УКРАЇНСЬКА РАСТАФАРІАНСЬКА ЦЕРКВА

UKRAINIAN RASTAFARIAN CHURCH

INFORMATION Since 1998, a community of believing citizens of the Christian faith, followers of the Rastafarian religion, who voluntarily united in order to jointly satisfy religious needs, to jointly exercise the right to freedom of religion and the spread of the Rastafarian faith, as well as to take care of the religious and moral education of the public, emerged in Kharkiv in 1998.
Legal name of the company: RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY "UKRAINIAN RASTAFARIAN CHURCH IN KHARKIV DISTRICT OF KHARKIV REGION"
EDRPOU: 44559659,
branch - Kharkiv Regional Administration of JSC "Oschadbank", MFO 351823, current account № UA073518230000026005307505749
US Dollar № UA023518230000026001301505749
EURO № UA943518230000026000302505749
Pound Starling № UA273518230000026009303505749

The purpose of the church
The purpose of the Church's activities is the Glorification of God Ja (RasTafari), marking the holidays of the Old Testament and the joint exercise by citizens of the right to freedom of religion and the spread of the Rastafarian faith, as well as the care and implementation of religious and moral education of the public.
Our achievements
The date of establishment was 1998. All-Ukrainian Haigera (dominion) of the Religious Community "Ukrainian Rastafarian Church" is a religious organization of believing citizens professing the monotheistic Abrahamic religion, which originated in Christian culture. From the day of its foundation, and to this day, there is an active spread of clans of Rastafarian believers and the opening of new Haigers.
Rastafari culture
Rastafari culture originated in 1920-30 in Jamaica. Rastafarianism is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion that originated in Christian culture and is not a very organized religion, most Rastas do not require participation in any denominations in order to support each other and find faith and inspiration in themselves! Some of them are identified in one "Rastafari Abode"; the three most famous of these are Nyahbinghi, Bobo Ashanti and the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Ethiopian churches (this is how Africa is mentioned in the Anglican translation of the Bible in 1611 - James's Bible), who were waiting for the quick coming of the Messiah and the acquisition by the dark-skinned race of the millennial kingdom of justice, which was getting closer and closer. Rastafarianism is a new religious movement that considers the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I as the incarnation of God, calling him Ja.
It all began with the sermons of Marcus Mosiah Harvey, who is rightfully considered the first prophet of this new religion. Born in Jamaica, Marcus Harvey was the leader of the World Association for Negro Development, which he founded, which in the 20s of the last century was one of the most influential Negro organizations in the United States. When local newspapers reported that on November 2, 1930 race (prince) Teferi Mekonnin (Ras Tafari - hence the name of the movement) was crowned the emperor of Ethiopia under the name Haile Selassie 1 (translated as - Power of the Trinity), receiving the hereditary title of the Ethiopian Solomonic dynasty - it was assumed that the dynasty descended from King Solomon and the Queen of Sava - King of Kings, Lion of Judah, God's Chosen World of Peace, Defender of the Faith from the House of Solomon, many have recognized that Marcus Harvey's prophecy has come true. This is how Rastafarianism was born. Haile Selassie I ruled Ethiopia until 1975, he preached the ideas of non-violent struggle for the liberation not only of Ethiopians scattered around the world, but also of people, animals, herbs and other forms of life in general. He is considered the earthly incarnation of God Ja. In 1959, he made his first visit to the USSR. Patriarch of All Russia Oleksiy, congratulating the head-emperor of the people of Ethiopia, presented him with the ecclesiastical order of Grand Duke Volodymyr of the 1st degree. Nikita Khrushchev awarded him the Order of Suvorov 1st degree for the fight against Italian fascism, and a year later, Haile Selassie received an Il-14 aircraft as a gift from the Soviet leadership, on which he later carried out all his foreign visits, three of which were to the USSR.
