Bob Marley: Rastafarian Wrongdoer or Confessing Christian?

Steel Drummer · Mon 31/07/2006 01:31:50

A while ago, I read anÃ,Â article stating that Bob Marley became a Christian a few months before he died. I was curious as to whether or not this was a rumour, since the site I read it on is not a well known site. I think it would be interesting and enlightening to hear some other opinions on this, and get some good discussion going.Ã,Â

Oops! Can a moderator please delete the post below this one (the one with the same subject)? I accidentally posted twice. :

Thanks!

Mad-Hatter · Mon 31/07/2006 03:54:10

This seems like an extremely interesting and possibly enlightening topic.

Therefore I should probably avoid it...

Did I say that out loud?

Helm · Mon 31/07/2006 04:17:04

No, you replied to a message board thread on the internet, adding nothing of value besides an brief glimpse in the mind of the MAD HATTER

Nostradamus · Mon 31/07/2006 08:42:04

I don't think you can believe that in 100%. The reason is the poeple who "testified" that are priests, and it's their huge interest to say that the most popular man ever in jamaica and a lot of caribbean and african countries became christian, hoping to convert rastafaris to christianity. It's a very comfrotable scam to convert people, and you know religious leader of all religions would lie about everything to get people to convert or become religious.
However even if it is the truth, it doesn't really say anything, because most people who are about to die and know it, all of a sudden turn religious because they think "hey maybe that will save me", so it is possible a man of one religion would convert to another on his deathbed in a thought that maybe it would save him. But if he lived all his life believing in rastafari than that's what he believed in period, no matter what he thought when he was about to die.
If you knew the ratafari religion you would know it has nothing to do with christianity. The rastafara believe they are the descendats of Queen Sheba (Sheba - today's Ethiopia) who had a child with King Solomon hence they see themselves as jews descendats (although judaism recognizes jews by their mom and not their dad), the basic twist to judaism is that Ras Tafari Makonnen, crowned King Haile Selassie I, who was king of ethiopia in 1930-1974 is actually the messiah and incarnation of god in their belief and is called Jah (which is a literal reading of the name of god in the bible). It sits well with the bible because the bible says the messsiah will be the son of David, while Jesus is the son of Joseph, and Selassie is freom the lineage of the son of Solomon (son of David). Therefore the rastafara are currently not in their holy land Zion which in their belief is no longer Jerusalem and Israel but Ethiopia and the other non-rastafari countries people are Babylon. In their beliefe salvation will come when King Selasi would come back and babylon would be no more, only Zion,ratafari will be the only religion. Which is exactly the jewish faith of the end of the days, only jews believe it to be in israel and rastafari believe it to be in ethiopia. Nothing even remotely close to christianity.
So even if he did convert, which personally I won't believe cos it's too convient as stated above, to convert his beliefs so radically when about to die just shows it would have been done from being desprate also as explained above.

Hammerite · Mon 31/07/2006 08:47:45

where's the wrongdoer thing come from?

SSH · Mon 31/07/2006 09:48:15

It's true, he even re-recorded his famous song as "I'm going to be chrome like a Leopon in Rome..."

Steel Drummer · Mon 31/07/2006 15:43:59

Quote from: Nostradamus on Mon 31/07/2006 08:42:04
I don't think you can believe that in 100%. The reason is the poeple who "testified" that are priests, and it's their huge interest to say that the most popular man ever in jamaica and a lot of caribbean and african countries became christian, hoping to convert rastafaris to christianity. It's a very comfrotable scam to convert people, and you know religious leader of all religions would lie about everything to get people to convert or become religious.
However even if it is the truth, it doesn't really say anything, because most people who are about to die and know it, all of a sudden turn religious because they think "hey maybe that will save me", so it is possible a man of one religion would convert to another on his deathbed in a thought that maybe it would save him. But if he lived all his life believing in rastafari than that's what he believed in period, no matter what he thought when he was about to die.
If you knew the ratafari religion you would know it has nothing to do with christianity. The rastafara believe they are the descendats of Queen Sheba (Sheba - today's Ethiopia) who had a child with King Solomon hence they see themselves as jews descendats (although judaism recognizes jews by their mom and not their dad), the basic twist to judaism is thatÃ,Â Ras Tafari Makonnen, crowned King Haile Selassie I, who was king of ethiopia in 1930-1974 is actually the messiah and incarnation of god in their belief and is called Jah (which is a literal reading of the name of god in the bible). It sits well with the bible because the bible says the messsiah will be the son of David, while Jesus is the son of Joseph, and Selassie is freom the lineage of the son of Solomon (son of David). Therefore the rastafara are currently not in their holy land Zion which in their belief is no longer Jerusalem and Israel but Ethiopia and the other non-rastafari countries people are Babylon. In their beliefe salvation will come when King Selasi would come back and babylon would be no more, only Zion,ratafari will be the only religion. Which is exactly the jewish faith of the end of the days, only jews believe it to be in israel and rastafari believe it to be in ethiopia. Nothing even remotely close to christianity.
So even if he did convert, which personally I won't believe cos it's too convient as stated above, to convert his beliefs so radically when about to die just shows it would have been done from being desprate also as explained above.

