Submitted by: Submitted by Kenneth
Views: 588
Words: 1445
Pages: 6
Category: Business and Industry
Date Submitted: 12/15/2009 04:39 PM
religion
Jamaica is home to many, many religion. Jamaica allowed settlers far more religious freedom than England did. Spirituality takes many forms in Jamaica, but all are reflected in the local culture. The Guinness Book of World Records determined Jamaica to have the most churches per square mile of any place on the planet. The island hosts many different Christian denominations, including Anglicans, Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, Seventh Day Adventists, and Presbyterians. But the religious are not only Christians: Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Bahia’s, and Rastafarians. understanding the universe and God. Indentured servants from East Indian originally brought marijuana to Jamaica.
Some Rastas believe in eating organic food and follow strict dietary requirements which prohibit alcohol and tobacco consumption as well as salt, meat (particularly pork), and most seafood. This strict organic dietary regimen is called Ital. Many Rastafarians prefer to keep their own gardens to ensure that they can adhere to this diet.
Rastafari is the most prominent non-Christian religion on the island. It came into prominence as a grass-roots religion in the 1930s and was promoted as an alternative to white-oriented religions. Rastafarians worship the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, or Ras Tafari. Rastafarians also believe in reincarnation and that males should not cut or comb their hair or beards. The emphasis of the belief is on nurturing the inner spirit in each person, which has affected the language with its addition of"I" as a prefix for many words. Marijuana may also be used by Rastafarians as a sacrament and a meditational aid. It is an evolving religion and culture, and not every member believes in all of these things. Its popularity, however, has spread to many other countries in the region and around the world.
In fact, one of the first Jewish synagogues in the region was built on the island. Rastafarianism is another African-influenced religion in...