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General => Archive => Political and Religious => Topic started by: El JoNNo on April 30, 2011, 02:46:42 AM

Title: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: El JoNNo on April 30, 2011, 02:46:42 AM
As far as I am aware the whole speaking in tongues thing in mostly pentecostal. Who has done so? Who think it is legitimate and who think it's a crock?
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Progmetty on April 30, 2011, 02:54:18 AM
I didn't know anyone took it seriously, you're talking about the "speaking in tongues" that occurs due to demonic possession aren't you?
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: El JoNNo on April 30, 2011, 02:56:58 AM
No the religious kind, it happens when you are supposedly filled with the holy spirit.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Progmetty on April 30, 2011, 03:00:54 AM
Oh okay, never heard of that :) will read on it.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Nigerius Rex on April 30, 2011, 04:19:25 AM
I grew up around a lot of quacks that would become enthralled by gods power and then use it to say generic Christian and unimportant things.

Its not spiritual, its bs.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: j on April 30, 2011, 10:56:00 AM
Even as a Christian, I always considered it a crock.

-J
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: William Wallace on April 30, 2011, 11:02:11 AM
I grew up around a lot of quacks that would become enthralled by gods power and then use it to say generic Christian and unimportant things.

Its not spiritual, its bs.
Yeah, it's fake. I remember going to church and the crazy youth pastor telling me that God wants me to speak in tongues. I distinctly remember not feeling like God wanted me to. So I didn't. Further reading revealed that the whole concept of speaking in tongues is misunderstood.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: yeshaberto on April 30, 2011, 11:10:36 AM
some of my dearest friends believe they can speak in tongues.  while I doubt the reality, I think it is just a matter of them wanting to believe so strongly that God is working in them that it happens.
the significant, problem, though is that the tongues of Jesus' time were known languages (cf Acts 2). 
if someone today were to fluently speak in a known language that they had not studied, and claimed that it was from God, I would be open to believing them.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: William Wallace on April 30, 2011, 11:13:18 AM
some of my dearest friends believe they can speak in tongues.  while I doubt the reality, I think it is just a matter of them wanting to believe so strongly that God is working in them that it happens.
the significant, problem, though is that the tongues of Jesus' time were known languages (cf Acts 2). 
if someone today were to fluently speak in a known language that they had not studied, and claimed that it was from God, I would be open to believing them.

You beat me to it. Speaking in tongues was a form of evangelism.
Quote
The claim by many today to be able to speak in tongues is simply out of harmony with New Testament teaching. Anyone can babble, make up sounds, and claim he or she is speaking in tongues. But such conduct is no sign today. It is precisely the same phenomenon that pagan religions have practiced through the centuries. In the New Testament, however, no one questioned the authenticity of tongue-speaking. Why? The speaker was speaking a known human language that could be understood by those present who knew that language and knew that that particular speaker did not know that language beforehand. As McGarvey observed about Acts 2: “Not only did the apostles speak in foreign languages that were understood by the hearers, some understanding one and some another, but the fact that this was done by Galileans, who knew only their mother tongue, was the one significant fact that gave to Peter’s speech which followed all of its power over the multitude” (1910, p. 318).

https://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=11&article=1399
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: hefdaddy42 on April 30, 2011, 02:29:19 PM
I've been around it, but I've never done it.

I don't believe that what I've been around is actually from God, but I also don't think the people doing it were "faking it" or being disingenuous.  From my studies of it in both Christian and other religions, as well as my first-hand observations, I believe that it is an outgrowth of an ecstatic experience.  The people become so "into it" (I hesitate to use the term "in the spirit" although that is what they would say) that they work themselves into a state where gibberish comes out of their mouth.  Their conscious selves aren't really in control, so they don't know what they hell they are saying, but IMHO, neither is God in control.

Just my two cents.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: pogoowner on April 30, 2011, 02:52:16 PM
I've been around it, but I've never done it.

