I've been exploring the hippie point of view for a while, and it is very interwoven with the modern revelation that the earth is very old and that man is very young. Other organisms persist for millions of years because they find a very stable niche. Hippies want human beings to do the same. I began thinking about the hippie rebellion against conventional religion, and it occurred to me that part of it has to do with the irreverence towards the Earth and the assumption that the world is temporary. Here is a little piece that seems to summarize the rebel mentality. I deny that the world was created in seven days, and life on this world is only six thousand years old. The universe is billions of years old, and life on this earth is millions of years old. I deny that the cycles of nature are dependent on the micromanagement of a judging God, and that they began degrading with the original sin of Man. Gaia's systems of life are self-managing, and find a new balance when there is change. The Earth began permanent imbalance with the modern era. I deny that the world will be conquered or saved by the sudden intervention of a deity. Life will continue as it has for eons, and the nature of human beings will not change. Humans must develop a culture of peace and balance. I deny that death is evil, but that the cycle of life and death are equal parts of a greater cycle, and the cycle as a whole is good. Life is borrowed from death, and I accept that my life is forfeit to a greater purpose. Man is not above nature, nor is superior to the other organisms that inhabit the Earth. Man is distinct for his intelligence, but is a species. His role is to find a niche that enrichens the whole, as all other lasting organisms in the ecyosystem. The purpose of life is life itself, and the meaning of life is to complete one stage in the cycle and then give it up for the next generation. I worship the Earth, the plot of soil that I tend, and the turnover of life as has been the unbroken rule for countless generations. My existence is nothing to the universe, and my pain as a solitary organism is nothing to the stars, as all other creatures think only of their own suffering. My place is to embrace my diminutive stature in time and space; and with humility contribute to the greater balance.
That's lovely...I totally agree with your philosophical outlook.I kind of belive in God,in a strange way,but not a judgemental harsh one.He may not be too concerned with us,after he got the ball rolling.I also believe in angels...but I can't explain it...It's not logical...It's beyond comprehension.
Interesting, but I would not call it related to a hippie point of view. Hippies are not anti-religion; they are centered on promoting peace and love and exposing the non-reality of the establishment/conformist point of view which leads to war and alienation.
