do you have any experience "speaking in tongues"?

[mdmc]

My girlfriend just called me from her church. She "spoke in tongues". What does it mean?

[TroglodyteScholar]

1. It means she spoke nonsense

It's what some people think happens when the Spirit takes hold of you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaking_in_tongues

[mdmc]

5. thanks for the link

good God.

[Kutjara]

6. It seems that when God is sufficiently motivated to send His Holy Spirit...

...aspect to Earth and into the body of a person, so that His will might be better understood by his Chosen People, He regularly forgets to pack His universal translator.

[undeterred]

14. or the universal translator was fired for being gay

:hide:

[timtom]

70. LOL!

Good one! How soon many of us forget...

[skooooo]

2. It means..

...run the other way.

[Deja Q]

3. She's high on LSD and is feeling the munchies...

[DFW]

4. I don't go to "church," but..........

I speak English, French, Spanish, Italian, Catalan, Russian, Dutch, Swedish and German.

Enough tongues, or should I learn Polish?

[ZombieHorde]

72. Japanese.

[DFW]

75. Nihongo wakarimasen

(Japanese sister-in-law)

[Submariner]

7. I saw 700 Club on TV many years ago and Pat Robertson

started speaking in tongues (I hope it's on youtube someday), what a pathetic display. Pat said he spoke with Jesus on the shore of the Sea of Galilli. What a crock.

[Critters2]

9. Robertson? Really? He's Baptist, and most Baptists don't believe in glossolalia.

Even the conservative ones don't do it. Pentecostals do it, and Pentecostals and Baptists do not mix! That's why Jim Bakker's fans were so upset when PTL was taen over by Falwell, who's Baptist.

[Blue-Jay]

19. I've seen many Baptists do it.

I went to a SBC-affiliated college for my undergrad work, and attended several services where a few god-squadders started gibbering. Robert Tilton does it on TV all the time, but I don't know if he's a Baptist or not.

[Critters2]

23. Tilton is a charismatic Pentecostal. nt

[Blue-Jay]

27. And a lunatic.

Still, he's kinda fun to watch. So is Jack Van Impe, and his crazy wife. And Benny Hinn. Equal parts of unintentional comedy and disgust.

[Critters2]

30. And a fraud. But not a Baptist. nt

[Coyote_Bandit]

51. Ummmmm

No.

Pat Robertson has long been a leader in the pentecostal charismatic word of faith movement. Those familiar with Pat's tv broadcasts know that Pat has long taught healing through the laying on of hands, speaking in tongues, revelation knowledge, and the prosperity gospel. Pat also has shown some propensity to advocate conspiracy theories as evidenced by his book "The New World Order" which was about the Illuminati. Pat has made many speaking appearances at Oral Roberts University and has spoken at several of their graduation exercises. It was a former ORU political science professor, Dr. Hubert Morken, who wrote the Robertson biography that was circulated during his presidential bid. Also, the Regent University (Pat's school) School of Law is the successor school to the Oral Roberts University Law School. In the Fall of 1985 Oral (with the blessing of the University Board of Regents) ***GAVE*** the ORU law school to Regent University (then called CBN). The law library and its accreditation were packed up and moved from Tulsa to Virginia Beach. Professors and students were accepted on a case by case basis. Some of the professors who did make that move later sued Pat and Regent University over a tenure issue. One of those professors, Paul Morken, was the brother to Pat's biographer. The founding Dean of the Regent incarnation of that Law School is one Herb Titus - who had previously served as the Assistant Dean of the ORU law school (the founding Dean of the ORU law school, Charles Kothe, was a labor consultant to the Reagan administration). More trivia: The money (reportedly $10 million) which was donated to found the ORU law school was donated by Oklahoma ophthalmologist OW Coburn - the father of current Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn. Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann is a graduate of the ORU law school. Monica Goodling is a graduate of the Regent law school.