I don't believe that what I've been around is actually from God, but I also don't think the people doing it were "faking it" or being disingenuous.  From my studies of it in both Christian and other religions, as well as my first-hand observations, I believe that it is an outgrowth of an ecstatic experience.  The people become so "into it" (I hesitate to use the term "in the spirit" although that is what they would say) that they work themselves into a state where gibberish comes out of their mouth.  Their conscious selves aren't really in control, so they don't know what they hell they are saying, but IMHO, neither is God in control.

Just my two cents.
That's how I've always understood it.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Jamesman42 on April 30, 2011, 03:00:00 PM
When I was starting to go to young adult ministries around town a few years ago, one of them had this speaker come in and he just went on and on about how God wants you to speak in tongues. He would say "I can do it any time I wish rjhogierogjrwoifhwvee". He then offered anyone at the end to receive the gift that we all "needed".

Needless to say, over half the group of us left, including me. A good chuck of people never came back. I still disagree with it to this day, and don't believe it is supposed to be like that at all. Ironically, I ended up becoming worship leader there, but I never once encouraged speaking in tongues, and the leaders there didn't push it anymore, thank God.

What would be the point to speak gibberish like that? I agree with yesh's assessment.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: hefdaddy42 on April 30, 2011, 03:05:14 PM
When I was starting to go to young adult ministries around town a few years ago, one of them had this speaker come in and he just went on and on about how God wants you to speak in tongues. He would say "I can do it any time I wish rjhogierogjrwoifhwvee". He then offered anyone at the end to receive the gift that we all "needed".
This is standard pentecostal teaching.  Of course, not one bit of it is Biblical.  It wound up being one big reason we left the last church at which we served.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Jamesman42 on April 30, 2011, 03:05:58 PM
Oh, I didn't realize it was standard. That is scary.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: hefdaddy42 on April 30, 2011, 03:16:04 PM
Oh, I didn't realize it was standard. That is scary.
Maybe standard is an exaggeration.  We served temporarily in another Pentecostal church, and rarely heard or saw tongues there, and never heard it talked about.

But it is definitely widespread.  Many of them think you are strange if you never "receive the gift."  I guess they forgot about the part where Paul said that different people would have different gifts.

But hey, whatever.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: antigoon on April 30, 2011, 03:37:13 PM
I went to a palm sunday service with my pentecostal ex-girlfriend once and there were so many of them doing it. As an outsider, it made me feel really uncomfortable.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: hefdaddy42 on April 30, 2011, 03:38:28 PM
I went to a palm sunday service with my pentecostal ex-girlfriend once and there were so many of them doing it. As an outsider, it made me feel really uncomfortable.
I would imagine so.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: rumborak on April 30, 2011, 03:44:43 PM
I think it's the modern equivalent of when people attributed epilepsy with demonic possession. It's a brain state you can induce into yourself. And from that angle, I agree most people aren't faking it, just like people aren't faking a seizure when they're in it.

rumborak
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: William Wallace on April 30, 2011, 05:02:21 PM
I've been around it, but I've never done it.

I don't believe that what I've been around is actually from God, but I also don't think the people doing it were "faking it" or being disingenuous.  From my studies of it in both Christian and other religions, as well as my first-hand observations, I believe that it is an outgrowth of an ecstatic experience.  The people become so "into it" (I hesitate to use the term "in the spirit" although that is what they would say) that they work themselves into a state where gibberish comes out of their mouth.  Their conscious selves aren't really in control, so they don't know what they hell they are saying, but IMHO, neither is God in control.

Just my two cents.
I didn't mean to say that they're all faking it. Sorry if it came across that way.

