CHAPTER 8. CHRISTAFARIANISM: ANOTHER GOSPEL

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him].

The Apostle Paulus  (2 Chorintians 11:3,4)

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed

The Apostle Paulus, (Galatians 1:6-8)

Researching the Christian Industrial Complex reveals a collection of rotten fruits which in itself would fill a complete library. Everyone knows about the scandals around the Television Preachers, for example. On big stages they manipulate people into giving them money, preaching all kinds of things they do not practice themselves.

We have also come to know some of the fruits of Bob Beeman and his Sanctuary Movement. They don’t look too biblical, at least not when you are looking for fruits of the Holy Spirit.

The Bible does reveal, however, exactly what these fruits are that we see comming from the Christian Industrial Complex. The fruits are rotten and bad and the Bible calls them “works of the flesh” in the Book of Galatians.

We’ve checked the roots of Christafarianism and have seen what fruits of these roots are in other works. In other words: We’ve checked some fruits from the same tree that produced the fruit “Christafari”. Stryper and Vengeance Rising have the same roots as Christafari, and when the tree which produced these two “Christian Heavy Metal Bands” brings forth such bad fruits, why then would Christafari have to be different?

Can something good grow out of something bad? According to the bible: NO. According to the Bible, when a work is not worked by Yesus Kristos, it is a wrong work. According to the bible, it is impossible for a man to worship two masters. And when you worship the Christian Industry rather then the Creator, it is obvious where your heart and therefore your fruits are.

It would not be sufficient, to simply report from some other bad fruits of the Sanctuary Movement. So where we have checked Christafari’s Roots in the previous chapter, we will now continue to take a look at some of their fruits. And it shouldn’t be too big of a surprise, when we find out how these fruits are as rotten as the roots!

Christafari has nothing to do with true Christianity. It has nothing to do with anything “authentic” when it comes to Rastafari or Reggae Music either. And still, because of Christafarianism, Mark Mohr is able to succesfully imitate the works of his examples. Bob Beeman, for example.

Bob Beeman is a big name in the Christian Industrial complex. Single handed, he has created “Sanctuaryanism” as a culture and he has taught Mark Mohr how to do the same with Christafarianism.

Before we can apply the Biblical testing of the fruits of this culture, we must first determine whether there is such a thing as Christafarianism. We must then look at it spiritually, that is from the same perspective as Jah. Yesus has warned us for the false prophets, and He didn’t leave any confusion for the spiritual sons and daughters of Jah as to how they would be recognized.

In the Bible, we can find the neccesary information. Regardless as to what Christafari exactly stands for, we will find it described in that book. And even stronger: since Christafari uses the Name of Yesus Kristos in their own name, it will not be so hard to find the right places.

Mark Mohr told me personally, over the telephone, that the preceeding book did not contain any biblically based critique. Now this was not the case, and he had to admit this in that very same telephone conversation. There was a biblically based critique in the book, and the Bible was even quoted.

However, we can look at his statement for what it is at first sight and disgregard it as an invalid argument in a desperate attempt to prevent a neccesary debate, but we can also take it into the context of Christafarianism and accept the challenge.

Christafari’s actions towards the writer of a critical essay were all committed in the Name of Yesus Kristos. My book did contain a critique, but it was more an open invitation for a neccesary debate. A debate about the Christian Industrial Complex, about the movement of Rastafari, about money and god or God or JAH, in essence about the validity of a philosophy such as Christafarianism. And that’s why a lot of elements were left out. Elements which we bring to the surface in this book.

I have invited Mark Mohr for a public debate, to be organized by a third party, with a moderator such as the writer of the book “Dread Jesus”. This debate could have been recorded and the created documentation would be of service to the Body of Yesus Kristos and everyone else interested in the Christafari phenomena. For the record, WD Spencer know about this invitation, too...

Two sides would have been equally given the opportunity to make their case. A third and neutral party would have been a guarantee for that and the claim of both participants to come in the Name of Yesus Kristos would have given the debate the neccesary heavyweight.

There are many ways to create a good debate. One could agree to certain speaking times, refuttal times and “cross examination” times which can all be arranged in cooperation with each other. After all, this debate is about how the Creator should be worshipped and obeyed, which is definitely not a superficial issue in the public’s eye, at least when your public is truly seeking for the truth as well.

The invitation is willingly, consciously and openly rejected by Mark Mohr and the Christafarians.

