Haile Selassie did not consider himself a god, yet the people who would become known as the Rastafarians see him as one. Despite the fact that he never said he was a deity, a whole religion and way of life were built upon the belief that he was. His coronation occurred along with several movements (i.e. Garveyism) and cultural conditions that influenced the rise of this belief. As we discussed in class, the belief that Selassie was indeed a god was rather a "perception of convenience." A group of people needed something to believe in and to hang onto and Selassie's coronation presented them with the opportunity.
Selassie himself did not explicitly state that he was a god but also did nothing to dissuade them. He believed he was descended from Solomon, after all, so he did believe he was something special. He did not mind being a symbol for the Rastafari people. Even though he never agreed outright that he was a god, his attitude combined with the social, cultural, and political conditions of the time helped to create the "aura of factuality" needed for people to accept that he was a deity.