That being said, I know for a fact that many people fake it, though not for bad reasons. They see the "mature," spiritual Christians doing it, so they do it as well.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Progmetty on April 30, 2011, 05:07:20 PM
Do you think the people in this video are seriously doing it so easy? it looks like they can summon it anytime for TV purposes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3be9wCAwIM
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: XJDenton on April 30, 2011, 07:03:39 PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossolalia#Linguistics_of_Pentecostal_glossolalia
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Perpetual Change on April 30, 2011, 07:06:10 PM
And people say Catholics are the weird ones?  :lol
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: hefdaddy42 on April 30, 2011, 08:00:32 PM
And people say Catholics are the weird ones?  :lol
Yes, because they believe in lots of shit that isn't even IN the Bible.  At least speaking in tongues IS (in different forms).
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: William Wallace on April 30, 2011, 08:42:25 PM
And people say Catholics are the weird ones?  :lol
Yes, because they believe in lots of shit that isn't even IN the Bible.  At least speaking in tongues IS (in different forms).
(https://tshirtgroove.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/whammy-t-shirt.jpg)
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Jamesman42 on April 30, 2011, 08:46:20 PM
Amen, heffather2*3*7
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Perpetual Change on April 30, 2011, 09:05:41 PM
And people say Catholics are the weird ones?  :lol
Yes, because they believe in lots of shit that isn't even IN the Bible.  At least speaking in tongues IS (in different forms).

So the fact that it's in the Bible makes it normal?

OK.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: hefdaddy42 on April 30, 2011, 09:49:08 PM
And people say Catholics are the weird ones?  :lol
Yes, because they believe in lots of shit that isn't even IN the Bible.  At least speaking in tongues IS (in different forms).

So the fact that it's in the Bible makes it normal?

OK.
??? No.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Perpetual Change on April 30, 2011, 10:04:45 PM
Well, in that case:

Hokan boobuza titikumpfa. Mamamangkna paroooooza. Mimifanta. Kuku.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: IGWT on May 01, 2011, 02:39:18 AM
I don't subscribe to the view that the charismatic churches seem to hold that speaking in tongues is the proof of receiving the HS and if you don't do it, you don't have the HS.  I think it's one of the gifts of the spirit and I hold it as a possibility for some, but when I go to a church and I'm the only one not talking that gibberish, it does make me uncomfortable, much like many of you have expressed.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: sneakyblueberry on May 01, 2011, 04:21:47 AM
But it is definitely widespread.  Many of them think you are strange if you never "receive the gift."  I guess they forgot about the part where Paul said that different people would have different gifts.

Its interesting you say that, because the flavor of what Paul is saying in 1 Cor 12 about tongues suggests to me that even though some aren't given that particular gift from the get go, we are still to 'desire the greater gifts'.  Does this include tongues? I don't really know.  In 14:5 he does say "I would like you all to speak in tongues, but I'd rather have you prophesy." So maybe he's referring more to that being the greater gift.

I'd agree with most people here who say that the gift is largely misunderstood.  Paul says the purpose of speaking in tongues is mostly to edify the spirit, and it only edifies the church if it is accompanied by interpretation.  Which is what WW and Hef were saying up above (evangelism).  I find the whole thing about people feeling unnerved by people speaking in tongues around them so interesting, because Paul clearly addresses that situation in this passage.  Those tongue-trigger happy pentecostals must've missed that part :lol

Anyway, in answer to the OP:

Have I done it?  Yes, mostly in my own personal prayer.

Do I think its a crock?  No, but I think like other aspects of Christian theology people have misunderstood, misused and misinterpreted it.

Do I think its legitimate.  Yes, because its backed by scripture.

My thoughts.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: j on May 01, 2011, 11:09:39 AM
What is supposed to be the point of it?  I mean I know supposedly some of Jesus's disciples could speak in tongues, but I thought that was so they could spread the Gospel more effectively everywhere they went.  What is the purpose of a bunch of people who go to the same church uncontrollably babbling incoherently amongst each other?

-J
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: sneakyblueberry on May 01, 2011, 02:45:41 PM
Well, take Cor 14:1 - "For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit."

It's supposed to be the way your spirit prays to God, and I believe that through praying in tongues there is an element of it being the depths of your spirit communicating rather than your head forming sentences, if that makes sense.  Paul says that by praying in tongues one edifies his Spirit.  It also says in that same chapter that people in a church gathering/setting should actually refrain from praying in tongues out loud unless they, or someone else, has a Holy Spirit-given interpretation of tongues.  Then and only then does it edify the church.  Otherwise its useless as a form of evangelism.  
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: hefdaddy42 on May 01, 2011, 02:48:37 PM
None of that really makes any sense to me.  Prayer is you communicating with God.  If you are uttering gibberish, then you aren't communicating, you're just noise-making.