In the Name of Yesus Kristos, and in a “Christian Image[1]”, Mark Mohr and Christafari claim that the debate is not neccesary:

They will know that we are Christians by our love, not our debates or senseless arguments over superficial issues in the public's eye..[2]

I think that it is better to have a broad knowledge of the Scriptures and several verses memorized then have a specific debate memorized verbatim[3]

While a Selassie worshipper may be able to debate doctrine with you for hours (and they may know the Bible better than you), what they can’t deny is (...)  your personal testimony, (...) your strongest witnessing tool. It (...) will rarely be debated.[4]

What is a debate?

Webster’s dictionairy gives the following definition: “a regulated discussion of a proposition between two matched sides”[5]

The Britannica Online says:

“formal, oral confrontation between two individuals, teams, or groups who present arguments to support opposing sides of a question, generally according to a set form or procedure.”[6]

The apostle Paulus was an avid debater. There are many examples to be found in the Bible with descriptions about him going to philosophize and debate. For example, he had many debates with a group we have come to know as the Bereans.

Paulus didn’t use some kind of “personal testimony” to explain the message of Yesus Kristos to the Bereans. He gave them an argumentated reasoning with the Scriptures as a referance. Paulus also debated with Greek philosophers and even quoted from their own material. He continually debated. In the words of Mark Mohr, Paulus as well as the Bereans were “able to debate doctrine for hours and know the Bible better than you”.

A disdain for doctrine can therefore never be a Christian reason to deny a debate. And yet, Mark Mohr displays this disdain. He even explains it in biblically couched terms, by starting off with a Bible verse[7], and finishing with his own words: “They will know that we are Christians by our love, not our debates or senseless arguments over superficial issues in the public's eye..[8]”

Even though Mark Mohr is invited for a public debate, he doesn’t seem to understand the reason for a debate and puts it opposite of what he calls “love”. He emphasizes the publicity and reveals how for him the Gospel is all about entertaining the public, giving them what they want. And it goes even further, for what he wants to give the public is himself!

In a debate, it’s not about the participants and the audience. In a debate, it’s all about love for the Truth. A debate is about the doctrines, about the philosophies, about the reasoning behind the Message that the gospel is.

In a debate, the participants put themselves into a position of speaking in defense or opposition to a statement or string of thoughts. It is normal for someone who proposes a “New Movement”, or a new philosophy such as “Christafarianism” to be able to defend this philosophy. Remember, even “planting churches” is part of the game...

So, how can it be that someone comes in the Name of Yesus Kristos with some new philosophy without being excited over an opportunity to have an in-depth look at this?

Additionally, when it comes to key issues in the doctrine of the Gospel, there are many “superficial issues in the public’s eye”. However, for a Christian these things are not only key issues, but life essentials!

But Mark Mohr prefers something he calls a personal testimony which is all about himself, and not about the truth. He prefers to refrain from what he calls superficial issues in the public’s eye and is not prepared to have his teachings checked and debated in his presence.

Privately, it is not a whole lot better. The more I tried, the more agressive was the response. Sometimes, he wrote back and said something like: “Look, I am a star and you should be happy that I answer my fan-mail anyway, and I have not time for this”. When I approached him with the concept text of an article I was about to publish, he almost begged me not to publish it. By that time, I had become a well known artist (be it NOT in any gospel or christian industry) myself and he said: “Just what we need, two Christian prominents in the Reggae Industry battling each other on the public street.” When I met him personally, in the UK, just a year before I would publish my book, he continually avoided any of the issues and basically let himself be shown to a food shop for some food.

But let’s look at all of this from a Christian perspective, and look in the Bible for some guidance concerning doctrinal issues and public statements. Let’s face it. When we love the Truth, we shouldn’t be afraid for Him.

Let’s see whether we can have a disdain for doctrine and avoid debates because of the little entertaintment value for “the public”, especially when we call ourselves an Elect of God and a Pastor and a Spiritual Leader who “preaches Gospel”.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  (1 John 4:1)

Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. (1 Corinthians 14:29)

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (Matthew 7:15)

Everyone who comes in the Name of Yesus Kristos and says a thing, is to be considered a prophet in this context. You must check what they say, and when they are truly bringing the words of Jah then they will have no problem in being checked. After all, the prophets know that it is not about them, it is not about the entertaintment value of the public, it is about the Lord JAH.

An unwillingness to have your teachings checked by pointing out to the little entertaintment value and impersonal approach of the whole concept of debate is not an attitude that goes hand in hand with biblical teaching.

Or should I say, teachers? After all, Mark Mohr claims that we should not debate doctrine with him, but instead look to him as a person and be entertained by him. He’s a teacher, so deal with the teacher and not with the teachings...