Rastafarianism was called to free African nations from slavery, help them find the lost paradise and restore justice on Earth, but since not only the black population is persecuted, but also white, and God is One for all, then any person can become a Rastafari, regardless of color skin and one's religion. This is the universality of Rastafarianism, which was born as a black movement and found many followers among white people. The main God of Rastafarianism is Jah (Sawaof), Rastafari believe that the Bible was originally written in Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia, and only then translated into ancient Hebrew. In the old Hebrew version of the Bible, God is called by the name JAHVEH (Yahweh). In the English version of the James Bible (a translation of the Bible from the ancient Hebrew) it is said: "Sing to our God, sing to his name, praise the paths in the heavens, and his name is Jah (Lord), and rejoice before his face." (Psalter. Chapter 67. Verse 5). Ja came to our Earth twice, the first time in the form of Jesus Christ, the second time more recently in the form of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie 1. However, many do not recognize this, considering Haile Selassie 1 to be a great prophet, but not the embodiment of Ja. This is one of the key issues in Rastafarianism, and it is still the subject of endless debate. Depending on the attitude towards Haile Selassie 1 (as God or as a prophet), Rastafarianism is divided into many different denominations. In 1963, the new great Rutman (prophet) of Rastafarianism was Bob Ja Marley, the leader of THE WAILERS. His words: "Open your eyes and look inside yourself. Are you satisfied with the way you live? We know where we are going, and we know where we came from: we are leaving Babylon to the land of our ancestors," became the motto of Rastamans all over the world. For Rast, the greatest declaration of freedom of conscience is the Christian statement "judge not, and ye shall not be judged." After all, the sentence passed by Rastaman can be applied to him as well. Rastaman respects any religious form even in those souls that are not acceptable to his mind. Rastafarianism is concerned with the driving force of mission, and the mission is freedom for all.
Rastafarians want freedom to be a joy for everyone, also Rastas must give freedom to everyone, because no one can exclude freedom from us. At the beginning of the 1980s (the Olympics, the International Youth Congress (and others), Bob Marley, who was a member of the Jamaican sports delegation), the Rastafarian movement began to gradually manifest itself. What is left in Ukraine to this day! What united like-minded Rastafarians into a single strong Faith! Probably everyone knows what Africa and Babylon are. Africa is a continent, Babylon is a city that is the center of the once powerful Babylonian Empire. However, in Rastafarianism, these names acquire a special meaning. According to modern scientists, Africa is the cradle of mankind, in other words, human civilization came from Africa. For Rastafari, Africa is not only a physical continent on planet Earth, it is a paradise on Earth in which they live. In other words, Africa is the Rastafari community, they are themselves, and they are heaven on earth. As for a Christian, the Christian community is the earthly Kingdom of God, so for Rastafari, Africa means their own paradise, a paradise where they live according to the will of the great Ja. Sometimes this word also means the Heavenly Paradise, to which Rastafarians must return after death and there unite with Ja. The opposite of Africa is Babylon, the kingdom of sin and death on Earth. In the Revelation of John the Theologian (Apocalypse) it is said: "And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me, saying: Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the earthly committed fornication, and with the wine of her fornication the inhabitants of the Earth were rejoicing" (Revelation 17, 1-2), and further: "and on her head was written a name, a mystery: Babylon the Great, mother of immorality and abominations of the earth." (Revelation 17, 5). It was Babylon that distorted the content of the Bible in order to enslave everyone who lives on Earth with its lies. He distorted the Holy Name of God so that people forgot it. Jesus spoke about this, but his words were also distorted by Babylon. This is why Rastafari consider Catholicism to be a false religion, the empire of Babylon (false reference point). And then Jah reappeared on earth, this time in the form of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie 1, to reveal the Old Testament Truth to the people again, as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the son of David and the King of Kings, predicted in the Old Testament. This idea is one of the main ideas of Rastafarianism. Indeed, Haile Selassie 1 came from the lineage of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Therefore, one of the main goals of Rastafarianism is the fight against Babylon, and not for life, but for death. For these purposes, Babylon invents many false laws, starting with the ban on the use of hemp and ending with Catholic laws. Hemp is the herb of wisdom and knowledge of the Truth, according to legends, it grew on the grave of King Solomon, who in the Bible is considered the wisest of kings. In Rastafarianism, hemp is given great importance, for Rastafarians it is a means of spiritual self-improvement and knowledge of the will of Ja. Hemp is one of the central cults of the Rastafarian religion. At the same time, the use of hemp is justified by direct references to the Bible. Here are the main Bible quotes that Rastafari refer to. Being. Chapter 1. Verse 29 "And God said: Behold, I have given you every plant that sows seed that is on the whole earth, and every tree that has fruit on it that sows seed - it will be for you to eat;" Being. Chapter 1. Verse 30 "And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky, and to every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that has a living soul in it, I gave every green herb for food. And it was so." Being. Chapter 9. Verse 3 "Everything that moves, that lives, shall be for you to eat.
Like a green field, I am everything to you;" Rastafarian absolutely rightly believe that if the Bible says that any herb can be used for food, then this also applies to hemp, and the fact that it is mentioned in the very beginning of the Bible, in the first chapter of Genesis, only indicates its special importance hemp Unfortunately, Babylon knows about it. The law prohibiting the cultivation, storage, sale and use of hemp is one of the most powerful modern weapons of Babylon in the fight for the Truth. Hemp helps the Rastafari to know the will of the Great Jah, as well as himself, which is naturally disadvantageous to Babylon, it prevents him from dividing and ruling over people. Legalize is the struggle for the legalization of cannabis, and is the main Rastafari response to Babylon's tricks. It is conducted all over the world, but Babylon is quite strong and does not give in so easily to its positions, responding to this by strengthening the law on the prohibition of hemp. The Nazarite vow is what outwardly distinguishes Rastafarians from other people. The Nazarene vow is part of the Rastafari cult, a cult that is detailed in the Bible and which most Rastafarians devoutly observe. In the Bible, several phrases are devoted to this promise. Let's list them. Numbers. Chapter 6. Verse 5 "All the days of his consecration to the Nazarene, a razor shall not touch his head; until the completion of the days for which he consecrates himself to the Lord, he shall be holy, he shall let the hair of his head grow." Leviticus Chapter 19. Verse 27 "You shall not cut the hair around your head, and you shall not shave the edges of your beard." Leviticus Chapter 21. Verse 5 "They shall not shave their heads and trim the edges of their beards and make incisions on their bodies." The most noticeable external feature of Rastafari is long curls twisted into a pigtail. The curls shocked civilians, who dubbed them dreadlocks (terrible curls). Rastafarians picked up the word, calling themselves dreadlocks, Dreads, or Nettie dreads. Growing Rastafari dreadlocks is a fulfillment of the vow of initiation, in addition, Rastafarians believe that long hair makes them invincible, and this is no accident. Dreadlocks resemble a lion's mane, and in the Bible the Lion is considered a symbol of Divine power. It is not for nothing that many prophecies call Haile Selassie 1 the "Lion of the Knee of Judah", emphasizing the Divine power of the Lion symbol. It is also believed that dreadlocks reveal in a person the abilities of supersensory cognition and clairvoyance. It is not for nothing that the Bible states that Samson's strength was in his hair.
"Return" is the movement of Rastafari home (to Africa) after they were given freedom of movement and allowed to return to their homeland, many could not do so and were forced to stay in America, Europe and specifically in Ukrainian lands. Not surprisingly, for early Rastafarianism, the return was a physical return to Africa. In modern Rastafarianism, everything is completely different. After all, as you know, Africa for Rastafari is not only a physical continent on the planet, but also a paradise on Earth and in Heaven. Therefore, for modern Rastafari, it is a return to the lost Heavenly Paradise, as well as obtaining freedom in an earthly paradise (in the Rastafari community). This is approximately the same as the way to the Kingdom of God for a Christian. It is necessary to prepare accordingly for the return, which means keeping the Nazarene Vow, as well as preserving the cultural traditions of one's people. Rastafarians believe that people were enslaved by Babylon because they forgot their traditions and roots (Roots - that's what it's called in Rastafarianism). Returning to the Roots (to one's roots), one of the main tasks of Rastafari. Returning to their roots and spiritual traditions, the Rastafari find the Truth and understanding of Ja's will. Ukrainians, as you know, are a people famous for their rich spiritual traditions and heritage, that is why the ideas of Rastafarianism are very important for Ukraine, and the number of Rastafarians in Ukraine is constantly growing. In general terms, the end of the Rastafarian world is similar to the Christian one, but there are significant differences. Since for many Rastafari, Jah reappeared on earth in the form of Haile Selassie 1, the second coming has already happened for them, while Christians are still waiting for the second coming of Christ. So, the thousand-year reign of Ja is now underway. Old Testament holy four great prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel; twelve minor prophets: Joel, Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Obadiah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi and the last prophet of the Old Testament and the first prophet of the New Testament - John the Forerunner, and according to the Revelation of the evangelist John the Theologian (in the book Apocalypse) all sinners must be destroyed at the second coming. The second coming for the Rastafari means Jah's victory over Babylon, even Jah's coming is already His victory. As for the destruction of sinners, it means spiritual destruction, not physical destruction, since only by His coming did Ja show that Babylon (and therefore all sinners) are doomed, and the only chance for salvation remains for them - in the course of the millennial kingdom, to join to Rastafari. It should be said that a thousand years does not necessarily have to coincide with the earthly calendar. The next difference. An addition to the Christian end of the world: many Rastafarians believe that the Heavenly Jerusalem will be brought down to the territory of modern Africa (Christians do not specify the place), which means that the idea of repatriation as a spiritual return to Africa (paradise) also has a physical meaning. At the same time, the return to the Heavenly Jerusalem will take place under the leadership of none other than Marcus Harvey (Prophet Haile Selassie 1), whom some Rastafarians consider to be the incarnation of the Prophet Elijah, who in the Old Testament was taken alive to heaven on a chariot of fire, the holiday is celebrated 2 August
A very important part of Rastafarian teaching is the Divine Ja language, which has many different names (I-language, I-talk, etc.). Rastafarians believe that Babylon distorted not only the Bible, but also all folk traditions, including the language in which people speak. Therefore, Rastafari invented their own language of communication, which they use only among themselves and very rarely for talking with outsiders. Words, according to Rastafarian teachings, can produce either positive or negative vibrations. In other words, they can affect a person either positively or negatively. Any utterance distorted by Babylon has a negative effect on a person, which means it interferes with a person's self-improvement and his knowledge of the will of God. The Rastafari language has a positive effect on people, so Rastafari use it to communicate with each other. The main ones in the Ja-language are three Divine words: JA (Name of God), AY (I) and AYYANAI (I & I, I and I - in English). AY is considered a Divine sound that gives positive vibrations to any word in which it is contained, so Rastafarians insert this syllable wherever possible (Aysus instead of Jesus, AYmen instead of Amen, AYliluia instead of Hallelujah). Moreover, Rastafari often use this word to replace all addresses such as "I", "You", "He", "She", "It", "They", "Me", "To you". This syllable is included in the Name of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie 1. In addition, this word is a symbol of Ja and Rastafarai. AYYANAY is an equally important word. It consists of two syllables AI, united by the word "I" (YAN - in Ukrainian, "END" - in English). This word symbolizes the unity of Ja (the first syllable of AY) and Rastafarai (the second syllable of AY), that is, it represents Ja and his followers as a single entity. Rastafarians generally do not speak to outsiders in the Jam language unless they sense positive vibrations emanating from a person. The vocabulary of the Jam language is too large to list here, and many Rastafarians make up their own words that others sometimes don't know. Originally, reggae was a Rastafarian religious hymn set to