I WILL NOT BE SILENCED FOR DEFENDING THE GOSPEL OF IYESUS KRISTOS

I WILL NOT BE SILENCED FOR DEFENDING THE GOSPEL OF IYESUS KRISTOS

A Personal Declaration of Faith, Conviction, and Christian Witness

I make absolutely no apologies for proclaiming the Gospel of Iyesus Kristos (Jesus Christ), defending the Christian faith, and sharing the documented teachings of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I.

I do not mind being insulted, ridiculed, rejected, or personally attacked for standing upon these convictions. Our Lord Jesus Christ warned His followers that opposition would come. The Apostles experienced it. The early Christians endured it. Scripture tells us plainly that those who seek to live faithfully in Christ will encounter persecution.

“Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” — Matthew 5:11–12

I do not measure the truth of the Gospel by the approval of men, the popularity of my statements, or the number of people who agree with me.

MY FAITH IS NOT DETERMINED BY PUBLIC OPINION.

I am a cradle-born Catholic Christian who began studying the life of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I when I was just 14 years old.

For 45 years, I have studied His Majesty’s life, history, Christian witness, speeches, and actual words.

Those 45 years have not led me away from Christianity. They have fortified my faith in the Gospel of Iyesus Kristos, deepened my understanding of the fullness of the Christian faith, and strengthened my convictions as a cradle born Catholic Christian of the RasTafari Order.

My position is not something I adopted yesterday. It is not based upon fashionable religious theories, popular RasTafari interpretations, or the personal opinions of individuals claiming to speak for His Majesty.

I do not follow other Rastas. I do not follow the feelings, opinions, or theological interpretations of Reggae musicians.

I recognize the historical and cultural contributions of the RasTafari movement and Reggae music, particularly their roles in African consciousness, liberation, and resistance to racial oppression.

However, cultural influence does not establish theological authority.

A Reggae musician’s lyrics are not evidence of His Majesty’s personal beliefs. A popular interpretation does not become historical fact through repetition. And no individual possesses the authority to rewrite the documented Christian convictions of Haile Selassie I.

I follow the Gospel of Iyesus Kristos (Jesus Christ) and the documented teachings of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I, whose Christian convictions were founded upon that same Gospel.

I do not need another individual to tell me what His Majesty believed when I can examine his speeches, study his public statements, investigate the historical record, and compare his teachings with Sacred Scripture.

I have spent more than four decades doing precisely that.

HAILE SELASSIE I’S CHRISTIAN WITNESS IS A MATTER OF HISTORICAL RECORD.

His Majesty openly professed Christianity, supported the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, encouraged the proclamation of the Gospel, and repeatedly acknowledged the authority of Almighty God.

His addresses to Christian gatherings, including the World Congress on Evangelism in Berlin in October 1966, demonstrate the importance he placed upon Christianity and the proclamation of the Gospel.

His Majesty did not conceal his Christian faith. He publicly defended it.

I recognize him as a Christian monarch, a defender of the faith, and an extraordinary historical figure whose words and actions deserve serious examination.

I refuse to deify a man who publicly worshipped Jesus Christ.

I refuse to disregard His Majesty’s own testimony simply because others have constructed religious interpretations around his person.

And I refuse to manufacture a second Messiah when Scripture declares:

“For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human.” — 1 Timothy 2:5

My respect for His Majesty does not require me to contradict His Majesty.

On the contrary, taking his teachings seriously requires me to examine what he actually said, what he believed, and how he lived.

If someone claims to follow Haile Selassie I, I consider it entirely reasonable to ask whether that individual has studied his speeches, examined his Christian convictions, and understood the principles he publicly defended.

How can someone claim to follow a king while refusing to heed his teachings?

That is a legitimate question, and it deserves an answer grounded in evidence rather than insults.

RASTAFARI, AFRICAN LIBERATION, AND CHRISTIAN FAITH ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.

I recognize that RasTafari emerged from the historical struggles of African descendants against colonialism, racial oppression, and the degradation of African identity.

Those historical realities must never be dismissed.

But I reject the proposition that Christianity belongs to Europeans or that worshipping Jesus Christ constitutes submission to European supremacy.

Christianity was established in Africa long before modern European colonialism. Ethiopia possesses one of the world’s oldest continuous Christian traditions.

