A neuroscientific look at Speaking in Tongues

[Salty]

Found this interesing report by Benedict Carey, of the New York Times Servicee

According to William T. Samarin Glossaolalia is a fabricated meaningless speech

Salty

 

[Trotter]

Found this interesing report by Benedict Carey, of the New York Times Servicee

According to William T. Samarin Glossaolalia is a fabricated meaningless speech

Salty

I live in Pentecostal Central and have been around "tongues" all my life (never practiced it or went to church where they did, but have been exposed nonetheless). Because of this I will speak from my own experiences and observations.

I do believe that God can and does gift some people with the gift of languages. This gift, however, has absolutely nothing to do with "tongues" as practiced by various Pentecostal churches. What is claimed to be a gift of the Spirit is nothing more than wishful thinking and ecstatic utterances caused by being whipped up into a frenzy (by someone or by one's self). My SiL is one of these and she practices her "tongues".

As for any "interpretation" given for these fake "tongues" they are just as fake as the "tongues" themselves.

 

[BobRyan]

I do believe that God can and does gift some people with the gift of languages. This gift, however, has absolutely nothing to do with "tongues" as practiced by various Pentecostal churches. What is claimed to be a gift of the Spirit is nothing more than wishful thinking and ecstatic utterances .

Very true. The 1Cor 12 gifts are real - and thus the counterfeit seeks to counter the "real deal". That is what we see so commong today as you point out. It is the counterfeit of something very real in 1Cor 12.

In Christ,

Bob

 

[J.D.]

I've never understood why some people think that the incoherent babbling of a person in an emotionally-heightened state (hysteria, or euphoria) is the genuine gift of tongues.

 

[Tater77]

The gift of tonuges in Acts 2 is the ability to speak in another lanugage. That is a spoken coherent language that is actually used by a nation or people. After all thats what happened, not the babbling you hear in Pentacostal Churches.

 

[Eric B]

They're basing it on Corinthians, where it does appear to be addressing some form of "tongue" that is "unknown" to everyone, and needs an interpreter (Acts needed no interpreter, because the whole point was that everyone heard in their own language); but is his spirit speaking.
But in the same place, he also says it is better to speak so that everyone can understand.
Yet, as practiced today, it just comes off as people showcasing this so-called "gift".

 

[billwald]

I thought Hebrew was the language of Heaven.

 

[Jon-Marc]

What many who believe in tongues seem to forget is that if anyone speaks in church in "tongues" or unknown language, there MUST be an interpreter. 1 Cor 14:28. Paul didn't forbid the use of tongues, but there are restrictions--the most important being that someone HAS to translate what is being said.

We had a Russian at one church who only spoke his native language. His daughter translated for him. Otherwise what he said would have been gibberish to the rest of us. It's the same way with ANYTHING that anyone speaks in the church; they are to have someone interpret if it is not a language known to all the people present. Otherwise, they are to remain silent and speak only to God. I cannot be edified by what sounds like gibberish to me. They might as well have a dog on the pulpit barking and howling.

I was invited to an Assembly of God church by a friend. When everyone but me started speaking in gibberish at the same time with no one interpreting any of it, I looked at the door and wanted to escape. Unfortunately, I rode there with my friend and had to stay and endure it. One woman who was louder than everyone else together just kept repeating something that sounded like "Ah ditty" over and over and over.

 

[lori4dogs]

'They might as well have a dog on the pulpit barking and howling.'

Some of these churches do!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxsytmZtFTg

And lest we forget . . . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCeVZ6e2T0E

 

[BobRyan]

What many who believe in tongues seem to forget is that if anyone speaks in church in "tongues" or unknown language, there MUST be an interpreter. 1 Cor 14:28. Paul didn't forbid the use of tongues, but there are restrictions--the most important being that someone HAS to translate what is being said.

We had a Russian at one church who only spoke his native language. His daughter translated for him. Otherwise what he said would have been gibberish to the rest of us. .

In 1Cor 14 Paul is speaking about the "real" gift of tongues and indicating ways in which it might be abused from time to time.

But what is seen in those videos of Toronto and other popular examples is by no means the real gift of tongues - not even in an abused form.

It is pure confusion meant to undermine the Christian faith in the eyes of the lost sinner to whom the Gospel is supposed to be going.

in Christ,

Bob

 

[Jedi Knight]

The gift of tonuges in Acts 2 is the ability to speak in another lanugage. That is a spoken coherent language that is actually used by a nation or people. After all thats what happened, not the babbling you hear in Pentacostal Churches.

Amen Yoda...opps I ment Tater.:laugh: