Are Rastafaris Christian?

[junobet]

 

Sometimes this forum makes my mind wander to weird places. One of the threads here made me think of Max Romeo’s  “I Chase the Devil”. So when I got home I looked it up on you-tube and ended up listening to a play-list of reggae all evening. Now, I’m not a big reggae fan myself and I have just very basic knowledge of what the Rastafari religion is all about.

But I wondered: would you say that it’s Christian?

Edited February 18, 2016 by junobet

[thereselittleflower]

54 minutes ago, junobet said:

 

Sometimes this forum makes my mind wander to weird places. One of the threads here made me think of Max Romeo’s  “I Chase the Devil”. So when I got home I looked it up on you-tube and ended up listening to a play-list of reggae all evening. Now, I’m not a big reggae fan myself and I have just very basic knowledge of what the Rastafari religion is all about.

But I wondered: would you say that it’s Christian?

No it's not Christian.

 

[Guest]

If you believe that Jesus Christ is your Savior, than you are a Christian. There are Christians i every sect, including Rastafarian.

[thereselittleflower]

25 minutes ago, Rick_Parker said:

If you believe that Jesus Christ is your Savior, than you are a Christian. There are Christians i every sect, including Rastafarian.

The Rastafarian religion is not a christian religion. It has nothing to do with believing in Christ as savior of the world.

 

[Zemke]

It's the similarity of ideas and phrases that gets us interested and questioning but the distinction or detail is where we divide.

For instance Taoism has a phrase that goes something like this, "Ultimate peace is like water, water flows and nourishes yet never strives."

Well Psalm 1 speaks of water also, "you'll be like a tree planted by the rivers of water"

"Out of your belly will gush rivers of living water" - Jesus  etc. The Bible is full of water statements.

New age religion says, "See, it's all the same thing."

But the distinction is everything.

In Taoism we are the water, we are all part of the Tao, we are the Tao. In Hebrew literature we are created and God is the giver of life, we are not God. We will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water and bring forth our fruit in our season. Without the Lord we can do nothing. Heavenly treasured that is.

Mysticism, new age, seeks the connectivity of being, not like God, but a part of God which makes us in a sense God. Dangerous territory. The more you think about it, it becomes blasphemous territory.

 

[Floatingaxe]

If anything is called a "religion", it is not of Christ.

[1to3]

2 hours ago, Zemke said:

It's the similarity of ideas and phrases that gets us interested and questioning but the distinction or detail is where we divide.

For instance Taoism has a phrase that goes something like this, "Ultimate peace is like water, water flows and nourishes yet never strives."

Well Psalm 1 speaks of water also, "you'll be like a tree planted by the rivers of water"

"Out of your belly will gush rivers of living water" - Jesus  etc. The Bible is full of water statements.

New age religion says, "See, it's all the same thing."

But the distinction is everything.

In Taoism we are the water, we all are part of the Tao, we are the Tao. In Hebrew literature we are created and God is the life flow, we are not God. We will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water and bring forth our fruit in our season. Without the Lord we can do nothing. Heavenly treasured that is.

Mysticism, new age, seeks the connectivity of being, not like God, but a part of God which makes us in a sense God. Dangerous territory. The more you think about it, it becomes blasphemous territory.

 

 

 

I agree, that is what turned me off from these esoteric philosophies, wanting to make us believe we are God or gods?

 

Part of being a christian is turning our will over and not taking control of it by ourselves, but to place it in Gods hands and in His words and to not lean on our own understanding.

Is is impossible to please God without placing faith in Him.

Hebrews 11:6

6And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is

and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him

Proverbs 3:5:

Trust in the Lord

…4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.…

 

Caution:      The road that seems right can lead to destruction

Proverbs 14:12

11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, But the tent of the upright will flourish.

12 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

13 Even in laughter the heart may be in pain, And the end of joy may be grief.

 

Proverbs 16:25

25There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

 

Ex.:

The Buddhist have the four noble truths, eight fold path towards leading to bliss along a whole lot of other requirements.

There are different branches of that philosophy, but among the branches there are in some at least 227 regulations to abide with to make it to 

their hopeful destination of total nothingness, black-out=Bliss

 

But they all have to do with us taking control of their own selves and becoming God themselves by their own will.

That is the complete opposite of what God is looking from us.

 

(we have to first repent and ask Him to come make a home in our hearts,)

  rather than taking control of our lives by our own selves.

 

About Rastafarians?

Is not smoking pot or hashish part of their religion in getting closer to God?

 

If a religion does not align with the word of God and has add-ons to the Word of God, it is not the Truth from Gods Holy Word.

The Holy Bible clearly states that we are not to add or take away from the Word of God found in the bible.

 

I don't know of any biblical passage where it is written that to find God we must first take hallucinogens of any kind.

Revelation 22:19

Nothing May Be Added
18I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them,

God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; 19and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy,

God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. 20He who testifies to these things says,

"Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[thereselittleflower]

56 minutes ago, Floatingaxe said:

If anything is called a "religion", it is not of Christ.

That's not true.

 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, thereselittleflower said:

The Rastafarian religion is not a christian religion. It has nothing to do with believing in Christ as savior of the world.

 

I didn't say it was. I am talking about individuals. Just as most Catholics are not born again (meaning some are but remain in the RCC out of tradition) there may be some Rastafarians who are born again (meaning most are not) but remain Rastafarian out of tradition (it is the national custom, is it not?). Only GOD know for sure, we cannot judge all with a wide brush.  

[Guest Thallasa]

3 hours ago, Zemke said:

It's the similarity of ideas and phrases that gets us interested and questioning but the distinction or detail is where we divide.

For instance Taoism has a phrase that goes something like this, "Ultimate peace is like water, water flows and nourishes yet never strives."

Well Psalm 1 speaks of water also, "you'll be like a tree planted by the rivers of water"

"Out of your belly will gush rivers of living water" - Jesus  etc. The Bible is full of water statements.

New age religion says, "See, it's all the same thing."

But the distinction is everything.

In Taoism we are the water, we are all part of the Tao, we are the Tao. In Hebrew literature we are created and God is the giver of life, we are not God. We will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water and bring forth our fruit in our season. Without the Lord we can do nothing. Heavenly treasured that is.

Mysticism, new age, seeks the connectivity of being, not like God, but a part of God which makes us in a sense God. Dangerous territory. The more you think about it, it becomes blasphemous territory.

 

 Well  described ,thank you .