But hey, if it feels good, do it.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: sneakyblueberry on May 01, 2011, 02:54:28 PM
Yeah I see where you're coming from, I respect that.  While I do believe in its authenticity, I find the whole thing hilariously silly.  But I think that's a side of God a lot of people don't realize exists.  eh's a funny guy with a sense of humour and doesn't afraid of anything.

Shaba.  Shiggadigga.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: j on May 01, 2011, 02:56:19 PM
Yeah I see where you're coming from, I respect that.  While I do believe in its authenticity, I find the whole thing hilariously silly.  But I think that's a side of God a lot of people don't realize exists.  eh's a funny guy with a sense of humour and doesn't afraid of anything.

Shaba.  Shiggadigga.

 :rollin

-J
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: hefdaddy42 on May 01, 2011, 03:35:30 PM
 :lol
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: millahh on May 01, 2011, 03:57:17 PM
I don't subscribe to the view that the charismatic churches seem to hold that speaking in tongues is the proof of receiving the HS and if you don't do it, you don't have the HS.  I think it's one of the gifts of the spirit and I hold it as a possibility for some, but when I go to a church and I'm the only one not talking that gibberish, it does make me uncomfortable, much like many of you have expressed.

Not to derail, but I feel like that encapsulates what I see as a huge problem in conservative/evangelical Christianity...the attitude of "The only way to experience spirituality or a relationship with God is the exact way that we say".  To me, it seems to make everything about conformity, stamping out diversity of thought, tolerance for other ways of believing (both Christian and non-Chrstian), and having a unique individual relationship with God.  Of course, I'm agnostic bordering on athiest, so take that with the appropriate grain of salt.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: rumborak on May 01, 2011, 05:07:30 PM
I think it's kinda a rite of passage too.

rumborak
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: William Wallace on May 01, 2011, 05:30:58 PM
 It also says in that same chapter that people in a church gathering/setting should actually refrain from praying in tongues out loud unless they, or someone else, has a Holy Spirit-given interpretation of tongues.  Then and only then does it edify the church.  Otherwise its useless as a form of evangelism.  
Babbling uncontrollably is always useless as a form of evangelism, in my opinion. Really, would you be convinced if a Mormon or Jehovah's Witness trudged up to your house while you were doing yard work and proceeded to utter random syllables?
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: sneakyblueberry on May 01, 2011, 06:49:04 PM
 It also says in that same chapter that people in a church gathering/setting should actually refrain from praying in tongues out loud unless they, or someone else, has a Holy Spirit-given interpretation of tongues.  Then and only then does it edify the church.  Otherwise its useless as a form of evangelism.  
Babbling uncontrollably is always useless as a form of evangelism, in my opinion. Really, would you be convinced if a Mormon or Jehovah's Witness trudged up to your house while you were doing yard work and proceeded to utter random syllables?

Poor wording on my part, sorry, I think using tongues as a form of evangelism would be if God gave someone the ability to speak another language to minister to people who use that language, which is what is described in Romans.

What I was getting at was, tongues as a form of prophecy is very valid.  'Babbling uncontrollably' and speaking in tongues are not synonyms to me.  Say, if I was in a pentecostal/charismatic church setting and someone started to prophesy over my life through tongues and there was someone else there to interpret that through the Holy Spirit, then (using my own spiritual discernment in regards to whether I wanted to receive that particular prophetic word, of course) it would be valid to me, sure.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: William Wallace on May 01, 2011, 06:50:34 PM
Oh, thanks for clarifying. I agree with that.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: bosk1 on May 02, 2011, 09:34:58 AM
What Yesh and WW said at the beginning of the thread.



