Whatever Happened to "The Jesus People"


Many readers here are too young to know about "The Jesus People." When they came along I was a little too old and cautious to understand them. They were a branch of the anti Vietnam War time, the hippies and marijuana. I would say their "theology" was that Jesus was for peace and being non judgmental. Rebellious young people at the time saw themselves in this way. 

The link claims the Jesus People grew older and their theology found its way into the mainstream of Christianity. He claims further, it injected a new direction of enthusiasm that was needed at the time. He doesn't give an explanation of where and how this happened and I don't know how he can make this claim.

It is true that numbers provided by churches of membership and attendance rose for a decade after the Vietnam war. By the time young people of the Vietnam period reached their 50's numbers were falling. If new and fresh enthusiasm were a part of the Jesus People is faded in a decade or two.

It's preposterous to imply, as the link does, that the nones will put something new into Christianity and ramp up its numbers. Each new generation has fewer Christians. Until that changes the downward slide will continue. 

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