I Shot the Establishment

Rastafari: From Outcasts to Culture Bearers describes how people who are part of the early Rastafarian movement believe they have been oppressed by white people and the establishment of the Jamaican government. These beliefs are evident throughout their symbols and music. The videos we watched in class show that Rastafarians felt oppressed by the government, especially the video of Bob Marley. He talks about how ganja is “just a plant,” and the authoritative figures in the community do not allow it to be used. Bob Marley’s song “I Shot the Sheriff,” is supposed to be about justice, but I see it as a cry against oppression and a snub at the establishment.

The song is about someone who shot the sheriff and is wrongly accused of shooting the deputy. He claims he shot the sheriff out of self-defense. The entire song has a theme that the police have it out for the narrator of the song.

“All of a sudden I saw Sheriff John Brown. Aiming to shoot me down.”

The police have it out for him because he grows ganja and they prohibit the growth and possession of it.

“Every time I plant a seed, He said kill it before it grow”

The fact that he does something that is notably prohibited, and has been explicitly warned against shows his disdain for “The Man.” Bob Marley and the entire Rastafari movement was constantly working to snub the Jamaican government through living the lives they believed to be the best path back to the promised land.

The Meanings of Colors

The symbol I am choosing to discuss in this post are the colors that Rastafarians use throughout their lives to symbolize different origins of their movement. In the video the houses are painted red, green, and yellow. There is also a flag outside of the houses made of black, green, and yellow. Each color has significance in the culture of Rastafarians. According to Rastafari: From Outcasts to Culture Bearers, the green, red, and gold are to signify Ethiopia, which is a huge part of the Rastafarian movement because it is the “Promised Land.” The color black signifies the color of most Rastafarian followers’ skin. This is especially significant because the movement was founded as a source of rebellion against the establishment of Jamaican government.

*Go to 0:16 (I could not figure out how to do the still shot)

I chose to talk about the colors seen in Rastafarian communes because it relates the movement to other religions. Christianity uses colors as symbols as I would guess other religions do as well. Colors can indicate a certain season of the year, purity, or evil. These associations to color also seep into our general culture. The color red can be a representation of the blood of martyrs in both Rastafari and Catholicism.

The meanings of the colors for Rastafarians seem to be an easy association because this is how other religions or movements would use the colors. The painting of the houses is an odd use of the colors, but the colors are used in so many different ways that it is not a striking utilization. 

Kebra Negast = Not True?

The Kebra Negast is an interesting text relaying the story of the Queen of Sheba and her son Menyelak. It tells the story of how the Ark of the Covenant was stolen from King Solomon’s Temple and taken to Ethiopia with Menyelek. It follows the Bible’s version of events until it leaves King Solomon’s Temple. According to the Bible the Ark was discovered missing and never found again. How can this story claim to explain where this missing piece of history is located? How could we be sure the Kebra Negast is telling the truth?

I do not think the Kebra Negast is telling the truth. I think the Ark is lost forever, never to be found again. The fact that so many places claim to have the Ark makes me think that it is impossible for it to be in any of these places. Another thing that makes me think it is not in Ethiopia is the fact that no one has seen it there. Sure, the members of the church that claim to possess it believe that it is there, but no one else has seen the Ark.

The Ark is an important symbol in Christianity. In relation to Religious Studies this is something that is a focal point of Christianity in Ethiopia. Through what we have read and what we have discussed in class, the Ark seems to be a central staple to the strength of their religious culture.  

Thou Shall Not Judge

As I read Book Three of On Christian Teaching I found Augustine’s point about lust and love to be interesting and pertinent to our lives today. In a society that sells sex, lust is everywhere. Do we, as a whole, have the ability to read the Bible without letting our own wants and desires be justified through the texts?