I think it's kinda a rite of passage too.

rumborak

Which reminds me, this thread now needs an iPhone solo to be complete.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Chino on May 02, 2011, 09:44:22 AM
My old supervisor used to claim to speak in tongues. Maybe it's just me, but it didn't sound any different than someone who doesn't know the words to a song and tries to sing it anyway. I have to say I believe it to all be a load of bull shit.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Tick on May 02, 2011, 11:18:00 AM
I grew up around a lot of quacks that would become enthralled by gods power and then use it to say generic Christian and unimportant things.

Its not spiritual, its bs.
Yeah, it's fake. I remember going to church and the crazy youth pastor telling me that God wants me to speak in tongues. I distinctly remember not feeling like God wanted me to. So I didn't. Further reading revealed that the whole concept of speaking in tongues is misunderstood.
Well...that's proof enough for me.

No one here can say with any certainty it is fact or fiction, so why presume you can?

I have never spoke in tongues but I personally believe it is a legitimate thing that happens to some while others fake it due to pressure.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: William Wallace on May 02, 2011, 03:46:39 PM
I grew up around a lot of quacks that would become enthralled by gods power and then use it to say generic Christian and unimportant things.

Its not spiritual, its bs.
Yeah, it's fake. I remember going to church and the crazy youth pastor telling me that God wants me to speak in tongues. I distinctly remember not feeling like God wanted me to. So I didn't. Further reading revealed that the whole concept of speaking in tongues is misunderstood.
Well...that's proof enough for me.

No one here can say with any certainty it is fact or fiction, so why presume you can?

I have never spoke in tongues but I personally believe it is a legitimate thing that happens to some while others fake it due to pressure.
The babbling is just that: babbling. What's recorded in the Bible, people speaking foreign languages they didn't know, I think is legitimate, and would be a spectacular site. But this modern spin-off (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfOBbhTMfLw&feature=related) is just bullshit.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Orbert on May 02, 2011, 04:16:33 PM
My college roommate and later lead singer for my first "real" band (as in playing paid gigs and everything) could speak in tongues, and after all the time we'd spent together, everything we'd been through together, I believe it.  He ended up leaving the band because he felt that he'd been called into God's service and could no longer participate in what we were doing.

Before he left, we had a number of talks.  From a selfish standpoint, I didn't want to lose my best friend and lead singer, but I also wanted to be sure he knew what he was doing.  He said he was sure, absolutely sure.  He'd been called, and he had to answer.  I asked him how he knew, why was he so sure.

He said, "Bob, I can speak in tongues.  I'm not making this up.  I have no reason to make this up.  I don't want to quit rock and roll, I don't want to leave all you guys, but this is serious."  Then he bowed his head for a moment, and when he looked up he had this odd look on his face, and spoke a few sentences.  The voice that came out of his mouth was not his, and it didn't sound like gibberish to me, but it sounded like an ancient voice speaking in an ancient language.  It was like nothing I'd ever seen or heard before or since, and I know he wasn't faking it.  There's just no way he could fool me.

He blinked a few times, then looked at me and said "Did it work?"

"Did what work?" I asked.

"Did I speak in tongues, just now?  I never know when it's gonna happen, and I can't really control it, not yet.  But it's important to me that you believe me, and understand what's happening here.  So I asked Him for a little help, so you would believe me."

I believe he did speak in tongues that night, from that event and from the other conversations we had, and from knowing the guy inside and out for years.  He's been a fully ordained minister for over 20 years now.  He's the real deal.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Perpetual Change on May 02, 2011, 05:59:02 PM
If someone is speaking to you in tongues, and you can't understand what they're saying, then speaking in tongues has pretty much accomplished the opposite of what it is supposed to accomplish.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: rumborak on May 02, 2011, 06:41:54 PM
Isn't it theologically at least a little bit questionable that the Holy Spirit could be instrumentized like this? I mean, this on-demand use of tongues pretty much relegates the Holy Spirit to a party trick, kinda like dislocating a joint on demand. You'd think the real Holy Spirit chooses who and when It possesses, not the other way around.

rumborak
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Jamesman42 on May 02, 2011, 06:48:00 PM
My college roommate and later lead singer for my first "real" band (as in playing paid gigs and everything) could speak in tongues, and after all the time we'd spent together, everything we'd been through together, I believe it.  He ended up leaving the band because he felt that he'd been called into God's service and could no longer participate in what we were doing.

