Gman, I appreciate your lengthy and elaborate comment, for you show you have given the topic deep consideration and analysis. I thank you sincerely for that.

Rastafari is not a homogeneous movement I agree. Each groups defines it owns philosophy within their own “houses” or “yards”. Nevertheless it must be noted, the majority of the worldwide Rastafarians believes in “Biblicism”. Many Rastafarians take the study of the bible sooo seriously (it's obvious on this message board!) and spend hours discussing the meaning of various passages. For them, it is a book written by and about Blacks. Well, if the bible is a “Black book” then its blackness exists only in their minds, for it’s well known the 1612 or King James English Version of bible, the majority of Rastafarians study, is something wholly and absolutely "white". For no Black person has ever had anything to do with the writing of the books of the bible. White people and not Black people are the ones who wrote, published and distributed the bible in every imaginable language! So when I hear Rastafarians emotionally proclaim that their major themes and tenets are not “rooted” in Judeo-Christian religious “thought or “bible”, I question whether this is some sort of spiritual cognitive dissonance or a matter of wishful thinking to these Rastafarians only.

This trend or religious and social movement that attempts to eradicate the White Semites and Caucasian Aryans historical atrocity, economic rapacity, mental slavery and political trickery and their relationships with Black people is worthy for its consciousness raising with regard to Black pride. However, how then Rastafarians answer the ironies in sticking to the scriptures of the Europeans that justified White superiority and enslaved their fore parents? In so far as to promote Black African heritage and religion definitely in the "New World", the Rastafarians patriarchs could have kept the indigenous myths, rituals and symbols in the reservoir of the principals of Kongo, Yoruba, Shango, Vodou, Kumina and Candomble religions. African indigenous religions are still considerably practiced in Mexico, Brazil, the US, Jamaica and other Caribbean countries. The African indigenous religions could have served to shaped and perpetuate a much more "typical" expression of a Black African personality!!

WHY and WHAT explains this line of reasoning by "Black" Rastafarians that stick to false myths they have inhered instead of continuing our ancient tradition that honor the Union of the Opposites, of female and male, human and animal/plant realms? The gender and family elations within Rastafari as in the wider Black society in many ways is "still" shaped by the power-ego of patriarchy and its resulting environmental degradation. The Rastafarian male "still" expects to exercise power and authority in the value by virtue of being male. Early accounts of the history of Rastafari (in the formative early years 1930 to 1960’s) emphasis the role of women in the movement were very much in the background while the male remained in leadership role, the woman was only a follower until 1970’s with the rise of the women’s liberation movement. Therefore, it’s highly likely that the Rastafarian patriarchs complied in their ignorance falling for the books of Judeo-Christian tradition of the world’s white Jews and Christians.

Millions of Rastafarian both males and females still not worshiped JAH as Mother (the real, vital, benevolent and dynamic force in Nature) "along with" JAH as Father (Omnipotent and Omniscient Creator of the Universe). The Rastafarian consistent conspicuous spiritual attachment to Judeo-Christian theology is no mere accident. I think many Rasfarians and Black people in this world non-intentionally or intentionally still idealize western culture today. For their indigenous African practices have been replaced with chattel slave spirituality that do not even recognize the feminine wisdom and sacred sexuality and fertility akin to the Holy Mother Nature herself. Thus, in my mind, the Rastafari movement diminishes the ancient Black African traditions.... Several members on this board dislike me for what I say, but I apologize if cannot believe in ideological concepts and cultural trends that Black people have taken directly from the Oppressor. It’s just how I feel.

Bantu Kelani.