leftofpunk Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 So I'm watching the documentary Jesus Camp and the main thing among the countless horrors is how easily the lady preacher slips into speaking in tongues. I have a Church of Christ background and I never personally "spoke in tongues" as it was something the adults did. Well they generally did it in a room in which the door was shut and possibly locked but I remember peeking under the crack at the bottom and seeing my parents in a circle with other people speaking in tongues and at the time it scared the shit out of me. it was more like a possession than anything else. Anyways this one goes out to all the ex-christians who in their "previous life" spoke in tongues. What was it all about? Were you faking it in order to fit in with the crowd? Did you just start spitting out arabic sounding syllables? What was it really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sarabhi Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I really hope you get a reply to this question from someone who used to speak in tongues b/c, although I attended a very toned down church regularly, I visited an Assembly of God church. Everyone broke out in tongues at the preacher's command, which in itself doesn't make sense. Also, no one interpreted anything, which I believe Paul lists as a requirement. This next part may sound weird, but I come from a family of psychics and such. And although I don't have near as much insight as my grandmother, mother, and aunt, I can read people well by getting feelings from them. When everyone broke out in tongues, I started bawling and left the church. My fiance had to run after me into the parking lot. When he asked what was wrong I told him that when they all started doing that I just felt this overwhelming feeling of deceit and lies. I was about 18, and I wasn't scared. I was just disgusted. Anyways, hope someone can help clear this up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGJ@ReligionisBullshit Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I really hope you get a reply to this question from someone who used to speak in tongues b/c, although I attended a very toned down church regularly, I visited an Assembly of God church. Everyone broke out in tongues at the preacher's command, which in itself doesn't make sense. Also, no one interpreted anything, which I believe Paul lists as a requirement. This next part may sound weird, but I come from a family of psychics and such. And although I don't have near as much insight as my grandmother, mother, and aunt, I can read people well by getting feelings from them. When everyone broke out in tongues, I started bawling and left the church. My fiance had to run after me into the parking lot. When he asked what was wrong I told him that when they all started doing that I just felt this overwhelming feeling of deceit and lies. I was about 18, and I wasn't scared. I was just disgusted. Anyways, hope someone can help clear this up. Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order. There you have it, make of it what you will. I was never a member of a church like this but I dated a Pentacostal who did this crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garrisonjj Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 So I'm watching the documentary Jesus There was a special on the Today show that these pentacostal grougs were the largest growing body of xtianity! Just shows how delusional people are. At their service it showed people singing and praying in jibbirish! They were so fuckin saved and born again! Actually it made my wif and I laugh. In our town the catholic schools are closing in droves, people are no longer attending traditional church and there are still priest sex scandals. These crazy groups are just one more indication of how fucked up traditional religions are so we'll go invent new ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShackledNoMore Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Yes, I came from such an environment, and used to "speak in tongues." I was about 15 at the time, maybe a tad younger when I started. It happened all the time at my church. My observations are that it seems to me that the people speaking in tongues are sincere in their belief that they are actually speaking another language. If you listen to it, however, it doesn't sound quite "right." The patterns, and it sounds like something that could be reproduced from the speaker's native language. As for my experience, it was actually pretty similar to what you described: I just started spitting out nonsense (but not necessarily Arabic sounding) syllables. It was definitely one of the earlier things I questioned. Almost immediately I went to my mother and other authority figures of the church, uttered a sample, and asked if I was REALLY speaking in some unknown language, or if it was just a product of my mind, wanting to do so. Yes, they assured me with overwhelming confidence, I was indeed speaking in a real foreign tongue. I took their word for it, and was left to figure out for myself that my initial assessment was correct once I started seriously question further along in my deconversion process. I can't help but wonder about the similarities and differences between the experience of someone like me, who was deliberately programmed from childhood without asking for it (and ended up being a skeptic), with that of an adult convert into a pentecostal church who might find the church as some unhealthy fulfillment to some need. I would imagine the experience would be more emotional and less questioned in their minds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 My wife and I attended two churches that heavily promoted speaking in tongues. My sisters were also into it when I was young. When I was a kid watching my sister and people from her church do it I'd get really upset because I never could. I never gave a second thought to faking it, not my style. I always said that if tongues were for me or for real, it would just come to me, though the churches encouraged us to just "start uttering some sounds, just a syllable..." to get it started. I never spoke in tongues. I was skeptical as a christian, now I know it's fake, and frankly I find it repulsive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smellincoffee Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I grew up in a tounge-talking Pentecostal church, but I myself never spoken in tounges. I'm TOLD I did, but I didn't. Both times I "spoke in tounges", I was being prayed through; that is, surrounded by a group of crying, yelling people with their hands on me. The goal was to get me emotionally worked up, and I was -- blubbering and worshipping. My blubbering interfered with my worshipping, and they what I was saying tounges. People who have been in the church really know how to perform glossalia, though. The last pastor I sat under used to yell things in Hebrew and call it tounges -- and he said the SAME thing every time they did the prayer part of the service. If you're really interested, you could go to the the Association of Former Pentecostals; their ex-testifiers include tounge-talkers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piprus Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I've posted on this previously, but to quickly recap... I had never seen it until I married an ex-pentecostal, grand-daughter of an AOG minister, and we (for a lark, basically) went to my MOL's COG church one Sunday morning. It was in my view a circus, par excellence!. I had never before seen such a display of contrived drama in a religious venue in my life. The "holy rollers" as we baptists used to call them were babbling in unintelligible gibberish, rolling in the aisle, waving their arms, and acting like a bunch of idiots. All the while the pastor was "interpreting" their babbling with the typical "comfort" phrases, like "My children, I love you so much", "Continue your walk in the faith", "Be steadfast", etc, etc. What an eye opener THAT was! I couldn't wait to get out of that place. There were far better things to do with a Sunday morning.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taphophilia Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I used to speak in tounges and I can still do it at the drop of a hat. My kids beg me to do it for them occasionally, and then laugh hysterically. It's like riding a bike. Basically, yes, you just spit out jiberish but you have to be able to get a certain rythem to the sylables and make them flow for it to sound authentic. I never had any problem doing it and still don't. I would imagine that my exposure to hearing people speak in languages that I didn't understand when I was little, Spanish and Finnish, had a lot to do with the fact that it's so easy for me to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 I used to speak in tounges and I can still do it at the drop of a hat. Hey Taph, Honest question, and please don't take offense, because no offense is intended... What motivated you to speak in tongues, knowing you were faking it? Just curious and trying to understand those who do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShackledNoMore Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 I used to speak in tounges and I can still do it at the drop of a hat. Hey Taph, Honest question, and please don't take offense, because no offense is intended... What motivated you to speak in tongues, knowing you were faking it? Just curious and trying to understand those who do it. Of course I can't speak for Taphophilia, but I could speak in tongues at the drop of a hat, too, should I ever wish to. I wasn't faking it back then. It's just that once you "learn" how to do it, you can reproduce it simply by doing the same thing: no belief that you are channeling a god necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGJ@ReligionisBullshit Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 I used to speak in tounges and I can still do it at the drop of a hat. Hey Taph, Honest question, and please don't take offense, because no offense is intended... What motivated you to speak in tongues, knowing you were faking it? Just curious and trying to understand those who do it. Of course I can't speak for Taphophilia, but I could speak in tongues at the drop of a hat, too, should I ever wish to. I wasn't faking it back then. It's just that once you "learn" how to do it, you can reproduce it simply by doing the same thing: no belief that you are channeling a god necessary. Hey, so can I! And I can even talk out my ass, listen..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taphophilia Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 Hey Taph, Honest question, and please don't take offense, because no offense is intended... What motivated you to speak in tongues, knowing you were faking it? Just curious and trying to understand those who do it. No offense taken! When I was a Christian speaking in tounges, I really, really believed that I was speaking a special prayer language given to me by the Holy Spirit. It wasn't until after I had been deconverted for a while and can still do it when the Holy Spirit is NO WAY indwelling in me, that I figured out why it came so easily to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sarabhi Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 My fiance and I have been together for almost 6 years. He's still a Xian, but I deconverted almost a year ago. A few years ago, when I was still a Xian, he attended a 'revival' with one of his best friends. Well, when he came back he told me that a man at the revival put his hand on my fiance's stomach, which made my fiance fall to the ground. He said he felt like he had been shocked, electrically. He then says that he was lying on his back at the front of the congregation mumbling in tongues. Let me say, I'm GLAD I missed that. He was almost afraid to tell me b/c he knew how I felt about stuff like that. So, it was sort of like: he told me, I said, "okay," and we never talked about it again. But then, while I was on the verge of my deconversion, I asked my fiance to pray for me. I asked him to pray in tongues b/c I thought, "well, what if he really is doing something special? Maybe this could really help me?" I was desperate. That was the first time I heard him pray in tongues and it was really creepy for me. I don't know any other languages except a little Spanish and Japanese, so as far as I knew it sounded like another language. But, I still didn't buy it. He can turn it on and off so fast and when I ask him what he's saying he just says, "I don't really know." Anyways, since my deconversion I've NEVER asked him to do that. I've actually asked him NOT to do that in front of me. But, this post got me thinking and I decided to ask him to do it for me. He said okay and I payed very close attention to it. This is exactly what it sounded like to me: "Gitta-gitta-gitta-shamana-mana-mana-gitta-gitta-shamana-mana..." It sounded to me like he just uttered a few different "words" very quickly. Words like "gitta," "shamana," and maybe a "gisha" or two. I thanked my fiance for the demonstration, went to the bathroom, and tried it myself. Viola! I can speak in tongues too!! OMG! I'm seriously not trying to mock my fiance. I'm just reporting the outcome of my experiment. Big shocker: I conclude that it's incredibly easy to mimic an imaginary language. Sincerely disturbed, Sarabhi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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