The Jim Bakker/Jerry Falwell falling out has more to do with how the Bakkers were treated by Falwell and his agents. Apparently, Falwell directed the forcible removal of the Bakkers from their home without permitting them to take their personal property and effects. Falwell is reported to have been personally involved in seeking Bakkers criminal prosecution and imprisonment. Much of the argument turned on whether the sale of lifetime partnerships in Heritage USA was a sale of securities. Falwell and his agents argued that it was. A federal jury later ruled it was not. And it was Falwell who took control of the property and assets of the Bakkers ministry. Those properties included hotels, a Christian resort and an amusement park. Falwell did little to maintain these properties or insure their continued operations. It isn't unreasonable to think these particular properties could have been sold. But Falwell didn't do that and instead chose to abandon the properties. Those properties are in ruin today. Definitely a hostile takeover. And then there were the very public and very harsh personal comments that Falwell directed toward Bakker. Bakker was originally sentenced to 45 years in prison, had the sentence reduced to 18 years on appeal and served about 5 years. Since leaving prison Bakker has worked in the inner city, remarried, adopted several inner city children, re-entered the ministry and written a book entitled "I Was Wrong." Among other things, Bakker renounces the prosperity gospel in that book.

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. In my opinion, it is babbling, but I don't judge others.

Once, before I was diagnosed and was at my wit's end and was willing to sacrifice a chicken in the front yard if it would make me feel better, I went to a "healing mass" with my neighbor at the local "Charismatic" (what a trip for a Catholic Traditional CCD girl) Catholic church. Talk about feeling goofy. Totally goofy. Worse than goofy. It was more what the heck am I doing here and hand me my handbasket now if this is where religion is going. But again, I don't believe so it wasn't for me.

Think sounds like, "Tet tet tet tet lat lat lat lat de de de deh..." and on and on.

[jobycom]

10. My grandmother once spoke in tongues.

Got my whole church believing they had witnessed a miracle. On the way home, though, she asked my mother and I "Is speaking in tongues just praying and making funny noises while you do it?"

We decided to let the church believe it had witnessed a miracle, anyway.

[Critters2]

11. I've seen it, when a Pentecostal group was renting the church camp where I worked

one summer in college. And I have friends who've done it, including some clergy who insist one must do it to be saved.

I think people just get worked up into a frenzy and become kind of hysterical. I've also seen people bein "slain in the Spirit", which is basically fainting.

I try not to judge other people's religious experiences. And I could be in a relationship with someone who considered glossolalia one possible experience...but not with someone who considered it a requirement for a valid faith life.

So, if she doesn't insist you do it, I don't see a problem.

[mdmc]

45. I'm Catholic

so I understand the miracle (allowing the speaker to speak her native tongue and foreigner are able to understand as if it was spoken in their native language).

This wasn't people speaking a foreign language - it was them making sounds...

My girl doesn't expect me to do it.

[CreekDog]

12. oh my

call me a skeptic.

if you want to annoy her, ask her what she said. :rofl:

[undeterred]

13. Code language for french kissing.

Not usually done in church.

[Orrex]

39. Not even in the rectory?

What about the apse?

[backscatter712]

15. The technical term is glossolalia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossolalia

Stop! I don't want a computer virus in my brain! Where's the nam-shub of Enki?

[valerief]

16. I never speak without my tongue. Don't know how I'd pronounce "TH"

without it.

[sasquatch]

17. It means you need to either get a new girlfriend or a deprogrammer

Good luck.

[Breeze54]

18. Is her "church" selling LSD?

Look for Mickey Mouse papers!

[Whoa_Nelly]

20. My son (reformed evangelical) says what they really say is...

(and you have to run all the words together!...and he says different churches have special thing that are "popular" to saHere are a few:

itiemybowtie youtiemybowtie shecameinahyundai
(I tie my bowtie You tiemybowti She came in a Hyundai)

hickey moe sigh

yella the suhtie

odeodeo odeodeay

Honest! He says they take words and string then together just so they can sound like they are "speaking in tongues".

[Esra Star]

21. Paroxsysmic (?) jibber jabber nt

[Blue Diadem]

22. I have witnessed it, in both a church and at home.

My Mom could speak in tongues. It didn't happen for her until later in her life and she prayed for years to be filled with the holy spirit. Most of the time it was gibberish but one time, after my Dad died, we had been bickering and she began praying and then she got ticked off at me and began yelling at me in tongues. She was still yelling in that gibberish but her eyes took on a dark look, not at all the more peaceful look I'd previously witnessed.