His Majesty demonstrated that devotion to Christianity could coexist with African sovereignty, dignity, independence, and resistance to colonial domination.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not the property of Europe.

Neither is the Ethiopian Christian heritage of Haile Selassie I.

When I defend the Gospel, I am not defending European colonialism. I am defending the Christian faith professed by the Ethiopian monarch whom I honor.

When I challenge unsupported theological claims, I am not attacking RasTafari. I am insisting that Scripture, historical evidence, and His Majesty’s own testimony be taken seriously.

And when I question the deification of Haile Selassie I, I am not diminishing his greatness. I am refusing to substitute someone else’s theology for his documented Christian witness.

I do not need to reject my African identity to embrace Christianity, and I do not need to reject Christianity to honor an African Emperor.

I DO NOT FEAR INSULTS FOR DEFENDING THE GOSPEL.

I have encountered individuals who respond to my position with ridicule, hostility, and personal attacks rather than Scripture or historical evidence.

That does not intimidate me.

An insult is not a rebuttal. Ridicule is not historical evidence. Personal attacks do not invalidate Scripture.

I am willing to engage in serious theological discussion, historical examination, and respectful disagreement.

I am not obligated to entertain deliberate misrepresentations, personal abuse, or endless arguments conducted without intellectual honesty.

Our Lord Jesus Christ warned His disciples:

“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.” — John 15:18

The Apostle Paul also wrote:

“In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” — 2 Timothy 3:12

I understand that opposition is part of the Christian experience. I do not claim that every disagreement with me constitutes persecution or proves that I am correct. My convictions must stand upon Scripture, sound teaching, and historical evidence.

But I will not allow hostility, ridicule, or fear of rejection to determine whether I speak about my faith.

I would rather stand upon the Gospel and face opposition than compromise my convictions for the approval of men.

I do not need to win every argument.

I do not need to answer every insult.

I do not need the approval of individuals who reject my convictions.

And I certainly do not need to apologize for proclaiming the same Jesus Christ whom His Imperial Majesty publicly worshipped.

MY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO THE TRUTH.

My responsibility is not to manufacture theology, seek popularity, or compromise historical truth to satisfy anyone’s personal beliefs.

My responsibility is to speak truthfully, provide evidence, and remain faithful to the Gospel.

I will continue to study His Majesty’s actual words.

I will continue to examine primary historical sources.

I will continue to defend the historical record.

And I will continue to proclaim the Gospel of Iyesus Kristos without embarrassment or apology.

After 45 years of studying the life and teachings of Haile Selassie I, I have not arrived at the conclusion that His Majesty replaced Jesus Christ.

I have arrived at a deeper appreciation of the Christian faith that His Majesty himself professed.

I do not need to diminish Haile Selassie I to glorify Jesus Christ.

Neither do I need to diminish Jesus Christ to honor Haile Selassie I.

Veneration is not worship.

A Christian monarch is not automatically the Messiah.

The Lion of Judah as an Ethiopian imperial title does not establish that its bearer is Jesus Christ.

And reverence for His Majesty does not supersede the Gospel that His Majesty himself professed.

Let Scripture speak.

Let the historical record speak.

Let His Majesty’s documented words speak.

And let each individual examine the evidence.

MY FINAL DECLARATION

I am a cradle-born Catholic Christian.

I am a Catholic Christian of the RasTafari Order.

I have studied the life and teachings of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I for 45 years.

Those years have strengthened my Christian faith, not weakened it.

I do not follow the religious opinions of Reggae musicians.

I do not follow the theological inventions of self-appointed RasTafari authorities.

I do not follow popular interpretations simply because they are repeated within RasTafari circles.

I FOLLOW THE GOSPEL OF IYESUS KRISTOS AND THE DOCUMENTED CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS OF HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE I.

I will not compromise those convictions to satisfy individuals who have not studied His Majesty’s words or who refuse to heed them.

I do not seek hostility, but I will not retreat from historical truth because someone finds it offensive.

I do not fear ridicule, and I will not be intimidated into silence.

I VENERATE HAILE SELASSIE I.

I WORSHIP IYESUS KRISTOS.

I FOLLOW THE GOSPEL, NOT THE OPINIONS OF MEN.

I WILL NOT COMPROMISE THE GOSPEL TO SATISFY THE THEOLOGY OF MEN.

And for that, I make absolutely no apologies.

“For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” — Revelation 19:10

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