Our culture is vastly different than the culture Augustine was a part of. When reading this book, I understood him to be saying that times change and so some things within the Bible become obsolete or non-applicable. Well when do we know when this is the case? I think it is a matter of follow the basic laws the Bible lays out. Not everyone is Christian, but for those who are, what are the important teachings we should follow? I think the love of God and the love of neighbor are good starting points. I think that a basic rule that should be followed by all religions and all people in general is “Thou shall not judge.” I know it is not an actual commandment, but it is a good rule to follow. People who do not follow a religion and even those who do, do things we may not agree with, but it is not our place to judge anyone’s choices.

So to answer the question in the intro to my post, it does not matter. It is not for us to determine whether people’s intentions are good or corrupt. Whether they are made from love or lust. It is for a higher power to decide if the person believes in a higher power.

How to Study the Bible

I think the two ideas are similar to each other. Augustine is even mentioned in the article written by J. Todd Billings. Both methods of interpreting the Bible advise having a thorough base of knowledge when reading the Bible. They both say to be cautious in misinterpreting the Bible while reading it. Augustine and Billings both argue the same point essentially, but they differ in a slight way.

While reading Augustine I get the impression of an individual study. His advice is based on one person reading the Bible and not misinterpreting the words found there. He basically says to make sure your background for understanding is complete so as not to misconstrue the meaning of the text. He seems to believe having the historical context in which these were written is important to apprehend the true meaning of each passage. Augustine makes it clear that a reader must be able to decipher idioms from truly meaningful passages of texts I understood all of this advice to be aimed at an individual reader rather than an entire group of readers. Billings stressed that study of the Bible must be studied within a group. It is a main point of his expressed within the article.

I think this is a positive way to approach the Bible because it helps someone to understand the origins of the passages. It makes helps someone to understand the Bible whether they have super strong faith or no faith at all. Appreciation can spring from knowledge instead of faith. 

Universal Advice

After reading many palms throughout the Book of Psalms I wonder why all of them are contained within one book. They have various themes, and the themes are sometimes in opposition to each other. There is war, prophesy, worship, and morals. These are just some of the broad range of topics included in this book. There are different authors found throughout the Psalms. They were written over the course of hundreds of years. So what do they have in common? What makes them a cohesive piece of work?

The thing that brings all of these together is the Lord. All of these Psalms praise Him. Every single one references the Lord and what He has given to the people of Israel. Of course they would offer praise to the Lord when their lives are going well. That is the easy part of religion, to praise a higher power when you are not going through a hard time. The challenge of religion come when you cannot succeed at anything or it feels like no one is there for you. That is the test of true faith. I find it fascinating that the Israelites worshipped the Lord even when they were in war and being persecuted by their oppressors.

These varying themes also make the psalms universal. They are so popular and relevant today because people can always find a psalm to relate to. Whether they are experiencing hardship or not there is always something to help them through their lives.

The Creator through Time

I think Psalm 104 and the ancient Egyptian hymn are vastly similar, but there are some differences between the two. Both passages are focused on regarding a higher power as the creator and master of the world around them. The Egyptian hymn is focused more on the creator helping to continue life for all organisms on Earth, while Psalm 104 focuses on the creator giving a purpose to the actions of life forms on Earth. At least that is how I interpreted each of them.

I think the main message of Psalm 104 is borrowed from the Egyptian hymn because the message is essentially the same. The higher power is the creator of all life and keeps the world spinning so to speak.

“He founded earth on its solid base, not to be shaken forevermore.” –Psalm 104, v.5

“[Y]our rays embrace the lands as far as everything you have made.” –Egyptian Hymn, v.2

I think Psalm 104 reflects the world of the ancient Israelites just as well as it represents the world now. This Psalm does not lose relevance as time goes on. This Psalm was meant for the Lord and if it was prayed today it would be prayed to the same entity. I think that is what makes the Psalms timeless. They can still be used today and have an equally powerful meaning as when they were written. The Matisyahu song we listened to in class proves that the Psalms can be applied to multiple situations and have a powerful message.