we think we need from somebody we can trade something we have for it. Love is the flowing dynamic principal of life.

I don't wish to scold you here or discourage you from looking into what our black brethrens are expressing. I hope you will wish to join in the reasonings.

Those who feel uncomfortable coming here perhaps should look a little further and examine that discomfort: white privilege is a many-tentacled beast, and one of them is the assumption that we should be received with open arms wherever we go, unchallenged. Dipping in and out of whatever spiritual tradition suits our fancy. Well those who sight Rasta must develop the integrity to stand in the face of an ugly historical picture without shrinking back. Especially without shrinking back into platitudes of 'peace and unity' and 'One Love', without doing the work in the proper order to manifest One Love, to make New Heaven and New Earth a reality and not some childish fantasy based on feel-goodism.

There is much wisdom and blessing to be had here. It's when we can struggle with these issues with mutual respect and love for Truth that we can manifest the difficult radiance of LOVE!"

http://www.rastaspeaks.com/Rasta/blackinside.html

"Black on the Inside
by Rootsie

When I look back on my years of sighting up Rastafari, I see some uncomfortable truths.

My embrace of Rasta was a soul decision for true. I knew that as a white person I had no desire to be affiliated in any way with the system of white supremacy that holds my black sisters and brothers as less, and me, by virtue of my skin, as more.

But in retrospect I have to see how I brought my white privilege right into Rasta along with me.

I, like ones here, said, 'Well we all come from Africa so I am African too.' and 'I am a blackheart woman, black on the inside.'

Which is all well and good to say. But too many white 'Rastas' seem to believe that to say it makes it so automatically. This is a folly.

There is no doctrine one can adopt that automatically confers a 'get out of the bad-guy camp free card.' And that includes Rasta.

White people, even ones of conscience and good intentions, are constantly trying to find ways to make themselves feel better about the system of equality from which they benefit.

Putting on dreads and chanting Rastafari is one way many try.

To truly come into one's cosmic blackness requires a level of ruthless self-examination that few whites are really willing to engage, since it means gaining an extensive knowledge of history and rooting out one by one every assumption based on white privilege.

What we see here all the time is ones who come to tell us all that 'JAH has no colour', that 'Rasta means One Love', that race does not matter. And yet they say they are 'black on the inside'.

These same people are most often unwilling to listen and learn from blacks, to study history, or to engage in their own lives the struggle to dismantle this system, instead believing that to 'chant down Babylon' all one has to do is stop combing and take up some exterior trappings and assume a victim mentality in relatiion to the system, saying, 'see how they persecute me for my beliefs. for my ganja. Now I am one of the sufferahs too.'

This position has no integrity. White people have an 'elite' position on this planet, and each and every one of us benefits DIRECTLY from the system of white supremacy. How ridiculous it is for us to play victim.

Our road is a much tougher one than we would like, especially since we are born to believe that all good things are supposed to come easy to us.

Coming here to squabble with blacks about their 'right' to say they Rasta, instead of devoting their lives and their excess funds and excess leisure time to end this evil that pollutes the world. Whites who are aware have the absolute responsibility to educate other whites. And that means, unfortunately, being among other whites probably more than they would like, having embraced this black philosophy.

Rasta is not an exclusive club that insulates its members from the reality of the world as it is. Rasta is not ganja and dreadlocks and reggae shows and feelgood-ism. This is not how matter is redeemed through spirit.

Rasta is a call to a life of serious work. Our very privilege makes this a bitter pill for many. We don't like to work that hard.

White people in general have a tendency to grab things from any spiritual tradition that feels good to them. Accepting Rasta does not automatically guarantee enlightenment or endarkenment or anything else.

Too many 'white Rastas' see themselves as superior to other whites for having the good sense to reject racist and materialist ideologies. But that is simply false pride, and a continuation of the evil worldview that says ANYONE is superior. The whole point of this exercise we call life is to BE, not merely to REPRESENT. And out of that being, to DO."

[Africanprince]

This is an interesting topic

I've seen a lot of white rastas but I didn't realize how serious they were.

[hailiniemperor]