The people who said that aren't 'priests', per se. They are Christian reggae artists. Another interesting twist: a while ago I also wiki-ed Bob Marley and a short sentence at the end of the article. said that he WAS baptized into the Orthodox church. I find rastas ironic since haile selassie was a christian, but they're worshipping him. It just doesn't seem natural.

Hammerite · Mon 31/07/2006 15:46:08

but jesus was a jew and all the CHRISTIANS worship him

Steel Drummer · Mon 31/07/2006 16:12:33

Jesus was a Jew, but he didn't follow Judaism. If you truly knew your bible, you'd see that He totally schools

the Pharisees, who were the equivalent of the Judaists of today.

Hammerite · Mon 31/07/2006 18:25:39

i read the ending... there's not going to be a sequel is there...
:'(

Steel Drummer · Mon 31/07/2006 18:33:05

What are you talking about???

Hammerite · Mon 31/07/2006 18:38:12

Return Of The Jedi.

Mad-Hatter · Tue 01/08/2006 01:30:54

QuoteIf you truly knew your bible, you'd see that He totally schools the Pharisees, who were the equivalent of the Judaists of today.

Quote from: Hammerite on Mon 31/07/2006 18:25:39
i read the ending... there's not going to be a sequel is there...
:'(

The Bible 2??

But,
To contribute to the conversation: I doubt he was a Christian, even on his deathbed. After all, he was someone who preached for a completely different religion. Why would he suddenly decide that everything he'd preached and told was no longer worth something, and switch to a religion he'd never believe in before.

Steel Drummer · Tue 01/08/2006 05:36:59

Yeah, Hammerite's always talking gibberish.Ã,Â

On a more serious note, I think it's possible that Marley could have become a Christian before he died. After all, Selassie told the world that Jesus was Christ and told people not to worship him (no, I don't mean God, I mean Selassie). And I'm not saying he became one right on his deathbed, from what I've heard, he converted about 7 months before his death.

Hammerite · Tue 01/08/2006 07:38:39

Passion of The Christ 2: CRUCIFY THIS!!

That wouldve been an awesome movie, why did Peter Griffin have to bury it in the desert?

Krysis · Tue 01/08/2006 07:53:37

Religion is thing some people turn to, because they want to go to heaven, even if it doesn't exist. We all know there is no God, Heaven and Hell and still we want it to be real. God is like Santa for adults, only good guys get Heaven for a present. People need that kind of thing. I'm sure Bob Marley wanted to someplace nice when he dies.

Nostradamus · Tue 01/08/2006 09:33:22

first of all Jesus was a jew and didn't ,eam per say to create a new religion, but to change or modernize (for that time) judaism. It's only after he died that people created christianity.
The Pharisees are NOT today's jews wtf?, today's jews are the descendets of the jews from the bible, aka the hebrew people or the Bnei Israel.
And while several possible sources that say marley became christian before dying and their interests in it, well obviouls yif he was just anothe rjoe no one would talk about it so even if you're a christian reggae artist who stands against the rastafari beliefs its still in his best interest to say that he converted so more rastafari will.
But since most assume it's true I will also assume it's true and he has converted to christianity. Still all of you agree with me that he did out of desparation before dying trying to save himself. So if you are rastafrari who thinks of converting to christianity because marley did, that shouldn't be the reason.

SSH · Tue 01/08/2006 09:53:45

Quote from: Nostradamus on Tue 01/08/2006 09:33:22
The Pharisees are NOT today's jews wtf?

Actyually, I think he may have got this right by accident:

Quote from: Wikipedia
After the destruction of the Second Temple, the Pharisaic sect was re-established as Rabbinic Judaism â€" which ultimately produced normative, traditional Judaism, the basis for all contemporary forms of Judaism, with the possible exception of the Karaites.

[/url]

Quote from: Krysis on Tue 01/08/2006 07:53:37
God is like Santa for adults, only good guys get Heaven for a present.

That's not what Christians believe. Christians know they are not good enough, which is why Jesus needed to die for their sins...

Quote from: Nostradamus on Tue 01/08/2006 09:33:22
Still all of you agree with me that he did out of desparation before dying trying to save himself. So if you are rastafrari who thinks of converting to christianity because marley did, that shouldn't be the reason.

If he was desperate to save himself, surely he would then go the religion he thought most likely to be true. Thus Marley being desperate actually stengthens the cause of Christianity over Rasta. And I don't know why you think "all of you agree with me".

Krysis · Tue 01/08/2006 16:10:02

Nostradamus reads my mind...

SSH, ok, Santa is nicer. Seems Jesus thinks you are allways a bad boy.

And God made people, right? So what was his... erm... son(?) bitchin' about 2006 years ago? It was his daddy's fault for making us human. All the Bible crap doesn't make sence anyway...

SSH · Tue 01/08/2006 16:23:55

You'd prefer it God had made people obedient robots? Like those Iraqi elections where Saddam used to get 100% of the vote, it would be worthless being good if there was no choice.

Doesn't make sense in what way?