Rastafari is a religion that was created in the early 1900s due to the poor social and economic conditions of the Black people in Jamaica. They belive that both Jesus Christ and Haile Selassie I, who was alive at the time the religion started and was the Emperor of Ethiopia, were incarnations of God. Rastafarians believe in a Holy Trinity which is similar to the Christian concept of the trinity and also contradictory.

Rastafarians believe that the way a word is pronounced matters. Many believe that the English word, "Jesus" is corrupt and prefer the Aramaic "Jashua" or simply "Jai". It's unclear why "Jai" is less corrupt than "Jesus" though the word Jesus was developed by White people. Rastas have a concept of Babylon. For them this represents modern western "society", which they see as corrupt and white dominated. Early Christians also used Babylon as a Metaphor for what was corrupt in the Roman Empire.

Some Rastafarians used to believe that Black people are superior to White people. This is no longer accepted especially after Haile Selassie codemned all Racism. Most modern Rastafarians seek world peace and harmony for all and believe that all People can achieve what they see as spiritual liberation. Some white people choose to become Rastafarians and are accepted into the movement.

The Rastafarian religious and political movement has come under great scrutiny by society because of it’s beliefs and traditions. They have been referred to as a violent cult [citation needed] not only in Jamaica, but also in America and Canada, where many of the members and affiliates have migrated. Clearly there are different strands to Rastafarianism. Rastafairians use Cannabis in some of their religious rituals. This may or may not be as reasonable as Christians using Communion wine.

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