Ah, I remember the Jesus movement of the early 70s. While I was rather young myself at the time, we’ll say about 73 when I was 14, I recall them fondly. It was all about peace and they said that there was no WAY to peace but that peace was the WAY. I have always agreed with that.
In some ways, they were a bit of a throw back to the Amish with their “plain” clothes, emphasizing the person, not the suit or other clothing. And the commune way of life was very much like the first century, where those in Jerusalem sold their holdings and gave to the groups. Hutterites do this in the USA and Canada and ina few other places.
I guess what appealed to me was their distaste for what had become mainstream narrow-minded, and rather hypocritical and materialistic way of life. And the hippies were much more questioning of what had ben handed down to them and less trusting of authority. I loved them.
But alas, they seemed to disappear by 1980 or so. They did not appear to endure. What is more, new music movements such as punk, seemed to hate hippies and not having any brains, went back to short hair and token symbols of something they did not quite understand. I think the lyrics to one sex pistols song sums it up good:
Don’t know what I want
but I know how to get it!
The Young Ones, a show out of Britain, which was playing on PBS in Maine, also seemed to have a disdain for the hippies and back to nature stuff. Neil was the hippie character and always got made fun of. While I enjoyed the show, it did bug me that hippies had gotten such a bad rap. I felt then that there would be hell to pay some day for the rejection of so many good values.
Reagan trampled those values and gave us materialism back, said Greed was good or implied it in the movie, Wallstreet, though said by another character. And yes, Reagan blamed all those welfare people for our problems, while completely neglecting the far greater sum of Corporate Welfare he dished out, as well as that Cold War budget he ran through the roof.
So everyone embraced materialism and swore at hippies. Damn them all, I say ;-) I mourned the loss of everything Hippie. The long hair, which I was never crazy about, died. Everything seemed to die. War was suddenly cool again. How did that happen??? Everyone mourned about the Viet Nam vets being scorned, which was a bit silly, but did have some valid gripes. As long as we are willing to fight and die, we keep on fighting and dying. Quickly forgotten was Donovan’s Universal Soldier. Great song!

But now, with the world taking a sharp downturn, maybe now some might find reason to reconsider those dumb ole hippies and their silly outdated rhetoric of peace and love and simplicity and humbleness. Or maybe not. Maybe we are not capable of learning from mistakes. Too soon to call, yet.

But I sure loved those days of peace and love. Without question, there were hypocrites in the movement who just wanted to party and get laid. But there was some good stuff and a sort of brief enlightenment thanks to the hippies. My own parents were the conservative obedient unquestioning type and that was what was wrong with the country.
Here’s to you, Jesus Hippies. I remember very fondly the hippies down at Old Orchard Beach, about 25 minutes south of Portland. They loved to play Frisbee and enjoy the beach. They were not threatening, mean, cold, or indifferent. You felt safe and secure at 13 or 14 and younger ages like my brother and his friends.
Walk by some hip hop guys and se how you feel. Ah the early 70s. What a time. I wish I was there again.

Peace and love? The 60's? Try "drugs and violence." There was nothing peaceful about. Oh, and rampant VD.

Russell, I never made that claim for all the hippies. In fact, I mention the "hippie hypocrites." Every movement and group has them. but the more religions ones were often, but not always, as well meaning as groups usually get. That was my personal experience. So no one is arguing with you. the general movement was debauched and debased hedonism. But to suggest there was no goodwill or decency anywhere in the movement is also blind and silly. Do you have a better time and circumstance? You don't sound like someone who liked the period. You even sound like someone who might be looking for an argument where there is none. What's up, Russell?

There is no doubt the 60's and 70's were a time of enlightment and growing pains for a nation struggling with war and the civil rights movement. We were just coming out of a very conservitive and narrow minded era and there was a definate need for change. The "Jesus Freaks' of decades past were a vital catalyst for most of the reforms that eventually made this country stronger. That they are now the retired generation does not mean that they are not still a driving force for an elvolving democracy.

I liked your comment, Bobby. It was needed. It would be my view that enlightenment and progress are hard to come by and in obtaining them, we do not always get everything right. But overall, I think the latter 60s and the first half of the 70s were as good as it was going to get. It was enough so that if someone needed another viewpoint, they had it. What they do with it is their problem. I was grateful to have a voice other than that of the establishment. There was so much I loved about that time. Sure wish it was here now.

Scott, I think you were too young to have seen or experienced more than the better looking edge of the movement.

The Jesus Freaks, flower power people, yes... they were rather nice. And unique, not at all representative of the ones that came before them.

Woodstock and Altamont are more "realistic" icons of the era. Anything a Broadway play could have been written about was not of the movement. Jesus Christ, Superstar was a deathknell. It signified mainstreaming.

And man, nothing mainstream could be groovy, ya know?

Donna, what do you base that on? HOw old am I? I was 13 in 1972, when my father's co-worker had his "boy" in his early 20s (Biff) up there who was one of those folk loving peace niks, Jesus is cool kind of guys. And then there were the hippies at Old Orchard beach. Not to mention, while up in Nova Scotia, Kings County, birth place of my father, there were hippies up there who were cool, back to nature sorts, though I have no idea if they were Jesus freaks or not. How young do I have to be to forget. How do you know so much (or not) about me?

Oh true, I did not hang around them, except when Biff was up to the camp. But they gave off a good vibe, dear. Not like anything today.

Woodstock and Altamont were hardly representative of Jesus freaks. Now you're into the mainstream hippies. YOu don't know the difference, do you?
Further, I sense you are trying to suggest there was a standard uniform type of Jesus freak, for which I know not of. There were all sorts and that is what I like. No standard thought control or cookie mold. Freedom of individuality and thought. It was great and gone.

Me thinks you ought to know my experiences better before you tell me what they were or are. I should have seen more questions before I saw opinions without basis. You are the 2nd critical voice here in just this one thread. I find that interesting.
Listen, darling. I know what I lived. I was there. Check out my site which shows me in the class of 77 photos. Born in 59. I know first hand what I speak of. YOu should be lucky enough to be able to say the same.

Any more want to take me on? Bring it!!! but use your heads before you engage your mouths sot hat you don't look so silly and obvious. did I strike a nerve with this thread? What was the nerve, please?

Scott, re-read my comment. It is little more than comparing two different times, the latter flowing out of the former.

Due to my age, I experienced them both. Due to yours, you did not. It's mathematical, not a statement of good or bad.

What kind of nerve did my innocuous comment strike in you to use language like "Bring it!!!"?

Oh, no doubt, I was not right in there with the hippies, Jesus freaks or who else, unless you count the occasional times I was with my aunts, younger then my mother but 6 and 10 yeas older than me (Pam and Cindy). Or the 4 Gerardo Boys, 6-14 years older than me and frequent babysitters and, along with their mother, companions a number of times with our family ( I am speaking in the 60s right now) or Carlene, a babysitter 6 years older than me and living with us in the summer of 1970 and talking about her experiences to me, at age 11. I had two cousins from Nova Scotia, Garry and Donnie, 10 and 7 years older in about 71 or 72 when Garry, Donnie, and I talked quite a while about many things, including religion, etc.

Then there was the effect that invaded our minds as we entered high school from those just a bit older than us. If you were that at all, you were affected.

And what I heard being discussed by my parents and their relatives and friends about what was “going on.” There was also the TV news.

In one way or another, dear, I was there, conscious and comprehending far more than you might like to admit. I was there in the 60s, I certainly was there in the 70s and Jesus freaks and well as hippies had by no means disappeared by then. In fact, CW McCall’s song was out about 75 was it?

So I guess I am just not sure what you are suggesting about me or my experience. You seem to be negating my experience as if I was not old enough to really grasp it or perhaps did not even have it or was not around to have it. But you are wrong on all counts. Perhaps you imagine that human beings can not even think and are not conscious until they are 18. Silly girl. Why don’t you share with us; i.e., clarify how you think of 8 year olds, 11 years olds, 13 year olds, and 16 year olds. Are they human? Conscious? Capable of thought? I’d be curious to know.

I gather I was not old enough to understand the world at all in 66 or 67 but I think you might be surprised. But it seems to me that you were quite disrespectful and discounting of my experience and those of or near my age, as if you knew much better than I was that was. AS far as I can tell, you were looking for a fight. You certainly came to the right place, if that is so. I learned to think early and think good and I can take you on and best you with one half my brain gouged out. Try me, darling and find out!!! I was there; physically, chronologically, consciously, and had abilities of some understanding.

May I point out that kids in the Fancher party going through Utah and Mountain Meadows in 1857, kids just 8 and under, recall some very vivid memories of their parents and others being killed by Mormons. So you see, kids are human and conscious and intelligent, unlike yourself. Cheers!

Well, I didn't see it much as a kid! I do have that CW McCall Album with Convoy and reference in it! I do remember in the early seventies having a very large Godspell wall poster that covered my whole bedroom door! I sure like to have one of those VW micro buses though!

As I read Scott's stream of consciousness style of writing, I'm reminded of a kid in our neighborhood in the 60s - we called him "motormouth".

All who read this, take note that I am getting a lot of crap from now 3 people, none or which has probably ever been to this site before. One wants total anonymity as Sgt. Pepper, and just hurls insults. Dona B who basically calls me a liar.
And Russell, how confuses (perhaps deliberately) the issue, turning Jesus Freaks into drug crazed hippies in general. Did any of these 3 bring up memories? Constructive observations or critiques? Not that I can find. What they all seem to have in common is a grudge against for liking the days of the so called Jesus freaks. Such an unfairly maligned bunch, eh? So why have I suddenly accumulted so much hate? Well, if you knew who I was and what I have done, on the net, over the years, you would better understand that we do not have free speech in this country and some do not like certain messages promoted.
Here is the most deadly and feared website on all the internet. It warns of very important things to come. The death of everything we knew as Boomers was not be accident. Visit this only if you are brave and courageous.

Truth1.org

I rest my case! They asked for it and now they get it.