Before he left, we had a number of talks.  From a selfish standpoint, I didn't want to lose my best friend and lead singer, but I also wanted to be sure he knew what he was doing.  He said he was sure, absolutely sure.  He'd been called, and he had to answer.  I asked him how he knew, why was he so sure.

He said, "Bob, I can speak in tongues.  I'm not making this up.  I have no reason to make this up.  I don't want to quit rock and roll, I don't want to leave all you guys, but this is serious."  Then he bowed his head for a moment, and when he looked up he had this odd look on his face, and spoke a few sentences.  The voice that came out of his mouth was not his, and it didn't sound like gibberish to me, but it sounded like an ancient voice speaking in an ancient language.  It was like nothing I'd ever seen or heard before or since, and I know he wasn't faking it.  There's just no way he could fool me.

He blinked a few times, then looked at me and said "Did it work?"

"Did what work?" I asked.

"Did I speak in tongues, just now?  I never know when it's gonna happen, and I can't really control it, not yet.  But it's important to me that you believe me, and understand what's happening here.  So I asked Him for a little help, so you would believe me."

I believe he did speak in tongues that night, from that event and from the other conversations we had, and from knowing the guy inside and out for years.  He's been a fully ordained minister for over 20 years now.  He's the real deal.

That is really interesting. I don't know what to say to that!



Isn't it theologically at least a little bit questionable that the Holy Spirit could be instrumentized like this? I mean, this on-demand use of tongues pretty much relegates the Holy Spirit to a party trick, kinda like dislocating a joint on demand. You'd think the real Holy Spirit chooses who and when It possesses, not the other way around.

rumborak


Trust me, I feel the same way when I see others do it.

Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Tick on May 02, 2011, 07:04:49 PM
If someone is speaking to you in tongues, and you can't understand what they're saying, then speaking in tongues has pretty much accomplished the opposite of what it is supposed to accomplish.
Which is what?
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: sneakyblueberry on May 02, 2011, 07:07:46 PM
If someone is speaking to you in tongues, and you can't understand what they're saying, then speaking in tongues has pretty much accomplished the opposite of what it is supposed to accomplish.

Thats why Paul tells the early church not to do that unless there is someone to interpret the tongue.  Otherwise tongues are used as a form of prayer between you and God.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Perpetual Change on May 02, 2011, 07:36:12 PM
If someone is speaking to you in tongues, and you can't understand what they're saying, then speaking in tongues has pretty much accomplished the opposite of what it is supposed to accomplish.
Which is what?

To spread the word of God to people who don't understand your language?
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: sneakyblueberry on May 02, 2011, 07:41:02 PM
Thats not the sole purpose
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Orbert on May 02, 2011, 09:54:03 PM
If someone is speaking to you in tongues, and you can't understand what they're saying, then speaking in tongues has pretty much accomplished the opposite of what it is supposed to accomplish.

Can't agree.  In my case, it was done to prove a point.  Okay, it was done on demand, but it wasn't just a "parlor trick", as Rumby called it.  I didn't understand or believe that my best friend was going to drop everything going on in his life to follow the calling, and he did the one thing that would convince me.