I wasn't fazed by it,(you'd have to have known my Mother) but it happened in front of my kids and it scared the heck out of them. My kids still remember it after all these years. My daughter just brought it up the other night when her brother was here and we were discussing religion. "Remember when Grandma got mad at Mom and yelled at her in tongues".

Here's a story that might explain how people who do it feel.

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Story?id=2935819&page=1

[emilyg]

24. Interesting.

[Withywindle]

25. Yes. I was 12.

It's a feeling of being taken over by an awesome spiritual force way greater than oneself.

It's different--and yet also similar--to the experience of "Drawing Down the Moon" in Wiccan ritual and being ridden by the loa/orixa in Voudoun/Candomble/Santeria.


It's a very ancient goal of human religious ritual--way older than Christianity or any religion we know of now. Divine ecstasy. Getting beyond the self.

In a very deep way, the experience itself doesn't matter as much as what changes in thinking might happen afterwards. But because it's an ancient experience, all sorts of ancient human tendencies attach to it, like the tendency to one-upmanship, wishful thinking, signifying, competitiveness, etcetera.

If it's still a meaningful experience in her mind 10 years from now, then it was real. If it leads to a change in awareness that truly alters her understanding for the better forever, then it was real. No way to tell for sure now.

[Kali]

29. Rumi and the spinning/dancing

good explanation. I still have a feeling of "yikes" (especially when it comes to christianity), but you are correct in the ancient search for divine ecstasy.

[Withywindle]

31. Yup, that's another good example.

What the Whirling Dervishes do looks very elegant and dignified and artistic from the outside, so it's not judged as harshly, but it's a similar motivation--and what they're experiencing on the inside just might be every bit as wild.


I once observed to a friend outside of all of this that in American Christian churches, the further down the economic scale you go, the louder and more exuberant the services tend to be--and the further up the economic scale you go, the more uncomfortable people get with any overt display of unpredictable religious emotion.

[Kali]

34. interesting

I don't do churches much so only have stereotypic impressions (Black American for example) so I was assuming that might be more cultural than economic phenomenon. I'm sure it is interrelated, but that is still an interesting observation. Thanks.

[Withywindle]

38. In Appalachia, it's economic.

Everybody's white, so it's not a racial factor. We didn't even have any Catholics - very homogenous racially. In my experience, the "quieter" Methodist/Presbyterian/Lutheran congregations were the more "upwardly mobile" people - the middle class, the doctors and high school principals and such. The Holiness/Pentecostal/Charismatic Baptists were the dirt farmers, coal miners, etcetera. I think there was more class awareness on their side than on the other--they were the ones who considered things "of this world" like nice houses and cars to be a warning sign of sin. The really hardcore folks wouldn't even vote for this reason--which makes the megachurch fundie-Repubs even more hypocritical; the people they claim to emulate would have known them for Pharisees in an instant.

[Kali]

42. and then there is the use of hallucinogens and such for the same goal

lots of times combined with physical exhaustion

we have sought altered states for a hella long time in a multitude of ways!

[Withywindle]

43. Oh yes.

And even in the crudest of rituals put together by kids with sincere intentions but no real training...


...they can work!

[crimsonblue]

26. it means she's a gullible loser

and you should probably dump her. :evilgrin:

[madeline_con]

28. She's rapture reeady. Lose her. n/t

[bridgit]

32. was she speaking in like *nice* tongues? Or channeling DeNiro at the end of Cape Fear?

Cause those weren't *nice* tongues :(

[deucemagnet]

83. That scene was the first thing I thought of.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLcwxURMca8

[Common Sense Party]

33. I've experienced the "gift of tongues," which, as we believe, is how

the Spirit can actually help you converse in another language so you can teach and testify to that person in a way he or she can understand.

We don't believe that speaking gibberish or nonsensical noises is truly edifying.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

35. ihg ggtft ih8yr5rjln ony8 f hifgy hug kohojn';lknjko hifvtcdv yfvtydui

I type in tongues.

