Application of Parable Doctrine to the Alternative Subcultures

7/29/09 draft Hala Maloki

Hebrew subculture
Because the teaching was given to the least it attracted the attention of a variety of people who lived outside the
mainstream of society. In this representation of fringe elements were denizens of many different subcultures. It is
easy to imagine cultists, addicts, and revolutionaries of all kinds claiming their turf, each bringing their particular
perspectives and alliances to bear on the others who had gathered around the teacher. That gathering created a
teaching influenced population inside each subculture. And as different as they all were, those who identified with the
teaching and the teacher came together as a new subcultural religion. Paul’s efforts to bring these people into
Messianic Judaism was the beginning of the Christian religion.

alternative subculture
Like those influenced by the teaching, sprinkled into the subcultures would have been those who were influenced by
literacy but who did not work within the dominant traditions. They were the ones likely to have been the first to have
put the parables in written form. These kinds of learning influenced individuals among the subcultural populations can
form subcultures of their own. In Europe during the late 1800’s, the ‘bohemians’, known for their work in the arts
coupled with their subcultural interests became the model for the first American alternative subculture. The bohemians
that arrived in the United States from Europe, were descendants of well to do families. But after World War II a new
generation of middle class kindred spirits, the ‘beat-nicks, gathered in the existing bohemian enclaves. The beats, by
virtue of their education, expressed an intelligent perspective on the experience of being raised middle class and also
on the values of the subcultures that influenced them. Another new generation of idealistic young adults that were
attracted to the beats coalesced in San Francisco, emerging as the ‘hippies’ by the late 1960’s, after them came the
‘punks’ and ‘alternatives’, each a manifestation of alternative subculture.

Like the bohemians, the educated hippies could easily draw on the institutions of the dominant culture. But because
they, like the beats, were mostly middle class, the result was a newly privileged group of young adults that were
attracted to subcultures and free of the traditions of wealth. They also were aware of being the third in line in a new
tradition of alternative subculture and were eager to create their own version it. Some gravitated towards social and
political activism, while others turned towards religion and philosophy. Through their exposure in popular media they
had a strong influence on the dominant culture. But the hippies also had an effect on the other subcultures, and many
found themselves identifying with them. The hippies were accessible, and their inclusiveness led to an unguarded,
class and culture boundary busting period of interaction.

The celebrations were spectacular, made all the more so by the mood of optimism and possibility. But the
philosophical and the mystical among them were slowly marginalized by the hard-core partyers who formed the mass
that would become the Woodstock Nation; a stunning 1969 exposition of popular culture. The idealism of Hippie was
no longer a matter of spirited philosophical debate. Any ideals that were going to be identified with the mass
movement were in place. But as important as the party was to the subculture, it needed its connection to its idealism
to maintain its alternative subculture flavor and identity.

the yeast of drugs
In 1967 [The Summer of Love], the blues/rock band Traffic released a new album. The title cut ‘Heaven is In You
Mind’ is an interesting bit of psychedelia. The idea of the kingdom of heaven as the intangible reality was in the air. In
San Francisco many were expressing the opinion that the hippie subculture was indeed a religious movement. That
summer the San Francisco Oracle ran a front page graphic of a loving Jesus holding open his arms to those who were
about to enter.

There was a pervasive confusion about the role that drugs played in this subcultural spirituality. Drug ingestion had
become associated with the revelation of the intangible reality and for many the teachingless drug induced entry was
indeed the ‘yeast’ of drug subculture. Hippies that looked for religious guidance after their introduction gravitated
towards Western nature religions and Eastern mysticism, each being drug tolerant compared to mainstream
Christianity. But for those who did not want to engage in wholesale superstition, or profess to religions that they had
no tradition of, there was little to go on.

Wealthy alternative religions did not seek out die-hard hippies, rather they built small empires through their recruitment
of the socially positioned. The misfits were left to the attention of the fringier shepherds, many of whom were not
motivated by the love of good. Drug enhanced mind games was a major feature among some religious groups. The
fact of the meek being neglected or victimized was an all to common feature of the first hip/alt subculture.