I'm not a super-religious guy, I haven't read the Bible cover to cover or anything, so I'm not going to argue about the original or "proper" use for speaking in tongues, but I do believe, and because of my experience, I've always seen it as a means of showing how the Holy Spriit is really in someone.  That of course has a huge potential to be abused or just plain used as a scam.  Unfortunately, that's not unlike most anything else in any religion.  If you believe it, you do, if you don't, you don't.  I believe what I saw and heard.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: slycordinator on May 02, 2011, 11:10:07 PM
He never knew when it would happen and could do it on demand? At the very least, I think he expected it would happen.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Orbert on May 02, 2011, 11:43:09 PM
It was still new to him at the time and apparently hadn't happened a whole lot, so he was still figuring it out.  I don't know how he'd figured it out or what types of situations he would be in when it would happen, but he was told later that he had spoken in tongues, so it wasn't a conscious thing.  My impression was that he thought that maybe he could get himself into such a state ("on demand") but wasn't sure, so he'd asked for a little help.  Also, this was a long time ago, so I'm paraphrasing our conversation and I don't remember all the details clearly.  What I remember most of all was the impression it made on me, and that I was 100% sure that he wasn't faking it.  Because, as he pointed out, he had no reason to.  Something beyond both of our understanding took control.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Perpetual Change on May 03, 2011, 01:35:04 AM
There's probably a wide range of explanations between "he's faking it" and "the Holy Spirit compelled him to speak to you in gibberish." Not a knock at your friend; just in my experience people can suddenly feel like something else is compelling them to do a lot of things.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: William Wallace on May 03, 2011, 02:43:15 AM
Isn't it theologically at least a little bit questionable that the Holy Spirit could be instrumentized like this? I mean, this on-demand use of tongues pretty much relegates the Holy Spirit to a party trick, kinda like dislocating a joint on demand. You'd think the real Holy Spirit chooses who and when It possesses, not the other way around.

rumborak

Yeah. But such is the backwards nature of pop-Christianity. I blame Joyce Meyer.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: reo73 on May 03, 2011, 10:27:17 AM
I will teach you all how to speak in tongues.  Say 10X really fast....

"Come in a Honda, leave in a Mazda"

You are now ready to be overcome by the Spirit.

Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: monk on May 04, 2011, 01:01:38 AM
Do you think the people in this video are seriously doing it so easy? it looks like they can summon it anytime for TV purposes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3be9wCAwIM

From my own experience with tongues, neither of those two were speaking in tongues.

Isn't it theologically at least a little bit questionable that the Holy Spirit could be instrumentized like this? I mean, this on-demand use of tongues pretty much relegates the Holy Spirit to a party trick, kinda like dislocating a joint on demand. You'd think the real Holy Spirit chooses who and when It possesses, not the other way around.

rumborak


from my own personal experience and having had the gift through a time when I wasn't close to God, the main thing isn't calling upon the spirit to do it whenever you like but rather being in a place where it is easy for the spirit to do such a thing, it is just as easy to see it coming. I don't believe it is something that people need for salvation, in fact I know so many Christians who have such a genuine faith and do not have the gifts that it can't be that way.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Tick on May 04, 2011, 09:30:19 AM
Everyone needs to realize one fact here. Your debating something you can not disprove no matter how skeptical you are.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: hefdaddy42 on May 04, 2011, 09:59:11 AM
Everyone needs to realize one fact here. Your debating something you can not disprove no matter how skeptical you are.
Welcome to P/R.

:tick2:
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: rumborak on May 04, 2011, 10:03:56 AM
Everyone needs to realize one fact here. Your debating something you can not disprove no matter how skeptical you are.

I believe if a brain scan shows conclusively that "speaking in tongues" is brain wiring gone haywire, I'm pretty sure that goes a long way to disproving it.
Unless you really want this to be true as a foundation of your faith. In which case there's nothing that will ever convince you otherwise. But that's more about you than the evidence.

rumborak
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Tick on May 04, 2011, 10:23:10 AM
Everyone needs to realize one fact here. Your debating something you can not disprove no matter how skeptical you are.

I believe if a brain scan shows conclusively that "speaking in tongues" is brain wiring gone haywire, I'm pretty sure that goes a long way to disproving it.
Unless you really want this to be true as a foundation of your faith. In which case there's nothing that will ever convince you otherwise. But that's more about you than the evidence.

rumborak

So... they have a brain scan on every single person who has ever claimed to speak in tongues, totally disproving it? Interesting.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Tick on May 04, 2011, 10:24:36 AM
Everyone needs to realize one fact here. Your debating something you can not disprove no matter how skeptical you are.
Welcome to P/R.