This focus on a person rather than on the objective Truth is a constantly returning theme within the Christafari Cult, as we see in this book. But it is diametrically opposed to the teachings of Yesus Kristos.

When He was walking on the earth, Yesus Kristos spoke out against the Pharisees. They took places in the synagogues and even “sat on Moses’ Seat”, as they called the Pullpit in these days. When someone was “sitting on Moses’ Seat”, one was simply reading from the Scriptures which in these days contained the Old Testament as well as some other books such as the Book of Enoch. The scribes and pharisees were the “Pastors” of these days. And this is what Yesus Kristos had to say about them:

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, [that] observe and do; but do not ye after their works. (Matthew 23:1-3)

Here Yesus Kristos says quite the opposite of what Mark Mohr claims. Without shame, he teaches that doctrines are not to be regarded, because of the little entertaintment value of it. Mark Mohr claims how a focus on the person is more important then a focus on the doctrine. But Yesus Kristos claims how we should not look to the person but instead check out the doctrine!

The apostle Paulus, however, teaches us further about this particular concept of entertaintment over Truth. He left us with some key information when it comes to identifying the false teachers of every day. Interestingly, the keyword in this could very well be: entertaintment.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (2 Timothy 4:3)

Now how’s that about the Bible and “superficial issues in the public’s eye”, or ear in this case, as a reason not to debate about doctrine? Paulus says, that because people can not endure doctrine, they do not want to listen to it. They do not want to deal with it. Instead, they want to satisfy what Paulus calls “itching ears”.

When you create a sound that caters to the itching ears, you might very well call it entertaintment. And when it is done in the Name of Yesus Kristos, presented as “bringing the Gospel”, you might very well see Christafarianism described in the quoted Bible verse.

And that’s not all. Because it’s not free to have your itching ears satisfied! Because whoever says entertaintment, says entertaintment industry.

But there’s nothing wrong with an entertaintment industry as such, in this context. After all, there are a lot of people working with for example Reggae Music and they can all be considers workers in the entertaintment industry.

In fact, everyone who is working is involved in some industry. Translated back to the days in which the New Testament was written, Paulus was involved in the “tent industry”. After all, when he was not preaching the gospel, he was involved in making tents for a living. And you can bet that while he was making tents, he didn’t keep his mouth shut either.

So what’s the big deal when Mark Mohr and Christafari want to cater the itching ears of those that consider doctrinal debates to be superficial issues?

After all, I myself am an artist too, working in the entertaintment industry without being ashamed over what I see and Who made me see. Am I being hypocritical here? One false teacher blaming the other false teacher for being a false teacher? Well, even if I was, consider me to sit on Moses’ Seat, if you will. But please check everything before you put the contents away.

There is a big difference in being an artist working in some artistic industry, and being a self proclaimed “Pastor”, a “teacher”. The difference is in the industry. For there is one industry that a Christian should never be willing to work in.

And while this particular industry may be connected with other industries, it is really the Babylon where Jah Children are being told to step out of.

That industry is the Christian Industrial Complex!

You see, the big difference between the Christian Industry and every (almost) any other Industry is the very product for it’s merchandize. There is the Entertaintment Industry, where Entertaintement is the product. There is the Food Industry, where your daily bread is the product. Paulus worked in the “Tent Industry”, if you will.

The Industry creates the product where it is named after, and subsequently uses that product as merchandize.

When you have the Christian Industry, the product is evidently Christianity. This very product can come in a wide variety of items and services, ranging from “Christian Videogames” to “Church Services”. In practice and in theory, every aspect of The Christian Life is being used as a way to make money. Maybe the money is not much, but the fact is there that the Christian Life is being used to generate economic activity.

The apostle Petrus didn’t have any problem in saying exactly the same thing. He said, that the false prophets would create a Christian Industry. And it will not surprise those readers who know themselves to be positively associated with the message of the movement of Rastafari, just how Petrus choses to describe the Christian industrial Complex.

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness[9]  shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.  (2 Peter 2:1-3)

The Christian Industrial Complex makes merchandize out of the very lifes of the Christians. A life, of which Yesus Kristos has given His life for at a cross outside the walls of Jerusalem. He has literally bought us free, which is quite the opposite of what the Christian Industrial Complex is now trying to do with the Christian Lifes.

Yesus Kristos did not come to this earth and die, so that a Christian Industrial Complex could be created. He did not want His sheep to get in the hands of the mercinairies who will “Pastor” every flock for money.

Nevertheless, almost every aspect of The Normal Christian Life is being used to generate economic activety. The english Bible reads: “to make merchandize”. But when you check out the original Greek word, it becomes even clear how Petrus was speaking about an Industrial Complex where the very product is the Christian Life!