As traditional churches recognized the significance of subcultures to their religions, they attempted to establish
reflective, subcultural expressions of the Messianic doctrine. These institutions brought many subcultural into the
mainstream, those who could make the theological jump. But many could not embrace it, some being alienated from
Jesus by the demands of the Christian doctrine. So the first hip/alt-subcult faded, leaving behind no institution
[enduring clear statement] of their idealism coinciding with the parable teaching. Here is my attempt at that
statement..

1. idealism, [youth and optimism]
Many have criticized the hippie idea of youth culture, but the homage paid to the young adult is a tradition in all
civilizations. Maybe it was success of the hippies at presenting an alternative youth culture on a world wide scale that
caused the traditionalist to deny that the sub-culture embodied a legitimate expression of the cult of youth that is
meaningful to every generation.

It was the military inculturation [draft] of the baby boomers that provided much of the impulse for the hippie subculture.
The inherent sense of optimism [indestructibility] in young adults that makes them good soldiers also makes them
effective agents in dangerous culture wars. Idealism should always serve the cause of good [God], but can be set to
other purposes. The manipulation of idealism by the dominant culture triggered the rebellion. The misdirected
idealism of the hippies also caused trouble.

Generally speaking, tradition carries forward the characteristics the dominant culture. Tradition inspires and rewards
by its omnipresence [by always being there]. Butsubcultural influences can be carried forward also. The lasting presence of the teaching exists in its written parables
and in the internalization of its idealism. The enduring hippie symbol of their idealism is the peace sign, but the
embodiment of hippie idealism is the flower child; the personification of a young adult, living in a time of peace and
love. These symbols have been carried forward largely through popular culture. A subcultural religion could keep these
symbols in a religious context.

2.tolerance
Of the characteristics of parable doctrine, acceptance [tolerance] was also a hallmark of Hippie. Though they tended
to be judgmental of their own traditions, they were tolerant towards other cultures, races, and religions. There was
respect for the old, the poor, and the disabled. And if they tolerated behavior and conditions that ultimately proved to
be harmful they did so out of a respect for personal freedom rather than from a disdain for life. But many people were
intolerant towards hippies and before they gained widespread influence they were targets of attacks from the ‘greaser’
subculture. The earliest hippies were able to negotiate their way through skirmishes by exercising acceptance,
forgiveness, humility, and love. They were not telling other people how to live, they just enjoyed their own freedom.
By holding onto their own idealism they appealed to the idealism in those who were drawn to them. But Hippie would
come to believe that their subculture would eventually dominate society through absorption or by revolution, and this
inhumility weakened the original perspective of tolerance.

Many hippies held to the belief that it was o.k. for adults to use recreational drugs if it was done in a safe and
responsible manner. Even those that did not use themselves supported the others right to get high. And as they drifted
into the mainstream culture, its was their influence that softened the laws against marijuana. But while the
mainstreamed hipsters learned to hide their drug use, the counter-culture promoted it in an irresponsible way. The
waves of cocaine addiction that swept through all levels of society in the 1970’s ended any speculation that more
easing of drug laws might occur. The 80’s era of zero-tolerance with its mandatory drug sentencing was the dominant
culture’s response to the increasing presence of illegal drugs in their neighborhoods and kids. Their reaction of
enacting vindictive, unforgiving laws came not from their compassion for drug addicts, but from their concern for the
continuation of their own culture.

The hippies did have anti-speed campaigns in the summer of ‘67. And their LSD rescues are cultural artifacts of the
era. But the hippies that remained in their alt-subcult would eventually become identified simply by their drug use. If
the Hip/alt-subcult that merged with the mainstream sold out to the establishment then the Hip/alt-subcult that allowed
themselves to be absorbed by the drug subcultures sold out to them.

3.non-materialism
Of the characteristics that are central to parable doctrine, non-materialism is also central to the alternative subcultures.
The most radical element, there is no greater asset towards spiritual freedom and no greater impediment to being
culturally viable.

The general consensus is that hippies lost the battle to materialism and surrendered their idealism. But the
participants in the hip/alt-subcult who returned to the mainstream brought a lot of idealism back with them. But
non-materialism cannot be instituted fully into the dominant culture. Instead, its influence is felt individually and
through idealistic non-profit corporations and optimistic social service agencies. Interestingly enough, for all their lack
of optimism, the punks, who replaced the hippies as the vanguard of the alt-subcult, were even more die-hard
non-materialists. And even though the aging punks have followed roughly the same trajectories into mainstream
culture that the hippies did, they are not as attractive to materialists as the integrated hippies were. Whenever
non-materialism is evident there will be a kinship to the teaching. Whether the lack of concern over materialism is due
to complete satisfaction of all needs, voluntary surrender of desire, or the acceptance that material wealth can never
be yours, non-materialism sets you apart.

4. naturalism, [sex]
Jesus’ parable of the growing grain is a naturalistic view of spiritual growth. The teaching is very accepting of the
normal [natural] conditions of being human. The sexual liberation component of Hippie was a natural extension of the
celebration of the idealism and optimism of young adulthood. The physical act of sex was also valued for its spiritual
effects. Orgasms may be physical but pleasure is also intangible. Because the free practice of sex requires greater
expression to continue achieving the heightened effect, the trajectory of ‘free love’ was towards increased activity. As
with Hippie in general, the more well adjusted the individual was coming into the subculture the better they would
function under unusual circumstances. In as much as being Hippie was associated with the successful navigation of
an expanding sexual landscape, a lot of identity could ride on being flexible. But even if sexual liberation was the
hallmark of the evolved, sophisticated hipster, not everyone was up for it. If sex is the yeast, then a sex subculture
will be the bread.

Male with female sex for pleasure, without the risk of pregnancy, was achieved for the first time in human history in
the late 60’s, through reliable birth control. But sexually transmitted diseases were not being controlled. The condoms
that were designed to prevent both pregnancy and disease were replaced by the pill which almost designed to prevent
pregnancy but not disease. Beyond the physical tolls, the spiritual damage done by sexually transmitted diseases was
unexpected. In too many instances the response was to accept and forgive the evil but not do anything to help others
avoid it. Accepting sexual disease was considered the price of liberation that could be tolerated within the sexually
liberated community itself. But many who were lured by the possibility of free love may not have so willingly joined the
club. And what did not kill them was not making them any stronger.

To the vegetarian hippie, and the meat-eating jock, being healthy was and still is central to the ideal state of young
adulthood. Sexual disease and idealism do not easily co-exist. As having a baby brings with it material concerns, so
sexual disease is a dose of reality. It is natural to want sex, and it is natural to have children. But it is doubtful that
many would want to consider sexual diseases as being natural. Liberationists have historically resented the religious
argument that sexual diseases are the natural [predictable] result of fornication. Catching a sexual disease should not
now be thought of as an inevitable part of sexual expression any more than having a baby is now thought to be.

Birth control and disease prevention and cure rely on science. In a more natural world these devices would not be
available. We use birth control and condoms and take medicines, but we should not inculturate behaviors that
guarantees more babies or diseases if the time comes when these things are not available. The alternative
subcultural will never dominate society, but many will have children. And even though we may not have traditional families we still
need to protect ourselves, our children, and their children from unwanted pregnancies or disease. In that way we
protect the larger culture, keeping our own subculture from being seen as a threat to public health. We have the right
and the know how to engage in sex for pleasure. We should not let that endanger us, physically or spiritually, now or
in the future.

5. love
Making love is physical but being in love is spiritual. The alternative subculture has moved away from the concept of
romantic love but in doing so have given up positive associations that could be applied to more generalized
expressions of love. Being in love feels good and loving good [God] is the prime commandment. It is without a doubt
one of the all time great natural highs. Spiritual ecstasy is similar to romantic love in that it puts the individual into a
blissful state that transcends the normal worries of the world. In terms of parable doctrine, this is a good thing. The
better you feel the less likely you are to become anxious or judgmental, the more likely you are to forgive and accept.
6. simplicity
In food, as in sex, naturalism and simplicity are not always compatible. Where the adherence to naturalism has been
the builder of many an organic farm, simplicity suggests that you ‘eat what is set before you’. How many times has a
hippie embarked on a labor intensive scheme only to become surrounded by the debris of unrealized ambition. If the
spirit is not configured to support hard sustained effort, if it will not be learned, it is better to avoid it.

A non-materialists acceptance is simplicity itself; what ever your druthers might be, defer, [for the moment anyway] to
what is before you. Being lazy, while not the most desirable state, does not have to be fatal. What makes it so is how
you handle it. Do not impose yourself on others and they should not impose on you. In other words, your interactions
have to be free from greed. It is OK to accept the goods and services that are offered to you by individuals or
organizations as long as no debt is incurred. In other words if it is given freely, you may accept it. Debts are forgiven
because they are sins. They are a spiritual burden. You are much better off doing without than manipulating debt.
Give what you feel good about giving without receiving repayment. Good can be simple.

7. activism
Hippies are known for their political and social activism and many of them eventually work for non-profit organizations
and social service agencies. As these workers inculturate their idealism into the mainstream, much of their hippie
identity is sacrificed. When ‘fitting in’ with the dominant culture, the tacit understanding is that some identifiers are
best kept secret. Ideals are more important than identity.

But it was the willingness of the hippies to show [express] themselves that created the public subcultural identity. Their
youth and general disregard for social norms made them the most photographed subculture in history. But even
though it was the news photos of the colorful hippie demonstrators that helped spawn the massive anti-war movement
of the late sixties and early seventies, their home made street theater was dwarfed by the rallies put together by whole
coalitions of white shirt activist-organizers.

The model of non-violence and passive resistance that the hippies got from Martin Luther King’s civil rights movement
coincided nicely with their interests in India. Gandhi, like King, had a spiritual and political conscience. But political
extremists amongst the hippies wanted a revolution with real guns and were successful at organizing large groups
around that idea. But like the revolutionaries among the followers of Jesus [the Zealots], there was little in common
between the ethos of peace and love and the dogma of violent revolution. Hippies are effective activists when their
politics reflects their own lives. They perform a great service to society if they remind them in a loving, humble way
about idealism. Their street theater [protest] is a genuine subcultural art. But just being a recognizable hippie [as
simple as wearing a button] accomplishes much of the goal. But hippies interacting through street protest is like
religious interaction, it does not take the place of practice [common interaction].

8. communalism
The whole point of the good shepherd searching for the lost sheep might not have been so much that the sheep were
lost, as it was that they were on their own. Jesus himself was known to wander off from time to time. And as
independent as a person might be, everyone at least likes to think of themselves as belonging to a group even if they
are seldom actually with one.

Hippies had their own form of homeless shelter, the crash pad, where the most basic rules of hygiene and safety
sufficed as the social order; don’t crap where you sleep and don’t hurt anybody. The next step up the organizational
ladder was the hippie cooperative houses. The shared kitchens and bathrooms meant that agreements had to be
made to keep order. These agreements did not usually last very long. And then there was the famous hippie
communes. Usually structured around an ideal or a cause [a religious commune, a vegetarian commune] the
communes tended to be rule heavy and very personal in their politics.

Communes were attractive because they were cheap and fun. But the encounter group mechanics of keeping one
going tended to consume its members. How much togetherness you can handle is a big determiner of structure.
While the hippies thought they were the new model for American society it made sense to try to work out the living
arrangements. If you can be that conscientious, the whole world is available to you, and some hippies did put together
successful communes, sometimes creating new religious subcultures.

an enduring alternative
Alternative subculture is unique in its range of generational variations, and each alternative subculture has been
strong enough to nurture groups that can survive awhile without any surrender of subcultural identity. But as the
majority of alternatives take their place in the mainstream, the dominant subcultures exert increasing pressure on the
remainder to conform to them. They who endure must maintain identity and idealism before the dominant culture and
the other subcultures. To do this they will have to establish a clear expression of the idealism behind their tolerance
towards recreational drug use so as not to be engulfed by drug subculture. They will have to keep the influence of
the mind expanding joy of learning on their subculture in balance with their other interests so as not to alienate those
less enamored with education. They will have to find ways to present their idealism through popular culture. They
will have to learn how to engage in activism without being co-opted by the non-profit affiliates of the dominant culture. They will have to learn their way around poverty without losing identity to the social service
subcultures. All this they will have to do without being waylaid by advocates of intolerant politics or religion, be it
personal or social in nature. Then they will be able to maintain an ongoing multigenerational presence in their
relationships to the mainstream, other subcultures, and subsequent alt-subcults, without loss of idealism or identity.
By clearly stating the association of any subculture’s idealism with the idealism of parable doctrine, you are connecting
it to the dominant religious tradition. This serves good by defending the humanity of the subculturals of every
generation, satisfying their need for identity, freeing them to internalize the teaching.

END