:tick2:
The tick icon is a registered trade mark, LLC. All rights reserved. Please mail me a nickle if you would.
:tick2:
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: rumborak on May 04, 2011, 10:27:31 AM
Everyone needs to realize one fact here. Your debating something you can not disprove no matter how skeptical you are.

I believe if a brain scan shows conclusively that "speaking in tongues" is brain wiring gone haywire, I'm pretty sure that goes a long way to disproving it.
Unless you really want this to be true as a foundation of your faith. In which case there's nothing that will ever convince you otherwise. But that's more about you than the evidence.

rumborak

So... they have a brain scan on every single person who has ever claimed to speak in tongues, totally disproving it? Interesting.

That's what I mean by you wanting it to be true. If you were giving the two options an equal chance, you would presumably say "well, if they can show in enough examples that it's faulty brain wiring without a single counter-example, it can be pretty much assumed that all cases were like that".

rumborak
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Orbert on May 04, 2011, 10:48:20 AM
That wouldn't disprove anything though.  It would just show that there's a bunch of abnormal brain activity going on, which would kinda make sense if the Holy Spirit has taken over and taken control of things.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Tick on May 04, 2011, 10:56:43 AM
That wouldn't disprove anything though.  It would just show that there's a bunch of abnormal brain activity going on, which would kinda make sense if the Holy Spirit has taken over and taken control of things.
What he said!
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: El JoNNo on May 04, 2011, 11:01:21 AM
Why would it make sense? Why would a supernatural creature need to manipulate the brain? Thats just dumb; especially when you take into account all the supposed attributes that are given to God by believers that are supposed to be super natural.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Orbert on May 04, 2011, 11:11:16 AM
The mouth, laryngx, etc., are all still controlled by the brain.  If you were a supernatural creature and wanted to have someone start speaking in an ancient language that they don't even know, would you specifically take control of their mouth and stuff, or just take over the brain and plant the appropriate commands that way?
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: rumborak on May 04, 2011, 11:31:38 AM
Maybe, but you're heavily moving the goalpost with this argument. Before it was supposed to be all-HS, now it's HS directing your synapses.

rumborak
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Orbert on May 04, 2011, 12:42:16 PM
Are you seriously going to argue about how something works when you don't even believe it happens in the first place?
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: bosk1 on May 04, 2011, 12:44:07 PM
Are you seriously going to argue about how something works when you don't even believe it happens in the first place?

???  Is this the first time you've read one of rumborak's posts in P/R?
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: rumborak on May 04, 2011, 12:47:24 PM
Are you seriously going to argue about how something works when you don't even believe it happens in the first place?

Are you so disinterested in what aspects of your faith are well-founded and which are just misguided tradition?

rumborak
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Orbert on May 04, 2011, 01:57:37 PM
No, I'm just okay with admitting that I don't know how it works, but open to what I would consider a plausible explanation.  You're saying it doesn't make sense because it doesn't fit into your conception of how it should work.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Orbert on May 04, 2011, 02:00:25 PM
Are you seriously going to argue about how something works when you don't even believe it happens in the first place?

???  Is this the first time you've read one of rumborak's posts in P/R?

I don't understand this.  Do people think and act differently here because the topics tend to be more contreversial and incendiary?  I thought the subforums were just a general way of separating the topics discussed.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: William Wallace on May 04, 2011, 03:00:30 PM
This seems relevant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZbQBajYnEc

Based on brain scans, it's not any actual language.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Perpetual Change on May 04, 2011, 08:42:01 PM
That wouldn't disprove anything though.  It would just show that there's a bunch of abnormal brain activity going on, which would kinda make sense if the Holy Spirit has taken over and taken control of things.

That seems kinda convenient.
Title: Re: "Speaking in tongues"
Post by: Tick on May 04, 2011, 09:17:48 PM
For those of you interested, you can now learn to speak in tongues faster them Rosetta Stone can teach you Spanish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwgCLFrSh-I

That was easy! :tick2: