Jah?

noham · 12-16-2003, 07:08 PM

Being a fan of POD, I can't help but take notice of how they seem to have taken to using "Jah" instead of "God" in their music.

I know that "Jah" is the Rastafarian name for God and I was wondering what exactly do they believe about this "Jah", and how, if at all, does it mesh with Christianity's God, Yahweh?

(And because someone may mention it, don't debate POD's religion here. I am in no way trying to claim that there is anything approaching correct theology in their music)

**Ted Logan** · 12-16-2003, 08:55 PM

We call God "Jah" every Sunday at Church.

We say, "Hallelujah!", which is Hebrew for "Praise be to Jah".

Yah (or Jah) is a contraction of Yahweh (or more accurately, YHWH, since no one knows the correct pronunciation of God's name anymore). The Jah of Rastafarianism, however, is not Yahweh. Rastafarianism is a cult that takes elements of Christianity and twists them into something completely different.

**Ted Logan** · 12-17-2003, 12:17 AM

A little more background, but this is still simplified:

Rastafarianism was founded last century in Jamaica by Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican man who believed that Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, was the second coming of Christ.. Rastafarianism is a pan-African movement, meaning that its focus is the liberation of oppressed and poverty-stricken descendants of American (specifically Carribbean) slaves and their triumphant return to Africa in a Golden Age to come. Selassie, or as he was known, Ras Tafari (which means Prince of Peace), was supposedly a Christian and did not accept the Rastafarian teachings about him. The Rastas took as their symbol the flag of Ethiopia with a silhouette of a lion and a crown emblazoned on it, implying that Selassie was the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. They encouraged followers to wear their hair in the natural style of dreadlocks, intended to evoke images of the lion's mane. Finally, in one of the stranger parts of the system, they believe that the Bible can only be fully understood and greater experiences of God are to be had if the adherent is under the influence of marijuana while praying/studying.

Selassie took the throne of Ethiopia in the 1930s and died in 1975, but Rastafarians believe that he is still alive, his death a conspiracy against their religion (hmmm... marijuana and paranoia? Do those go together??).