1964 Awake! - Theocratic Collector.com

they can work up to a frenzy quicker and
can continue on for a longer period of time
without becoming exhausted.
Because they are not yet free from the
deep-seated fear of duppies, people flock
to these meetings. Many may attend some
orthodox church on Sunday, and such
meetings during the week. There is a feeling
that the ceremonies and rites of the
Catholic Church will give further protection
against duppies, and so many persons
are both Pocomanians and Catholics. Others
are reluctant to admit any connection
with such cults, claiming they only go to
these meetings for fun. When pressed, however,
they will acknowledge a fear of duppies
and faith in the healing powers of the
leader.
A Magic Bath
Healing is performed by a combination
of bush remedies and magic. Often a special
bath is prescribed. In her book Personality
in Conflict Madeline KelT describes
the ingredients of such a remedial
bath given to one of the field workers of
her research group. This list includes such
interesting items as 500 Bible leaves, oil
of life, oil of Virgin Mary, Knight of Carry
away, Must powder and oil of compelIance.
The bath was blessed with the reading of
Psalm 91.
A Black God
What of those not bound by such shackles?
Have they found freedom? Unhappily,
many have only exchanged one form of
bondage for another. For example, consider
those who have become "Rastafari."
Beneath the red, yellow and green flag of
Ethiopia, the brotherhood inhabit dwellings
of discarded automobile bodies, flattened
oil drums, kerosene tins and cardboard
and ponder the injustices inflicted
on them by the whites who enslaved their
2S
grandparents. This is the outgrowth of
black nationalism preached by Marcus
Garvey at the beginning of the century.
In seeming fulfillment of Garvey's prophecies,
Ras Tafari in 1930 became 'Haile
Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, and took to
himself the titles King of Kings, Lord of
Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
To Garvey's disciples he became the
living God and they look to him to liberate
them from white oppression and domination.
Throughout the brotherhood, three ideas
prevail: Haile Selassie is divine. That God
is black, they claim, is upheld by the original
Bible, which was grossly altered by
that white man, James I of England. Secondly,
the black man is superior, and,
thirdly, repatriation to Africa is the ultimate
goal and divine right. Aside from
these tenets, beliefs vary considerably and
members range from pacifists to criminals,
from people of average intelligence to the
mentally deranged. They claim that smoking
ganga unites them spiritually with
their god and makes them strong and
healthy. Evidence is that it leads to lack
of self-control and outright violence.
No, they have not yet fOWld freedom.
Addiction to such a drug and a doctrine of
bitter racialism cannot lead to freedom and
happiness.
There are others that have put off the
shackles to accept voluntarily a form of
worship that brings happiness now and
promises of greater blessings in the future.
They have become servants of the Most
High God, Jehovah. No duppy can throw
them into a panic. No obeahman can act
the cruel tyrant over them. No racialism
can disrupt their harmony. How has this
come about? A systematic study of the Bible
has enabled them to lay aside their superstitions
and geared them to help to loosen
the shackles of those not yet free.
AWAKE!