Pondering wrote:
I understand reggae until they start singing about their religion. Babylon this and that, I don't get, but I assume it's similar to what most people sing about when singing about a god.
Babylon was an ancient city (in present-day Iraq) that captured and enslaved the Jews. The were basically the first "superpower" of antiquity.
In Reggae culture, Babylon is a metaphor for any society that is corrupt, oppressive, materialistic, "the system," "the man." Specifically it refers to the colonial Western culture that captured their African ancestors, brought them over as slaves, and keeps them disenfranchised in the modern day. Most Rastas desire to exit Babylon and enter Zion (the holy land), either literally by repatriating to Africa, or figuratively by rejecting a degenerate lifestyle and conducting oneself with dignity and positive intentions.
That's how I understand it, however I'm not a Rasta myself or any kind of expert. Rastafarianism is fascinating, and every Rasta I've met enjoys friendly and respectful discussion of religion and philosophy. It is part of the Rasta culture to gather and smoke ganja and talk about spiritual matters; they believe everyone should seek the truth rather than blindly follow dogma.