[HamstersFromHell]

36. Or you own a cat!

:)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

41. She types in tongues too...

nmmmmmmmmmmmm7uyv olllllllllllllgfklllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll, jk

[Bake]

57. Post. Of. The. Day!

:rofl:

Bake

[Shine]

37. I have experience being around it, briefly when I was a young girl

My sister and I were taken to a prayer meeting with my mom, who was majorly into the Christian charismatic movement at the time. At one point, everyone in the room, including my 10 yr old sister and my mom, started speaking in tongues. Basically, it's gibberish and it sounds really trippy when you hear it. The idea is that it's like your "own private language of prayer" to God.

I guess the holy spirit didn't move me in quite the same way, cuz I just couldn't do it.

It never felt right to me.

Now I'm born again pagan. :D

:hi: mdmc!

[HamstersFromHell]

40. It means she wore open toe shoes to church...

and accidentally kicked a pew on the way out. She can't say what she *really* wanted to say, but this way they all approve.

[datasuspect]

44. it is a manifestation of the holy spirit in adherents

[raccoon]

46. It means she deluded herself and got so psyched up that she started

saying a lot of nonsense syllables. She may genuinely believe she was speaking in tongues. I think some people do.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

47. hysteria. nt

[kay1864]

49. They have machines to cure that, you know

[bertha katzenengel]

48. i can't answer that question without

my answer being deleted and my getting a warning from the admins.

[Fran Kubelik]

63. ok, you got my attention

pm?

[SurfingAtWork]

50. Through Jr High and my first year in high school I was a little fundie

Sometimes at chruch when we were worshiping people would start "speaking in tongues". Sometimes I'd do this and I'd be all like dkljfhd-i8e8*&*(jdlljk lkDuieinj& kdjljkfi. People would be all impressed, and I'd get a "the force is strong in this one" type of reaction. I'd feel all smug and think "the jokes on you, I'm just babbling". Then I realized that is what everyone was doing... I think it was around there when I started deciding there were better ways to spend my sundays.

[Shell Beau]

52. No I don't. I think it would scare me a little to hear someone

speaking in tongue! :shrug:

[Coyote_Bandit]

53. In some pentecostal charismatic word of fatih circles

there is a distinction between what is referred to as speaking in tongues and the prayer language.

Speaking in tongues is a public utterance in a language which is unknown to the speaker and which is both understood and interpreted by one who hears what is spoken.

The prayer language is a private utterance in prayer in an unknown tongue (not necessarily a recognized language). The belief is that this is a way to speak in rayer things which one is not otherwise able to verbalize.

What does it mean? Depends on what meaning and significance both you and your girlfriend attribute to the experience, what kind of relationship you wish to have, and what role religion and spirituality is expected to paly in your life and relatioship.

[LanternWaste]

54. Funny that...

Funny that... I've spent pretty much my entire life as a church-goer (except for my teen years-- sometimes I think it's a requirement to absolve oneself of all things religious during those heady days of high school to be more effectively "cool" :) ).

And in all that time, I've only been referenced toward speaking in tongues, but have never actually witnessed it or known anyone who had. :shrug:

[Inchworm]

55. I think it's based on a verse in Acts

says something to the effect of..the people recieved The Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues...

It is neat to watch people who believe this phenomena.

:hi:

[Sequoia]

56. When I was in 6th grade or so we went to a Chruch of God

where the preacher and a college age girl would seem to outshout the other during the Sunday service. My brothers, sister and I would try not to laugh but I thought the both of them were showing off and trying to get more people to attend church. I thought it was phony.

[hobbit709]

58. I've blithered more than once under the influence of psychoactive substances.

Does that count?

[Hell Hath No Fury]

59. Check out "Borat"...

there is a scene towards the end where Cohen goes to what appears to be a Pentacostal church where the preacher and several others start speaking in tongues. It sounds like childish gibberish. My sister went through a "fundie" period and had this experience. I personally think it is a form of religious hysteria.

[galledgoblin]

73. I was going to suggest "Bruce Almighty"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jedM7XBiLU

[MilesColtrane]

60. She had a Godgasm.

[SacredCow]

61. Lots, unfortunately....

I attended a fundamentalist school for 3 years and have witnessed it. I was old enough to find it kind of funny, but there were young (as young as 3 years old) kids present, too. Someone rolling around, foaming at the mouth, eyes back in their head is pretty damn scary to a 3 year old.

[baldguy]

62. Good album

[ghostsofgiants]

64. I went to a pentecostal chuch for a while when I was a kid.

Saw many people speak in tongues. Kinda freaked me out as a kid, but now it mostly amuses me.

[Forkboy]

65. I was hoping this would be a sex thread.

x(

[old mark]

66. Spanish.

But I had to go to college for it.

mark

[FloridaJudy]

67. Afreed amgliggfilia

Veetrigraff! Amsit scrottle snoggerfleet dab nusgruntle - spirglurunt ro wibble. Munglehabben.

[Fox Mulder]

68. Everything said in a church is nonsense...

so anyone who is speaking at church is speaking in tongues.

[timtom]

69. It scares the crap out of me.

My mother dragged me to a church like that in the 50's, after having sat through Sunday School and regular church service at a Baptist church. I was about 9 and it was too much for a little to bear all at once.

But the overall memory -- the defining characteristic:

creepy

[MonkeyFunk]

71. I have in-laws who do that

my brother's wife's family.

One of them started doing at their wedding reception - in the middle of summer - in July - in a greenhouse.

I left and went to the bar.

[backscatter712]

74. You sure it's not the brain's binary code?

Like I said, where's the nam-shub of Enki when we need it? People are getting infected with brain malware!

[FloridaJudy]

76. Da5id gave it to Juanita

:evilgrin:

[backscatter712]

77. Hiro's gonna need a copy...

[GCP]

78. Drop her as fast as you can

She's a religious nut and it'll only get worse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCh2FXzD6R4

[RedShoes]

79. John Ashcroft spoke in tongues.

no shit. be careful :scared:

[pitohui]

80. it means it's time to get a new girlfriend

having dated this type, there is NO upside

also it is not considered correct to speak in tongues just to show off for the heathen, but my boyfriend couldn't resist showing off either

would you be asking what to do if she was handling snakes, well, it's all from the same silly season section of the bible

you deserve better than somebody who lets themselves be hypnotized into this kind of nonsense, the next move is the church putting a hand in her wallet, having demonstrated this much control over her head they won't have much trouble trying to dictate that she tithe or jump thru any other ridiculous hoops

[LostInAnomie]

81. It means she's very suseptable to suggestion...

... and has fooled herself into believing that crap is real.

Speaking in tongues is a line of shit that fundie clowns fake all the time in their churches to show that they are "in touch with the spirit".

[Douglas Carpenter]

82. I was "raised" in a Pentecostal church and yes ,I have in the past spoken in tongues

According to Pentecostal theology, after a person has been saved (found Jesus Christ as their personal savior) God offers to the believer the opportunity to be as they say, "Baptized in the Holy" Spirit. This is based on an interpretation in the New Testament from the Book of Acts Chapter 2.

Most Pentecostals believe that when they are Baptized in the Holy Spirit, this experience will be accompanied by the sign of speaking in tongues. Pentecostal believers hold that this is a special prayer language which might be an unknown foreign language or a language of angels.

Now what is actually happening? To be honest, I sincerely don't know.
But in general a person allows their mouth to spontaneously form words and syllables.

In some Pentecostal or Charismatic gatherings this takes the form of a kind of spontaneous singing in tongues. I must admit, even now that experience did appear to be somewhat mystical. On other occasions someone might feel moved to utter a message in tongues, followed by another who feels moved to deliver an interpretation of the message. Usually the messages were rather broad and generic appeals to turn to God and trust him completely.

Certainly in Pentecostal and Charismatic circles this is considered a kind of "right of passage" to be "baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues according to Acts 2:4." I should also add that some of the times this involves a very worked up state. Most of the times it does not.

It has been slightly less than thirty years since I have been a Pentecostal or even a Evangelical believers, but I can still at any time I want, still speak in tongues.