African music. Modern reggae is a musical movement popular all over the world, which is probably present at all music festivals. African musical rhythms were brought to the West Indies along with their performers. Gaining freedom by escaping and gathering in communities, former slaves drew strength from performing their traditional rhythms, songs and dances. Reggae music was born in Jamaica in the early 60s, its origins are numerous: ska, rock-steady, calypso (music of Trinidad and Tobago), zouk (music of the Antilles), soul and, of course, jazz. In the middle of the 20th century, the Caribbean musical styles of ska and calypso became fashionable among the British colonists in Jamaica, spread throughout the New World and became popular among Europeans. At that time, turbulent socio-political events were taking place in Jamaica and it was time for music to reflect the social context. Jamaicans needed a sound that would convey only their mood and attitude to events in their lives. New music sounded from the "unemployed street". It was a slowed-down combination of ska and rock-steady with an amplified bassline. The centers of communication between young people of both sexes were discotheques - dance halls or dances. Then, in one of the first songs of Bob Marley "Rude boys" it was suggested to "cool down" - the songs acquired a social consciousness. The arrival of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie 1 in Jamaica in 1966 caused an extraordinary spiritual uplift in most Jamaicans. For Rastafarians, this was an event of exceptional importance. All the best in reggae is illuminated by his name and faith in the Lord. When soulful words were placed on top of good dance music, hymns were born. Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer are revolutionaries with guitars, their call: - a rebellion of the spirit, through the awareness of His reality, and also through the intention to throw off the shackles of the slavish habit of following the ways of Babylon. Their global message to all the oppressed found a global response: "Stand up! Rise up! Rise up for your rights!" (Get up!! Stand up!! Stand up for you right!!). It is clear that, given the opportunity to record and release their own music, the followers of Rastafari turned to their tradition and found a sound there, which is called roots and released music under the general name - reggae. It must be said that the Rastafarian movement is developing independently of reggae, but many musicians praise the Almighty in their songs.
Prohibitions in Rastafarianism are generally similar to Christian Laws (dogma of the church), although there are significant differences. Even to sin itself, many Rastafarians have a negative attitude, and usually the word sin is replaced by the word IZIMS-SKIZIMS of the Jam-language and denotes all the negative manifestations of sinful Babylon, as well as what Rastafarians should not do Law. Let's consider the main differences between Rastafarian and Christian teachings. 1. The main difference between the Rastafarian use of hemp is one of the main sacraments, and in Christianity it is communion "with the blood of Christ." 2. Love for one's neighbor and one's enemies - the main commandment of Christianity is understood by many Rastafarians in a completely different way. As for the first part of the commandment (love for one's neighbor), it means love for one's parents, community members, friends and, in general, for those who are dear to them. As a rule, Rastafarians do not like their enemies. Since the enemy is Babylon, it is necessary to fight with it, not to love it. And there is nothing sinful in destroying your enemy before he destroys you. Naturally, spiritual struggle is meant, not physical destruction. 3. Rastafarians usually observe strict vegetarianism, unlike Christians, who do it only during special fasts. Rastafarians believe that eating animal food violates God's commandment "Thou shalt not kill", however, as you know, eating animal food is allowed in the Bible (this is stated at the very beginning of the book of Genesis). Rastafarians explain this contradiction in the following way: the consumption of animal products is allowed, but only to new converts who cannot immediately refuse its use. However, the new convert must gradually stop eating animal products and completely switch to a vegetarian diet. 4. The Rastafarian attitude to rituals and sermons is significantly different from Christianity, as well as from many other faiths. According to their teaching, in order to know the Truth, a person must have the desire to know it and, in addition, there must be the will of Ja. If a person doesn't care, then you shouldn't waste your time and hers, because it's pointless and won't produce any results. If a person himself wants to know about Ja, he will be the first to let you know about it. 5. Usually, entry into any religious community is carried out with the help of a special initiation ritual, for Christians it is, for example, baptism. Rastafari does not have any special initiation ritual, since the main thing is the desire of a person and the will of Ja, which means that this ritual simply does not make sense. If a person wants to know the will of Ja, then Ja will help him in this. In order to become a Rastafarian, you need to go through two main stages. The first of them and the most difficult is to defeat Babylon within yourself. In simple words, it is necessary to get rid of all the superstitions that Babylon killed in the head. As well as the ban on the use of hemp, belief in the inerrancy of the Bible (but it was distorted by Babylon, so it does not tell the whole truth) and others.
