Born Again Hippies

reply to post by L8RT8RZ

Where are they today? Those who had the wild orgies, those who indulged in … things, those who fought the system? Where are they today? Well, they’re gone, they no longer exist. They were assimilated by the equivalent of the borg, aka capitalism. They “saw the light”, they were taken in by today’s fad, they were born again hallelujah!!

I dont know where they are. I am assuming because your asking question you dont know where they are either and therefore didnt participate in all that fun.

Originally posted by AthlonSavage
reply to post by L8RT8RZ

 

Where are they today? Those who had the wild orgies, those who indulged in … things, those who fought the system? Where are they today? Well, they’re gone, they no longer exist. They were assimilated by the equivalent of the borg, aka capitalism. They “saw the light”, they were taken in by today’s fad, they were born again hallelujah!!

I dont know where they are. I am assuming because your asking question you dont know where they are either and therefore didnt participate in all that fun.

I know where they are, they're in the "new churches", the evangelical non-denominational ones that do all the charismatic stuff and go around telling people how they're now born-again even though they are just as far from being a REAL Christian as they were from being a REAL Hippie

Nothing but people who jump on bandwagons and the latest bandwagon is to be "born again" yet have no concept of what Christianity really is, thus giving it a bad name by their ignorant actions.

They weren't real hippies back then, they just wanted to do what "looked cool", now they aren't real Christians either, they just do it because it looks cool and is the popular thing to do.

*hippies, the real hippies, did exist, it's just that the mass number of born-again bandwagon riders weren't the real ones, hence the thread.

no they are not.

I know a lot of old hippies, my mum is an old hippie, as was my dad before he died last year.

A lot of old hippies live where we live, they run fruit and veg shop's, work for the council, paint, make, live. They are not born again Christians, they still follow the same indian dude they did back in the day, still go the programs and have his picture on the wall (actually my mum doesn't but I know plenty who do), they still have the same principals and the same ethics, they just are a bit more realistic about how you live in this world whilst living in that world.

You cant wear tie die clothes and [snip] everyday for the rest of your life, and the ones that are still alive were the ones that realised that[snip]and wearing tie die was not what it was about, it was about love, compassion and bucking the norm, which was for them post war austerity and the dregs of Victorianism, stiff upper lip British BS. They were being real and breaking the mold - give them some credit, they made a lot of changes.

The old hippies took over the tech world and reshaped it. Personal computers and many of the tools they use came from the hippies, as have much of the data on veganism and health related topics. Many of the old hippies fell victim to capitalism and the interest in "things" and "let's not rock the boat". Others worked in the hemp and anti-prohibition movements, in anti-war movements, in anti-nuclear movements. Probably the people who called themselves hippies but who were just in it for the sex and drugs took their passion for self in monetary directions, and now watch reality shows and lol at fat people and others trying to rip each other new ones for the cash. Yet a certain percentage of the '60 and '70 hippies, as well as the beatniks of the '50s, have made and still make significant contributions to society.

I don't know, a few are still around.


[snip]

Actually they became Liberals for the most part. It is however true that the older you get the more conservative you get. As far as the war on Iraq and WMD's goes, The Democrats were screaming WMD's and war long before Bush took office. They conveniently washed away the fact from Democrats minds.

Originally posted by L8RT8RZ
Where are they today? Those who had the wild orgies, those who indulged in … things, those who fought the system? Where are they today? Well, they’re gone, they no longer exist.

Um... I think your post is full of incorrect generalizations and is basically really insulting.

so you don't have to waste your time attacking me and calling me an athiest

You certainly didn't have a problem wasting your time with your attacks on hippies. But that's your choice. Freedom, you know?

Peace.
An atheistic, equality-loving, tree-hugging hippie.

Originally posted by L8RT8RZ

They've become what they most opposed.

It's a normal thing to become one's opposite.

Or die first.

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by BlueMule


I can't wait to see Stereologist or some such spouting about light and love!

reply to post by TheLaughingGod


lol

My money is on death first.

reply to post by L8RT8RZ


How can you say they aren't real Christians and they jumped on the bandwagon.
You are a Methodist and a Methodist isn't a real christian.
You say in your op for people to not attack you but you're attacking "born again Christians".
You're reflecting on your beliefs as a 100% Methodist.
Anti new testament. Anti scriptural. Anti Jesus.
Quit spreading hatred.

It's difficult to class true hippies historically, or who did what since 1970.

However, I enjoyed the OP because the Christian right has a habit of blaming everything they consider bad on the hippies around that time (1967-1970), including divorce, the roots of the gay movements and sexual revolution.

The New Age Movement and the vast collection of cults in the 1970s is often seen as a natural consequence of the hippie movement (and ultimately they lead everything back to entertainers like Aleister Crowley, Madame Blavatsky or Anton LaVey).

The Unification Church, or how a virtual slavery cult funded conservative Christianity is less discussed.
www.equip.org...

However, "fundamentalist" evangelical Christianity was also popularized at this time.
Selective Biblical literalism also first came out of the "swamp" as a dominant force in Christianity.

Rock music, informal church attire and charismatic forms of worship became popular, and the Jesus People were Christians with the long-haired "Jesus" look.

Pro-war, anti-abortion and conservative attitudes only began to dominate fundamentalist Christianity a bit later.
www.huffingtonpost.com...