BTW: Al Sharpton is a Pentecostal Preacher. So Pentecostals are a more divers lot than many would imagine. No doubt most white Pentecostals are Republicans, and most latino and African-American Pentecostals are Democrats. Tongue-speaking Pentecostals or Charismatics are just as normal as any other community of religious people. The vast majority are absolutely sincere in their beliefs. They have the same mixture of nice and not-so-nice people, educated and intelligent and not so educated and intelligent people as any other group.

Note: Charismatics are members of mainstream non-Pentecostal Churches that also practice speaking in tongues and faith healing.

[Douglas Carpenter]

84. kik

[derby378]

85. I only spoke in tongues as a demonstration for a skeptic's group

It was showing how glossolalia happens from a neurologic perspective.

[Deja Q]

86. Ooga booga schmooka dooka

[elocs]

87. Well, you came to the right place for a serious answer to a religious question.

I know that DU would be the first place I would come because you would certainly find any religious question given respect and consideration and there would never, never be any mocking or sarcasm directed at anybody's faith. Yes, if the members of DU don't believe it, then it's not worth believing. Here we not only know all there is to be known, but a good bit that is unknown also.

[Kali]

92. um, I see both humerous mocking and serious replies

just like life - oh what a strange place DU is

[elocs]

93. Umm, if you've been paying attention here at DU you will see religion most often mocked

rather than being treated with any respect in spite of the fact that probably thousands of DUers are probably practicing Christians. DU is hardly a mirror of real life, particularly when it comes to religion.

[Kali]

96. I really have no problem with religion being mocked.

nor the ridiculous "leaders" of most of them. I tend to have respect for individuals who are more spiritual than religious, but we are all deserving of a good mocking sometimes.

[elocs]

97. I'm sorry, I don't have time or patience for bigotry and religious intolerance.

I'll simply place you on my ignore list.

[Kali]

98. wow I think that is my first

at least the first announced ignore (why do people do that? so they can be mocked?)

My reply to you would have been:

It works both ways. The religious are often the truly bigoted and intolerant. Try to attend a public event in this country (especially in rural areas) without being subject to forced religion. (and forced "patriotism" - they often go hand in hand.)

[datasuspect]

99. probably not much of a monty python fan either

you must be fun at parties.

religion is a rich source of humor.

[elocs]

101. Yes I love Monty Python and watched them from the start and understand satire.

Their satire and treatment of religion is far different from the pure venom and heart felt mocking that it receives here.

[datasuspect]

102. i tend to agree with bakunin

(and this is loosely quoted):

"if there were a god, it would be necessary to abolish him."

[mreilly]

88. I was once so drunk I spoke in tongues

Seriously - I fell asleep at a party after too much to drink then recall waking up to go to bed (I was staying over obviously) and saying some very meaningful stuff to a friend of mine - except none of it was in English. I remember trying to communicate something urgent in what my friend reported the next day was total gibberish. I guess what was interesting about it was that it seemed to me like I was talking normally but the words had no basis in reality.

[Ikonoklast]

89. I let out a really loud fart in church once

The people around me started making funny gurgling noises.

Does that count?

[datasuspect]

103. i poop a lot

[Peregrine Took]

90. I was in a Catholic charismatic prayer group

with some wonderful, holy people.

They would speak in tongues during some of the prayer sessions.

It was very cool - sounded like ancient Aramaic and they all seemed to be speaking the same dialect but not the same words.

[east texas lib]

91. Only at a fast food drive through or when talking to an insurance co. customer serv. rep by phone.

:D

[Skittles]

94. it means she was babbling and making no sense

religion-induced nuttiness

[elshiva]

95. When I was a Christian, I spoke in tongues when I was alone.

But, now that I'm an atheist I see it was just a lot nonsense syllables. But it's fun to do. Fwekee sheniah denile mechel mithellleeeeeeee benie sippppeeeeeeeeee

[Taverner]

100. I'm going to be the asshole here but

That means she was babbling nonsense

There is no proof that those speaking in 'tongues' are actually speaking a language. The cases the church will point out were all since debunked.

[Name removed]

104. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.