I havent been on this path for a long time, and I do not have a daily interaction with bredrin and sistrin which is something that does hurt me u know cuz I truly feel that InI Rasta are here to really spread truth and spread goodness and spread righteousness. I was raised to be very open minded to peoples beliefs. But the more I live and the more I learn the more that I come to a realization with myself that Rasta is the Reality and there is no other Reality but Rasta and until man start to recognize that well then were not going to achieve the Unity. To quote Midnite "If them reject Jah I stamp them destination unknown" u know but Rasta cant force there beliefs on to anyone. Now I still need to Meditate and Search more u know so I can establish that inna solidarity within myself. U know its like I got it, but I want more. Because until I start on this path I was caught up in what we could call illusion and sensual achievement. But it was only when I really started to recognize Rasta and bless myself and enter into covenant, that I really start to search. I can honestly say that the only discrimination I have ever encountered between Rastas is truly on this computer. Never have I been in DC even and encountered a bredrin that didnt accept me and reason with me, and I dont even have Locks yet. So when I get on this computer and I see Rastas spreading discrimination between eachother u know that dont settle right with me. I mean discrimination on any level is wrong and it does not matter what color u are.  Like I said I truly feel for my Black bredrin and especially my Black Sistrin because even today they have to face discrimination even though it is not as blatant as it was. Because Im white and I can honestly say that there are White people especially in the country who are racist. They might not say they are, and they might not even admit it to themselves but they are. But I also know that Racism aint somethin that exists only with white people. Like just the other day Im at the basketball court and I took a shot and I missed the shot and this black dude behind me was like "White people cant shoot either". So racism is on every level and its not just with color but with Social Class too. I mean the black friends of my youth they would look at a Middle-Upper Class black kid who might act "white" and they would say some stupid shit about them. Which is wrong. U know I truly recognize White privelege and yes it is totally screwed up. Like u know if Im with white people and were drivin around we will drive right by a cop and they wont do nothing, but if I with a black person and especially if they are driving, then were bound to get followed. Like one time Im in a Van with like 6 or 7 black peole and just me sittin in the corner, and were on the highway and this cop pulled us over, well my man Chris who was drivin he had two backwoods in his sleeve pocket,(a backwood is a cigar that over here around the DC area we use to roll a bob) and Chris ate both of the backwoods cuz he didnt wanna get caught, and the cop comes up to the car and chris is like "whats the problem" and the cop was like "Somethin is wrong with ur tags, Im gonna go  back and check them on my computer", well nothing came of the situation, but it was obvious that the cop was pullin us over probably cuz he saw a bunch of black dudes and was hopin he would smell some weed in the car. And like the cops are always hanging out in the ghetto but they never go into the White neighborhoods and thats where a lot of the stealin goes down cuz people know they wont get caught. So white privilege is a problem and then when u wanna confront people about it a lot of people just say "Well, look at the statistics, Cops go off of statistics", burn them statistics that s**t is fabricated anyway and its like u cant blame the people in the ghetto cuz they aint got s**t and then they get caught up in hustling and this and that cuz that is what they know, and we got pop stars like 50 Cent promoting it, and its true that a lot of young black males dont have a father in their life so they look up to people like that. Every single one of my black friends has minimal interaction with their father, and we live 5 miles from the Ghetto! Then theres hardly any money going to the streets while the Pentagon 20 minutes away is gettin more than 400 Billion a year. And thats what they teach us in school so u know there gettin more than that!  what I know is that Racism is a problem in Babylon But what I also know is that RACISM SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM BETWEEN US RASTAFARIANS! I mean damn look who our KING is! THE KING IS! So man u know Im standin Firm and any bredrin or sistrin that wanna spread some hate to a Righteous bredrin and sistrin, shit well their just puppets of Babylon in some sheep clothing, might as well go where a suit and a necktie and put a George Bush sticker over their heart. Yeah So like I said right in the Beginning RASTA BURN DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN OURSELVES! Bless up the Highest.

[iyah360]

"I know is that Racism is a problem in Babylon But what I also know is that RACISM SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM BETWEEN US RASTAFARIANS! I mean damn look who our KING is! THE KING IS! So man u know Im standin Firm and any bredrin or sistrin that wanna spread some hate to a Righteous bredrin and sistrin, shit well their just puppets of Babylon in some sheep clothing, might as well go where a suit and a necktie and put a George Bush sticker over their heart. Yeah So like I said right in the Beginning RASTA BURN DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN OURSELVES! Bless up the Highest."

Bredren I can say that on this board . . . it is not a matter of DISCRIMINATION. It is a matter of facing the reality of Rastafari as a movement of Africans in the diaspora and respecting the goals of it by educating oneself if one is white to overstand their privilege and place in the Babylon system. ONCE one OVERSTANDS their place, then they can make PROPER moves to benefit I and I bredren and sistren. Have you read those articles I posted for you . ..  if so, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THEM? Start engaging the ideas presented and then perhaps I and I can make some progress.

[out_of_Zion]

From the article,

"White people in general have a tendency to grab things from any spiritual tradition that feels good to them. Accepting Rasta does not automatically guarantee enlightenment or endarkenment or anything else."

That statement is true, but it doesn't just apply to white people and Rastafari.  People, now more than ever, are assimilating bits and pieces of cultures and religions and molding their own religions out of it all.  Especially popular among Western youths now is Eastern Wisdom.  Ever so ironically, those same Eastern youths (particularly in Korea & the rest of NE Asia) are adopting the Christianity that the Westerners are rejecting.  Still, others combine religions and claim that they are "Buddhist AND Christian."  Which, according to Christian scripture (Eph 4:5, "one faith") is just not possible.

And yet...

There are so many similarities between all the religions, and if a religion promotes LOVE and CAUSES love, then it is accomplishing its purpose of uniting people and promoting righteousness.  

Clearly, almost every religion does this, but at the same time they divide.  It calls to mind what Haile Selassie I said himself "Spirituality is not theology or ideology...it is a way of life..."  Thus if the I is not living his faith, applying it, and loving, his faith is dead (James 4:8).  I think people of any faith would agree with that concept.  

Granted Rasta is a movement more than a religion, so some of these truths apply in different ways, but when love is the medium for conversation and overstanding of reasonings and issues, actual conflict should be avoided.  Even in intense discussions that involve the heart - our seat of motivation - it's important to show respect to all and have a deep respect for their beliefs...

"But sanctify the Christ as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defense before everyone that demands of you a reason for the hope in you, but doing so with a mild temper and deep respect."  -1 Pet 3:15

Now, that scripture is from the Greek Scriptures, but even to those that are not followers of the Christ, the principle applies, "mild temper and deep respect."  Respect should never be too much to ask for, but sometimes we forget how to give it and only expect it in return.  That applies to ALL of us.