The word we speak of is “emporeuomai {em-por-yoo'-om-ahee}”. There are four different defenitions which can all be applied to this word. And we can recognize the word “Empire”, too. Today we would speak about an Industrial Complex. Here are the definitions:

- to go a trading, to travel for business, to traffic, trade

- of a thing, to import for sale

-  to deal in

- to use a person or a thing for gain

When you would use contemporary keywords to describe the above definitions, they would have to be: generating economic activity and applying manipulation techniques.

It is obvious, that Petrus speaks about slick marketeers who use manipulation techniques to generate their economic activety. Masters of Propaganda, masters of Marketing. The very word “Marketing” means literally “to make merchandize”. Today, we would say: “put something on the market”. Or “we have a gap to plug”.

But it goes further. Because as soon as you “emporeuomai” the Christian Life, then you are de facto making the very person of the believer into a marketing object. In other words: you put a Christian on the market. You use Christians and Christianity to gain!

Petrus puts it much more simple: “They will make merchandize out of you”!

The Christian industrial Complex, with all it’s varieties, makes merchandize out of the Christian Life. They know that a Christian should witness to other people about their faith in Yesus Kristos, for example. So they sell “Great Witness Tools”. They know that a Christian should feed himself with bible scriptures. So they sell “music filled with bible scriptures”.

Let’s take an example from the practice. Just how does Christafari merchandize out of a Christian?

Take this CD, containing edited audio recordings from His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, sold at the Lion of Zion marketplace as a “great witness tool”.

Take a situation in which one believer in Kristos asks a “Pastor” for advice concerning a spiritual matter. Something having to do with things from the Body of Kristos. This is exactly the situation of which Yesus Kristos has said the following:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.” (Revelation 21:6b)

“freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8b)

Both the CD and the situation are being connected to each other by Christafari themselves. This mix-up, or con-fusion, is the very sin of making merchandize out of a Christian.

On a section of the Christafari website where Mark Mohr is answering questions from Christians concerning spiritual matters, we can find the following question:

“What is the best way to witness to a Rasta or anyone else in a cult?”[10]

Now many things can be said about this question. But in this context, let’s take it like it is. It is a fact, that those who believe in Yesus Kristos are told by Yesus, to witness. But, as we have seen, we should not incorporate any economic activity in this. Yesus said: “You got it for free, you give it for free”.

But what does “Pastor Mark” say?

“The most useful tool that I have found in witnessing to a Selassie worshipper is "The Teachings of His Imperial Majesty the 1st". This is a CD sold on http://www.lionofzion.com”

There is the very same con-fusion or mix-up that the bible has warned us for. It is the Babylonian Christian Industrial Complex at work. Here is exactly where a Christian is being used for gain.

There is one Christian who is asking a question concerning a spiritual matter. How should one wittness to one outside of the Body of Kristos? When challenged to a debate concerning the doctrine, Mark Mohr claims how there is no entertaintment value in that and how instead a personal testimony should be given.

Appearantly, giving a personal testimoney is something you can do by buying a certain product from the very same Pastor or Shepherd that you, as a fellow sheep, are asking a question to about the Good Shepherd!

The answer that Mark Mohr gives, is one of a slick marketeer who uses people’s question to market his products. A very normal thing to do in about any industry. But it is something which can not and should not be attempted to be done inside of the true Church of Yesus Kristos. Still “Pastor Mark” does it.

Christafari have sales in mind when they are “teaching how to witness”.

This shows in the fact that the very same recordings which Christafari is selling as a “Great Witness Tool” to ignorant Christafarians who have no idea as to what the movement of Rastafari is all about, can be downloaded for free from the Internet[11].

This isn’t an unkown fact to Christafari. Someone once posted the fact on the Christafari Messageboard. But the post was deleted. Another post adressing the deletion issue was deleted too.

If Christafari, who boasts having “The World’s Largest Online Gospel Reggae Web Store”[12], would have been interested in providing people with the “witness tools” freely, then they would not have done what they did.

If Christafari would truly be “a ministry to the Body of Kristos”, they would not have been fullfilling the prophecies of Yesus and Peter and others concerning false prophets who make merchandize out of the Christian Life.

If “Pastor Mark” would really be a Pastor, he would be willing to have his public statements tested like the Bereans tested Paulus.

If “Pastor Mark” would really be a missionairy as he claims to be, an apostle in the literal sense of the word, he would be more than willing to debate someone with critique. He would have seen it as a great witness opportunity!