Therefore, what some may call "pie in the sky" philosophy and mind-control hypnotism also became a dominant force in Christianity during the era of the cults and "new religions".

Unfortunately, religion did as little for the poor in Western countries as it did for those who followed Eastern gurus.

The pastors became rich capitalists without producing anything tangible (except for themselves), and little old ladies sent their last money to criminal multimillionaire TV preachers in the 1980s.

Larry Norman and The Jesus People:

Take it from an old beatnik...
yer full of crap.
The hippies have tempered the war machine and blunted the desire for empire whenever they have had the opportunity ever since 1960.....
Though many had families, (those kids are adults now, mine are 44 and 40)they had to feed,
I am still doing and thinking the in the same directions as i once did....
The only change is that slowly ive lost my belief in extreme pacifism, and believe that if we cannot get change with peaceful methods, the result WILL be one of violent revolution or civil strife.
The inhumanity and the absolute cold uncaring society will crumble from its own false premises......
leaving the moral wasteland it created behind it....
In which we will have to survive....and rebuild a just society of true equality and opportunity.

I thought Hipsters were the new hippies

reply to post by L8RT8RZ

I know where they are, they're in the "new churches", the evangelical non-denominational ones that do all the charismatic stuff and go around telling people how they're now born-again even though they are just as far from being a REAL Christian as they were from being a REAL Hippie

You sound like a disgruntled, know it all teenager to me

:-)

Prove me wrong

What exactly is the point of your OP? What did the hippies ever do to you to make you this whiny?

After that - could you explain why you're so concerned (and a little bit gloat-y) about where they've gone? Then finally - I would like (in my wildest dreams of course) a short essay about what hippies actually were - and are

That's right - are. The system didn't beat nobody: We Don’t Need Martyrs … But Changes

Counterculture chica - can you dig it?

P.S. what's a REAL Christian?

:-)

I disagree with you. A hippie, as with other cults/religions/clubs, embraces certain theologies and ideas. Not embracing them, would eliminate you from the organization and the title of it’s members. It’s about as silly as saying you’re a non-practicing Catholic. Insert boy scout, hippie, AAA member, mason……see??? Actually 'practicing' is what 'makes' you a hippie. They aren't hippies if they don't embrace a hippie mentality or their ideas. They would be something else. Opting out disqualifies you as a 'hippie'.

Or maybe this will help:

If it walks like a bear, roars like a bear and sh#ts like a bear.......it ISN'T a duck!

reply to post by L8RT8RZ
I think that most of the people considered hippies in the 60s were just wannabees that wanted to be one of the cool kids. I was born in the 60s to a couple of hippies. They dressed, acted and lived the parts. But being a hippie became unfashionable as real hippies evolved while wannabees were just in it for the easy sex and drugs of the culture- not the wanting to make the world a better place mentality. These late coming wannabees changed the perception of the hippie culture, and a lot of true hippies started to distance themselves from the label- thus beginning the disco culture.

At it's beginnings the disco culture was much like the hippie culture, only with flashier clothes and more socially acceptable music. But as the disco culture became more popular there was another influx of wannabees that once again were only in it for the sex and drugs and what they considered popularity. They didn't have the same mindset as the "originals" and an element of crime crept into the disco scene. So once again those who espoused the mindset of the original hippies sought to distance themselves from the lifestyle and faded into the background to begin- you guessed it- the urban cowboy crowd!

The original hippies/urban cowboy crowd tried to fit in with the pre-existing country and western crowd, but the mix didn't work out well for them. The original cowboys gave no respect whatsoever to the former hippie/urban cowboy crowd whom they considered fakers and ridiculed their train of thought. The feeling between the groups was mutual. Some of the hippies gave up and assimilated while others moved on to- the yuppie movement.

Many from the original hippie movement decided that they could affect more change from within the system and started conforming to the more capitalist mindset of the yuppies. The problem with this is that instead of changing the system from within most were swallowed up by it. There were some that didn't sell out, but most were sucked in- never to escape. The few remaining survivors went on to stimulate the beginnings of the new age movement, some of the rest ended up going the path that you describe- the evangelical movement, but most have just blended in with the rest of society.

I watched my own parents and all of their friends as they rode the waves of the various times. They still hold a lot of their original beliefs but age changes most if not all. Now the majority of them live just as we do: go to work, pay the bills, try your best to help your fellow man, live and let live. They just want to survive with as little interference as possible.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

Originally posted by L8RT8RZ
Where are they today? Those who had the wild orgies, those who indulged in … things, those who fought the system? Where are they today? Well, they’re gone, they no longer exist.

Um... I think your post is full of incorrect generalizations and is basically really insulting.

so you don't have to waste your time attacking me and calling me an athiest

You certainly didn't have a problem wasting your time with your attacks on hippies.

But that's your choice. Freedom, you know?

Peace.

An atheistic, equality-loving, tree-hugging hippie.

No, no, no, I'm not attacking the REAL hippies at all, they're awesome. It's those fake hippies who SAID they were hippies and dressed the part but didn't really embrace the concepts that are now in the newest fad out there. It's those "old hippies" I'm talking about, not the REAL ones, as was shown by the disclaimer I added.

There are still some REAL hippies left, I know a few, but very few unfortunately

Those fake ones though, they went on to the next fad and faked it too, then whatever crowds came next and now they're the born again evangelicals because that's the latest fad for them. They faked being hippies and they're faking being Christians too.