Naturally, it is necessary to know who Babylon is and what it wants (and it wants to turn people into obedient slaves), as well as to know other basics of the Rastafarian creed. And finally, the most important thing is that your sincere desire is necessary, and Ja's will will always be there, because Ja will never leave anyone who wants to know Him and His Truth. The second degree is the awareness of Ja's will, or it is also called SUPERMANIE, that is, understanding what is happening around as it really is. And, finally, it is necessary to observe the main Rastafarian traditions and the traditions of one's (Ukrainian) people. It should be especially noted that Rastafari, unlike other religions, are very tolerant of free-thinking, and believe that a person should choose for himself what to believe in. Therefore, it is not necessary for you to take literally all the features of Rastafarianism that are presented here. Rastafarianism has adopted its own symbolism, unique only to this religion and culture. Here is a description of the main symbols of Rastafarianism: In the Bible, the Lion is considered a symbol of strength and power. The lion is a symbol of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie 1 and his divine power. By the way, dreadlocks have the same meaning because they resemble a lion's mane. The sun is a symbol of Ja and the World of His Truth. Green color in Rastafarianism is the color of wisdom and knowledge of Jah's will. The Ethiopian flag is a symbol of the unity of all Rastafarians, and also represents a set of the entire light spectrum, a symbol of the entire World. The hemp leaf is a symbol of wisdom and spiritual improvement. Since Orthodoxy arose from Rastafarianism, various Orthodox symbols are also present in it. Rastafarians celebrate both the main Christian holidays and their own, unique to the Rastafarian religion. Christian holidays are celebrated by Rastafari only according to the Orthodox calendar, since Catholicism is considered a Babylonian lie by Rastafari. The Christmas of Ja-Aisus (Christmas of Christ), as in the Orthodox Church, is celebrated on January 7. The Transfiguration of the Lord is celebrated on August 19. On this day, the Apparition of Ja-Aisus in his Divine Glory is celebrated. Easter is celebrated as in the Orthodox Church (according to the Ethiopian calendar, Easter is celebrated on April 11 and is a permanent holiday, the date does not change). The Nativity of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie 1, - he was born on the first day of the astrological sign of Leo on July 23, 1892, which once again confirms his divine nature (the Lion of the tribe of Judah). The day of His Imperial Majesty's accession to the land of Jamaica (Grounation Day) is celebrated on April 21. On this day in 1966, Haile Selassie 1 entered the land of Jamaica. The purpose of Haile Selassie 1's visit to Jamaica was to meet with the leaders of the Rastafarian communities. At the airport, he was met by thousands of dreadlocks in white clothes who chanted "Hosanna to the Son of David!" This day is considered the day of the beginning of the spread of Rastafarianism throughout the world. The death of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie 1 occurred on August 22, 1975. Many Rastafarians believe that Haile Selassie 1 ascended to heaven after his death, like Christ. The birthday of the first revolutionary Bob Marley - February 6, 1945, Nine Mile, Jamaica, the day of his death May 11, 1981, University of Miami Hospital and Clinics Health Tower, Miami, Florida, USA. Second Revolutionary Peter Tosh Birthday October 19, 1944, Winston Hubert McIntosh at Grange Hill, Westmoreland, Jamaica. Peter Tosh, a former member of Bob Marley's band, is one of those mentioned every year. Tosh played guitar, melody, piano and organ. Much of his career was complicated by clashes with the authorities. In 1987, he was killed by three armed men in his own home. Over the years, his memory lives on, thanks to various events in his honor both in Jamaica and in Miami.
The third revolutionary Bani Wailer was born on April 10, 1947, Kingston, Jamaica, died on March 2, 2021 at Andrews Memorial Hospital. Nyabingi is a Rastafarian ritual meeting that aims to bring Babylon's fall closer and bring liberation to all Rastafarians. They gather on days of commemorative Rastafari dates (these dates may differ for each community), as well as on special occasions. During Nyabingi, a bonfire symbolizing Ja and the Light of his Truth is always lit, special ritual drums sound (they are actually called Nyabingi), and there is a general ritual lighting of hemp. Also the daily ritual Nyabingi can be held by Rastafari at 4:20 and 4:20 pm traditionally! The Ethiopian New Year is celebrated on September 11 and differs in the date of the year.