If “Pastor Mark” would not be a false prophet who, because of his covetousness, makes merchandize out of the Christian life by catering to the Itchy Ears of those who consider Jah’s Teachings “superficial issues”, he would not say that “the public’s eye” sets the agenda of the church so that “they” (meaning: the public) will know that “we” (meaning: the church) are “Christians”.

If “Pastor Mark” would be preaching the Gospel of Yesus Kristos, and if he would have some kind of function within the Body of Kristos, he would definitely not fullfill the prophecies concerning false teachers and shepherds (Pastors).

But still he does.

And he can not do otherwise, either. For when “Christafarianism” would be the Gospel of Yesus Kristos, it would surely not fullfill the description of what the Bible calls: another Gospel.

We have allready seen how, why and where Christafari was formed. We have seen how and where Christafarianism was formed.  We have seen how it is a “Reggae Version” of what we have come to know as “Sanctuaryanism”.

We have taken a look at the other fruits of Sanctuaryanism. We’ve even discovered the Christian Industrial Complex. Now we’ve seen how the Christian Industrial Complex has created Christafari and Christafarianism.

When there is one Industry, that a Christian has to avoid like the plague, it is the Christian industry. Because the industry doesn’t only make merchandize out of your life in Kristos, the “gospel” that it produces is definitely another gospel than that of our Lord and Saviour Yesus Kristos.

Another gospel, another Christ. And it goes unnoticed because of the high entertaintment value. By using words from the Bible like “Pastor”, “Church”, “Love”, “God”, “Gospel”, “Christian”, “Ministry”, et cetera, to describe the methods and products in their Christian industry, Christafari is using the Name of Kristos in vain (Christafari) and so their fruits can never be the fruits of the Holy Spirit of Jah.

Throughout the New Testament do we find warnings against the false prophets. Thusfar we’ve quoted the Lord Yesus Kristos and the apostles Paulus, Petrus, and John. The quotes were about (false) prophets and we’ve seen how Mark Mohr suggests everything the quotes warn against, and vice versa.

The quotes we used are not the only ones we could look for. The Bible is literally filled with passages about the false prophets and their false gospel. But it is striking to see as to how we should look on the false prophets.

Yesus Kristos told us to look to the fruits. The fruits of Christafarianism  can not be much better than the other branches from that same root. When we briefly look at the fruits, we allready smell the uncleanliness.

But what happens if we go deeper into the fruits of Christafari? What happens if we take a closer look at the many projects Mark Mohr started in the name of “Christianity”?  After all, whether he likes it or not, Mark Mohr does claim things of which the Bible says that we have to search the Scriptures, if they are so.

The New Testament gives us the clear commandment concerning false prophets to look at their fruits rather then on their doctrine. And , (not so) surprisingly, Mark Mohr is also asking to not really check his doctrine but instead look at himself.

He calls himself a missionairy, which means he “plants churches”. But he also says that he’s not enough well versed in the Bible to be able to defend the faith in a meditation on the doctrine. In other words, he is not doing what the New Testament tells us to do concerning true prophets: debate them, if we have point of critique.

In the Christian Industrial Complex he is basically considered “a leader whom all have to obey”, because he is an “Officially Ordained Sanctuary Pastor”. In the Christian Industrial Complex you don’t waste any time with doctrines, you simply do what you’re being told: having a good time while your itchy ears are being catered and leave the doctrines to the “debaters”.

But Yesus spoke about checking.

Checking the good and the bad prophets.

The good prophets will not be focused at the public’s approval and will definitely not have the public set any agenda. A true prophet simply speaks the words he knows he has to speak. And he doesn’t care whether the public sees it as a superficial issue or not.

The false prophets will not have their doctrines checked in a Biblical way. They also know how they will never be able to stand in a doctrinal debate and they even use their lack of Scriptural knowledge as a virtue when they present their teachings to their customers.

So let’s spend while in the history of Christafari. Let’s take a closer look at some of the projects Mark Mohr and Christafari developed. After all, when the roots are bad, and other fruits from that same roots have proven themselves to be bad too, it will not be so hard to simply establish how Christafari will create exactly the same pattern as that of every project in the Christian Industrial Complex: a pattern described in Matthew 23, when Yesus Kristos exposed the scribes and the pharisees.

After all, when Christafari does not want a debate but instead points to their “fruits”. This is what he wrote:

My music, my doctrine, my lyrics, the fruits of this ministry and my life in Christ over the past 15 years reveal the truth. Consistency speaks volumes and the fruit does reveal the root.[13]

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