Sunday, March 7, 2010

Still The Church of Rastafari seeks approval from Jamaica - WHY ?


Many Many Many Years Ago after the visitation of HIM Haile Selassie I - JAH RASTAFARI to Jamaica; the Church of Haile Selassie applied to become legal. yet here we are some twenty odd years later, and still no license or recognition of the largest faith group in Jamaica.

Is This Not Religious Oppression ?





RASTAFARI FI I-N-I

this is our Sunday Sermon and our Music Monday Selection. we hope it brings you to a place of Peace and Harmony with JAH RASTAFARI WITHIN I-N-I



Rasta church
Rastafarians
Rastafarian church has been seeking recognition for 14 years
A Rastafarian church in Jamaica is continuing its 14-year fight for legal recognition by the country's lawmakers. 
The Church of Haile Selassie I the first submitted its petition for incorporation in October 1996.
But despite pleas by the church and its legal representatives, the organisation is yet to receive parliamentary approval.
At issue is the Church of Haile Selassie I's use of certain herbs in its religious sacraments, which it says has been misinterpreted by some as promoting the use of marijuana during worship.
Misconceptions
The Church's spokesman Abuna Foxe told BBC Caribbean that misconceptions about the use of herbs during workship have contributed to the delay in being granted legal status.
"For the average Jamaican a chalice is a ganja pipe, that's wrong. A chalice is a sensor that's used to burn frankincense and myrrh," Mr Foxe said.
He also said that at no time will his organisation ask parliament to legalise the use of 'herbs'.
The Church of Halie Selassie met with lawmakers last December where it stressed the use of the herb cassias, but not marijuana, in it's rituals.
Review
Their request has been reviewed by the parliament's joint select committee.
The Committee Chairman Senator Hyacinth Bennett told members there was a need to clarify the concept of the word 'herb'.
But Opposition Senator Mark Golding told BBC Caribbean the church had made it clear it did not use marijuana and too much emphasis was being put on the legislation that aimed to define the organisation's sacrament.
"The concern of some of the members of the committee is that they don't want, by passing the bill, to appear to be condoning the use of ganja," Mr Golding said.
"Every time the committee sits, the issue of whether they use herb or not, and what herb means in their liturgy has come up.
"But I think that after (the) sitting the members present were minded to accept that there's really no basis for the committee to use that as a basis for denying the church the desired recommendation that their petition be allowed."
If approved the Church of Haile Selassie I would have the legal rights to property ownership, open schools as well as tax benefits.

4 comments:

Cher Duncombe said...

RE, the chants in this video are beautiful and I will be hearing them in my head all day. It was a visual pleasure to watch as well. It is so commendable of you to clear up the misconceptions about Rastafarians. Most people who do not know much about them simply associate them with weed (herb) and Dreadlocks. Obviously they are so much more and have deep spiritual roots. I agree their church should be recognized.

Mrs Sweetwater said...

Thank You Cher, it's so hard to get people to seperate Rastafarian's from Weed Smokers who are Dreadlocked. some people think that you have to be dreadlocked to belong to the Church of Rastafari; and as you can see, you don't. it's always a pleasure to bring the truth to the world and especially when it's about the Most High God.

Jah RASTAFARI !!!

Cher Duncombe said...

Amen, my sister!

One of The Guys said...

RE,
I wanted to comment on the "International Women's Day.

THE GUYS and I love and respect our women dearly.

And as I said on Cher's blog....my five year old daughter....delicious! :)

I've been blessed with wise, intelligent, funny, beautiful women friends in my life.