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True Reggae music is more than mere instruments and voices, it is a Rastafarian ministry. Reggae musicians are often the only preachers and teachers of the Rastafarian religion to the open public. Rastafari is a belief that Jesus Christ has already returned to the earth bearing a new name, as Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Jah Rastafari. Rastafarians believe that he is God, the Savior and Judge of the world. Rastas follow the teachings of such prophets as Marcus Garvey, and the prophet Gad, in believing that all blacks must repatriate to Africa, and that Ethiopia is Mount Zion, the Promised Land. Through Reggae music, this message of salvation and unity is spread to all nations throughout the world. In most cases the beliefs of Rastafarians vary from place to place and from person to person. While there are many similarities, there is no sound doctrine.
I have been a Rastafarian and have studied its doctrine for years. Although many Rastafarian's beliefs differ from each other, all Rastafarians use the Holy Bible as their foundation and they believe that it is the word of God. In order for the Bible to be the foundation of a religion it has to be 100% true, accurate and pure. It would have to be completely inspired by God and nothing may be added or subtracted from it. (Prov 30:5-6, Deut 4:2, and Rev 22:18-19). "The Bible was not written by mere men, and their own interpretations. (2 Peter 1:20-21) It was the Holy Spirit guiding their tongues as they spoke and their hands as they wrote. Paul writes in II Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That a man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
According to this verse, the whole Bible is given to us by God, to keep us pure. This verse also says that the Word of God is to be used for reproof, for rebuke, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. A few years ago as I was studying God's Word and striving for righteousness I found that many of my beliefs needed reproof and correction. I would like to share with you what I have learned from the Word of God. The following are some conclusions that I have come to in the scriptures on the subject of marijuana and its use by Rastafarians.
Rastafari doctrine is usually diversified and often changes from one believer to the next. For example, there is a debate as to whether Haile Selassie is God, Christ, the personage of Christ, or a good man and whether Marcus Garvey was Moses, John the Baptist, a prophet, or merely a good man. Also, there is the debate as to whether repatriation to the Ethiopian Zion is physical, spiritual, or both.
Amidst all of this jargon, there is one belief that almost all Rastas hold to: The sacramental use of Cannabis sativa. In other words, the smoking or ingesting of marijuana for spiritual reasons, to become high, and in turn closer to God and open to His revelation through deep meditation.
Marijuana is called many different names: Ganja, Ishence, Sleng teng, Cashi, Collie, Chronic, Blunt, Sensi, Bhang, Green, Weed, Cannabis, leaf, Indica, Reefer, Grass, Spliff, THC, Bud, Pot, Ganja, Herb, Wisdom Weed, 13, Smoke, Kaya, Buddha, Thai, Kona Gold, Hash, Maui wowie, Back yard boogie, Home grown, stash, Bush, Mary Jane and Lambsbread. In spite of its many titles, for most Rastafarians it serves one purpose: it is a source of unification by which all may join in perfect fellowship together with each other and with Jah (God) to reason with the Most High. I strongly believe that Marijuana is one of the pillars of the Rastafarian faith by which it stands. As David Hinds from Steel Pulse sings "What keeps us together is the herb that we smoke."
For this writing, the term "Rastafarians," refers to "Herb smoking Rastas." I am conscious of the fact that I may offend a few "Non Herb smoking Rastas" who have abandoned the use of Marijuana for one reason or another. I apologize if I have offended any one, and ask that you may understand why I believe the two to be synonymous due to the overwhelming majority of Marijuana using believers.
THE SACRAMENT:
It is common knowledge that Rastafarians use Marijuana as a Holy sacrament. Webster's Dictionary defines a sacrament as "a formal religious act that is sacred as a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality; esp : one believed to have been instituted or recognized by Jesus Christ" (1017). By sacrament, I mean an action that God commands us to take. According to the Bible, the sacraments in which believers are called to partake are Baptism and the Lord's Supper (often called communion or the Eucharist). According to "The New International Dictionary Of The Bible" and its section labeled "Sacrament," "New Testament sacraments have three distinguishing marks: (1) they were instituted by Christ, (2) Christ commanded that they be observed by His followers and (3) They are visible symbols of divine acts. Since Baptism and the Lord's Supper are the only rites for which such marks can be claimed, there can only be two sacraments. There is justification for classifying them under a common name because they are associated together in the New Testament (Acts 2:41-42; 1 Cor 10:1-4)" (878-79).
In light of these scriptures and the context of the whole Bible, one must come to the understanding that the use of Marijuana is not a sacrament. There are no scriptures in the Bible in which God commands man to smoke marijuana. In fact smoking isn't even mentioned in the Bible. Furthermore, neither Marcus Garvey whom Rastas claim to be a prophet, or Rastafari, Emperor Haile Selassie I, whom Rastafarians believe to be Christ, ever smoked marijuana, advocated it or called anyone else to. If it is not a sacrament and has no Biblical foundation, then we must ask: why do so many Rastafarians use it each day?
This belief that one must become high on a substance in order to commune with God is not a new one. There is a clear parallel between the theology of Rastafari today and that of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus in 60 A.D. When Paul wrote the book of Ephesians, he exhorted some that were slipping back into their old ways of worshipping at the temple of Artemis (Diana), which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
In Ephesians 5:18 Paul gives a negative command: "Do not get drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery". He also give a positive command: "Instead, be filled with the Spirit." At that time, the way the people of Ephesus communed with the gods was to get drunk out of their minds, sing gross songs and then have sex with the temple prostitutes. Through this process, they were believed to be united with the gods. In being drunk with wine, one loses control. In contrast, the concept of being filled with the Spirit implies letting the Spirit take complete control of your life. Similar to the church of Ephesus, God's message for today's Rastafarians is: Do not be high on ganja which is an occult practice and a sin that leads one away from God. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Learn how to commune with God through the Spirit filling you.
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