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Speaking in Tongues

Arrow

Member
Do people still speak in tongues? And on that note, are there people that still perform miracles?
I have my own thoughts, but i would like to know your own.

Thank you all for your input.

-Arrow
 

joeboonda

Well-Known Member
My own thoughts...are that I have dear Christian brothers and sisters who do believe in tongue speaking and faith healers, and although I do not, I greatly admire and respect and call them my brothers and sisters in Christ. Mine is a long long story of why I believe the way I do, and there is no way I could do it justice here and I really don't want to, for, I believe some of these things, what I call non-essential doctrines, are not worth causing division over, although we can amicably disagree and still be Christians. If someone disagrees over the essential doctrines, that Christ died, was buried, and rose again, and still takes the name 'Christian', then I might bother to discuss that with them.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
How would someone know that an episode of speaking in tongues was not caused by, say, schizophrenia or some other disorder? I'm not ruling out that some episodes of it might transcend pathologies, but how would one distinguish between those that do and those that don't?
 
i saw a documentary on a guy in brazil who had healing abilitys. he apparently healed blind people, broken bones, as well as performed exorcisims. althoguh there was really no way of proving this in the documentary, the documentary did attempt to disprove it, and were strucken to find every bit of information lead to reality. Thus, this guy was doing what he claimed to be doing, as the people he was doing it for said he infact healed them....i think there are some videos of stuff like that on www.youtube.com
 

dawny0826

Mother Heathen
Sunstone said:
How would someone know that an episode of speaking in tongues was not caused by, say, schizophrenia or some other disorder? I'm not ruling out that some episodes of it might transcend pathologies, but how would one distinguish between those that do and those that don't?

I speak in tongues when I feel compelled, normally in the privacy of my own home, while I'm praying to and praising God and I assure you that I'm not schizophrenic and am not crazy...in fact it's offensive when others suggest that one who does speak in tongues could possibly have a mental disorder.

Edit: It's a spiritual experience. It's an exercise of faith.
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Arrow said:
Do people still speak in tongues? And on that note, are there people that still perform miracles?
I have my own thoughts, but i would like to know your own.

Thank you all for your input.

-Arrow
Members of my church believe in speaking and interpretation of tongues. However, in 57 years as a member, I have never actually witnessed this spiritual gift. I believe that God uses it for His purposes when necessary, but not that it is "evidence" of anything. I definitely don't believe that people speak in tongues without some specific purpose. That would go against common sense, in my opinion (and obviously, as a Mormon, everything I believe is common sense. :D )

I do believe in miracles, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that people perform them. The only one capable of performing a miracle is God himself. He has given His power to men today who have been given the authority to use it in His name, but they could not conceivably perform a miracle on their own.
 

dawny0826

Mother Heathen
I'm a Pentecostal Christian and prior to becoming a Christian...I didn't in any way, shape or form believe that there was anything legitimate about "tongues" until it happened to me on the day that I accepted Christ as my Saviour.

When I received the indwelling...it happened. It wasn't something that I forced...it happened and it was not a MENTAL experience...its was a SPIRITUAL experience. It was the most profound experience of my life, to be honest.

There are two purposes for speaking in tongues...for SELF edification and for edificatin of the church.

I speak in tongues for personal edification. When I yield my tongue in faith to the Holy Spirit...it's like a faith building exercise. WHAT is being said is a non-issue. It's the fact that I'm...in faith yielding my tongue. And NORMALLY when this happens...I feel compelled by the Holy Spirit to do so and am in deep prayer or am in the process of praising God.

One who has the gift of prophesy can speak in tongues to edify the church...but there must be a translator present and I personally, have never seen this being done.

1 Cor. 14:1-5 describes speaking in tongues...

"Pursue and desire spiritual gifts but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues ben even more than you prophesied, for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification."

I speak in tongues to edify myself...it's an exercise of faith...between God and I. It's not about WHAT I'm saying...it's about yielding yourself to the Holy Spirit and trusting Him enough to do it...

If you've never done this...I doubt you'll understand.

As far as modern day miracles occuring...I don't believe that Christ has changed any. He is the very SAME as He was when He performed miracles and He told his people that not only would they do HIS works but GREATER works.

When Christ instructed His people to carry out the Great Commission...He said this...

"And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe; In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mark 16:15-18

I believe the words of Christ.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
dawny0826 said:
I speak in tongues when I feel compelled, normally in the privacy of my own home, while I'm praying to and praising God and I assure you that I'm not schizophrenic and am not crazy...in fact it's offensive when others suggest that one who does speak in tongues could possibly have a mental disorder.

Edit: It's a spiritual experience. It's an exercise of faith.

My apologies if you found offense in what I said. I certainly wasn't suggesting that everyone who speaks in tongues suffers from a mental disorder, Dawny. On the contrary, I was merely wondering how one distinguishes between those who do suffer from a disorder and those who do not. IF I thought that all people who speak in tongues suffered from some disorder, I would not need to ask how to distinguish between those who do and those who don't.
 

dawny0826

Mother Heathen
My apologies if you found offense in what I said. I certainly wasn't suggesting that everyone who speaks in tongues suffers from a mental disorder, Dawny.

No problem and I extend my own apologies. I was a bit defensive.

On the contrary, I was merely wondering how one distinguishes between those who do suffer from a disorder and those who do not. IF I thought that all people who speak in tongues suffered from some disorder, I would not need to ask how to distinguish between those who do and those who don't.

Who? The person speaking in tongues or an outsider looking in on someone speaking tongues?

For the person speaking...it's an exercise of faith...that's all it is.

For someone, on the outside...looking in on someone speaking in tongues...I think their "gauge" on the person speaking will depend on their views of tongue speaking.

Those who are uncomfortable around charismatic worship will probably find it incredibly crazy regardless of the psyche of the individual worshipping and/or speaking in tongues.

And too many focus on WHAT is being said...which is a non issue unless one is having a go at prophesy.

I'm sure there are many who believe that anyone who believes in God has mental issues. How can you KNOW for sure their state of mental health?

It always comes down to faith...you either believe in something or you don't and I don't know if you could gauge a person's mental health by observing such religious practices. If you don't accept the practice as truth...it's probably going to look completely insane to you...
 

gnostic

The Lost One
What does it mean to "speak in tongues"?

Do you mean speaking coherently/fluently in different languages? This is what I thought it meant, when I first read about it.

Or does it mean someone speaking prophecy in an inhuman voice?
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
I suppose my curiosity with this question of how one can tell stems from the experience I had growing up. A life long friend was speaking in tongues in high school, but a year or so after graduation was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Looking back, however, I can see there would have been a clear enough way to distinguish between her schizophrenia and a non pathological speaking in tongues. That is, she had many, many symptoms of schizophrenia. And I would assume that someone who's speaking in tongues was religious or spiritual, rather than schizophrenic, would not show so many other symptoms of schizophrenia.

BTW, I agree with you that some people are inclined to believe that anyone who believes in such things as speaking in tongues, much less anyone who claims to speak in tongues, is de facto crazy. But I think that's an unwarranted assumption on their part. I think a reasonable skeptic would have to admit that this is an area for which we do not have sufficient evidence to dismiss it out of hand. At least that's my impression of what little I know about it.
 

dan

Well-Known Member
Speaking in tongues is twofold.

One purpose is to preach the gospel in another language so others may be converted. I became fluent in Spanish in only five months on my mission to Uruguay. I consider that to be the gift of tongues. There were times when I testified using language and words that I had never learned.

The other purpose is to glorify God, but a translator is required for it to be valid, according to Paul. I have seen men shout "Hibbity dibbity, hibbity dobbity, hibbity dibbity, hibbity dibbity" into a microphone for upwards of an hour, but that is not tongues. I have never seen one of the performances accompanied by a translator.

I have seen miracles before. I would like to think that I had something to do with a few as well, but I hesitate to claim this, even though others say I did. I have a locket that says "Paise the Lord" in Portuguese from a woman who claims my priesthood blessing cured her of cancer. Her cancer did up and vanish, but any number of things could have caused it, according to her doctors.
 

EnhancedSpirit

High Priestess
There is a radio evangelist who speaks in tongues. I catch him every once in a while. He is in California, but I hear him hear in Florida. I went and saw him live once when he came here, but he did not speak in tongues during his service.

My ex-husband goes to a Protestant Church in N. Carolina. He said he went to a meeting of the Elders, and that hearing them all speak in tongues was kind of creepy.
 

dawny0826

Mother Heathen
dan said:
Speaking in tongues is twofold.

One purpose is to preach the gospel in another language so others may be converted. I became fluent in Spanish in only five months on my mission to Uruguay. I consider that to be the gift of tongues. There were times when I testified using language and words that I had never learned.

The other purpose is to glorify God, but a translator is required for it to be valid, according to Paul. I have seen men shout "Hibbity dibbity, hibbity dobbity, hibbity dibbity, hibbity dibbity" into a microphone for upwards of an hour, but that is not tongues. I have never seen one of the performances accompanied by a translator.

I have seen miracles before. I would like to think that I had something to do with a few as well, but I hesitate to claim this, even though others say I did. I have a locket that says "Paise the Lord" in Portuguese from a woman who claims my priesthood blessing cured her of cancer. Her cancer did up and vanish, but any number of things could have caused it, according to her doctors.

The bible also mentions speaking in tongues for self edification and one does not need a translator for that because it is dialogue between the individual and God. WHAT is being said is a non-issue. It's almost like a faith building exercise.

I'm Pentecostal. People speak tongues in my church quite frequently. NEVER has our Pastor spoke tongues directly TO the church. Because as you stated, he would require a translator and one isn't even supposed to tempt that unless they have the gift of prophesy.

But he often times will pray and slip into tongues....not for OUR benefit but for his own.:D
 
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