End Times?

[Mustafa]

Originally posted by menewa

Your way off dude. I'm speaking about the Rastas from the Isalnd of Jamaica. I don't pretend to speak for them but I have read the Kebra Nagast and other literature sacred to their movement.

What secret knowledge does the Rastas from the island of Jamaica have relating to Zion, the Jewish people or anything other than involves their own beleifs?

 

[menewa]

Originally posted by Mustafa
What secret knowledge does the Rastas from the island of Jamaica have relating to Zion, the Jewish people or anything other than involves their own beleifs?

Because Rastas have a unique religion that draws from Judaism. They combine elements from Judaism into their beliefs and teachings. They claim reverance to Haile Selassie of Ethiopia whom they believe is directly descended from the line of Solomon. That is why they believe Ethiopia serves as the modern seat of the children of God, not Israel. Specifically, a region outside of Adis Ababa. They basically follow all of the rules laid out in the Old Testament. However, all are welcome to join. Unlike Judaism which I think your mother must be a Jew in order for you to be onw. I'm not sure about this though, let me know since I'm sure you know more about Judaism than I do.
I don't claim this is all fact, I just think it is an interesting take on the Old Testament.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Yes. In their version of the old testament, Moses came down from the mountain with a sack of red haired sensi.

"Noah, are you high?"

 

[Mustafa]

Originally posted by menewa

Because Rastas have a unique religion that draws from Judaism. They combine elements from Judaism into their beliefs and teachings. They claim reverance to Haile Selassie of Ethiopia whom they believe is directly descended from the line of Solomon. That is why they believe Ethiopia serves as the modern seat of the children of God, not Israel. Specifically, a region outside of Adis Ababa. They basically follow all of the rules laid out in the Old Testament. However, all are welcome to join. Unlike Judaism which I think your mother must be a Jew in order for you to be onw. I'm not sure about this though, let me know since I'm sure you know more about Judaism than I do.
I don't claim this is all fact, I just think it is an interesting take on the Old Testament.

Interestingly there is a major DNA project underway that has apparently found a particular genetic marker on one chromosome found in those people who have a history of lineage dating back to the early Hebrew people taken off by the Babylonians.

Many people claim to be from the lost tribes of Israel like the Christian replacement theologists. For the time being, the Rastifarians may believe they are descended from Haile Selassie of Ethiopia but even his claim to be the Lion of Judah has proven to be false.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Lefties love revisionism and lies. The truth doesn't well serve their purposes.

 

[Mustafa]

Originally posted by Menewa

Found a little information about the Rastifarians and their beliefs. It appears that they believe that Haile Salassie was a god. This is not nor has ever been a Jewish concept of a man-god.

Rastafarians
{rah - stuh - far' - ee - uhnz}
General Information

Rastafarians are members of a Jamaican messianic movement dating back to the 1930s; in 1974 they were estimated to number 20,000 in Jamaica. According to Rastafarian belief the only true God is the late Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie (originally known as Ras Tafari), and Ethiopia is the true Zion. Rastafarians claim that white Christian preachers and missionaries have perverted the Scriptures to conceal the fact that Adam and Jesus were black. Their rituals include the use of marijuana and the chanting of revivalist hymns. Reggae music is the popular music of the movement. The Rastafarians, who stress black separatism, have exercised some political influence in Jamaica.

L E Barrett, The Rastafarians: Sounds of Cultural Dissonance (1977); B Sparrow and T Nicholas, Rastafari: A Way of Life (1979).

http://mb-soft.com/believe/txo/rastafar.htm



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[dilloduck]

One of the things I have to give the Bible credit for is that because of its mere existance it has given people cause to think about life, death and eternity. I happen to think that's important. It causes one to prioritize, reflect and act. However carried away one gets with its mysticism,prophecy,history and poetry at least it has made some people use their brain matter for something other than immediate gratification. I give it 2 thumbs up.

 

[Mustafa]

Originally posted by dilloduck

One of the things I have to give the Bible credit for is that because of its mere existance it has given people cause to think about life, death and eternity. I happen to think that's important. It causes one to prioritize, reflect and act. However carried away one gets with its mysticism,prophecy,history and poetry at least it has made some people use their brain matter for something other than immediate gratification. I give it 2 thumbs up.

Your observation about religion making people think has IMHO some validity but mainly I believe that people, in general, are afraid of the unknown from which religion gives the living some peace of mind.

The history of recorded religions is many eons old. The first religions probably worshiped visible objects, i.e., the sun, moon, fire, earth, water or totems. All of these religions, like those today were created to alleviate the fear of death into oblivion and darkness.

This basic need for religion is more than likely subliminal but nevertheless needed by mankind as in the old say, "in the foxhole everyone finds god."

Death is as mysterious as what preceeds life and men have a need for reassurance that there is something there or they will be saved (as apposed to others who will not).

I do not believe that anyone who has died in this existence has returned to tell anyone about 'the other side.'

Also it is my belief that even the atheist has deep in their primitive brain, this same fear of the unknown.

 

[menewa]

Originally posted by rtwngAvngr
Yes. In their version of the old testament, Moses came down from the mountain with a sack of red haired sensi.

"Noah, are you high?"

I've never heard that. However, the Song of Solomon does contain a passage about the unifying herb.

 

[NewGuy]

Originally posted by menewa
I've never heard that. However, the Song of Solomon does contain a passage about the unifying herb.

Prove it.

 

[menewa]

Originally posted by NewGuy
Prove it.

Like the ancient Greeks, the Old Testament Israelites were surrounded by marijuana-using peoples. A British physician, Dr. C. Creighton, concluded in 1903 that several references to marijuana can be found in the Old Testament.9 Examples are the "honeycomb" referred to in the Song of Solomon, 5:1, and the "honeywood" in I Samuel 14: 25-45. (Others have suggested that the "calamus" in the Song of Solomon was in fact cannabis.)10

the above comes from http://www.drugtext.org/library/reports/cu/cu53.html

 

[MrMarbles]

Since the begining of organized religion has there been the predicition of the apocalypse. It is used like a threat, to make people fall in line with the leader. Alot like the boogeyman for children. "Watch out, be good, do as I say, or the end of days will come, and you will go to hell'.

 

[Avatar4321]

Originally posted by MrMarbles
Since the begining of organized religion has there been the predicition of the apocalypse. It is used like a threat, to make people fall in line with the leader. Alot like the boogeyman for children. "Watch out, be good, do as I say, or the end of days will come, and you will go to hell'.

You would think people would seriously consider that if everyone has a prediction of the end maybe there is something to it. we are living in the last days. The gathering of Israel has begun. We are going to see marvelous things in our life. Whether or not the Second Coming will happen doesnt matter. we live in interesting times.

 

[menewa]

Originally posted by Avatar4321
You would think people would seriously consider that if everyone has a prediction of the end maybe there is something to it. we are living in the last days. The gathering of Israel has begun. We are going to see marvelous things in our life. Whether or not the Second Coming will happen doesnt matter. we live in interesting times.

You're right avatar4321. Current geopolitical events have placed us in the middle of something too big for me to understand. It's hard to predict the future right now. The world's most powerful republic is facing determined killers lurking in all the shadows of the world. Genocides are occuring on a yearly basis in large African nations. Much of the third world is indebted to international banks to the point of breaking apart. US and European companies and corps are offshoring and outsourcing too many skilled jobs to keep track of. The population of the planet has exploded beyond any comparisons to the past. Climate change is more than likely a reality.
I don't know about the end of times, but we will probably soon enter a dramatic changing of our times.

 

[Isaac Brock]

I don't think we need prophesy and theologic events to make any end times come. We as a human race, seem to be very good at taunting our own destruction, by our own devices, on many occasions.

If our species spent just half the time many of us take, either in organized religion or on our on accord, to enrich our spirituality and put it towards helping others and proliferating peace, I daresay then, the difference we can make to turn back that clock would be great. Maybe then we could worry about prophesy and the divinely inspired end times.

 

[menewa]

Ever heard of self-fulfilling prophecy?

 

[dilloduck]

End Times means different things to different people. Christians see it as the fulfilling of prophecy and finally being with Jesus for eternity. I can only imagine how devastating it would be for them if the end times do not play out as prophecied. Others see it as the physical destruction of the world as we know it and yet others define it as the death of thier physical form. Any way you look at it, it is people who are contemplating what happens to you when you die. The unknown tends to scare people and people handle this fear differently. Being OBSESSED with end times confuses me. Is it the excitement of watching things happen as predicted? Is it to reinforce ones religious belief ? Is it obtaing some kind of better life in" heaven". Is it trying to use prophecy to predict events. Or is it trying to predict EXACTLY when one will die so that he may be "prepared".

As for me, I have chosen to take my chances, live what I think to be a good life and simply accept the consequences of mortality. Why does taking this position make people try to "save" me?

 

[Mustafa]

Originally posted by dilloduck
End Times means different things to different people. Christians see it as the fulfilling of prophecy and finally being with Jesus for eternity. I can only imagine how devastating it would be for them if the end times do not play out as prophecied. Others see it as the physical destruction of the world as we know it and yet others define it as the death of thier physical form. Any way you look at it, it is people who are contemplating what happens to you when you die. The unknown tends to scare people and people handle this fear differently. Being OBSESSED with end times confuses me. Is it the excitement of watching things happen as predicted? Is it to reinforce ones religious belief ? Is it obtaing some kind of better life in" heaven". Is it trying to use prophecy to predict events. Or is it trying to predict EXACTLY when one will die so that he may be "prepared".

As for me, I have chosen to take my chances, live what I think to be a good life and simply accept the consequences of mortality. Why does taking this position make people try to "save" me?

If you were to be 'saved' by converting to Christians belief in Jesus, then he, the one who 'saved' you is doing the work ordered by the church for a greater or higher place for our evangelizer in that great tepee in the sky.

If, as you say, are living a life in doing what you think (based on right and wrong) is good, moral and hurts no one else, then in my humble opinion, you are already 'saved' for whatever.

In many earlier religions, there is no concepts of an apocalypse or 'end times' in which everything is destroyed. The bible is so misinterpreted by so many, that everyone who reads it believes that, of course, they have the truth and the light. No one else could possibly know their truth from another person's perspective.

Live long and prosper..

 

[5stringJeff]

Originally posted by Mustafa
The bible is so misinterpreted by so many, that everyone who reads it believes that, of course, they have the truth and the light. No one else could possibly know their truth from another person's perspective.

It's not hard to figure out what this means.

 

[Mustafa]

Originally posted by gop_jeff

It's not hard to figure out what this means.

You are a wizard at figuring out the obvious.

Remember that it is I alone that has the truth but I'm not going to share it with you. So there.....