Glossolalia

[Snoopy]

Hi,

"New figures out today show a rise in the number of Pentecostal churches, and with it the practice of speaking in tongues."

contd>>>Faith or fake? - Times 2 - Times Online

An attempt to examine what goes on in the brains of people when "speaking in tongues"...

Faith or fake?

s.

[InLove]

Hey, Snoop (may I call you that? It's actually a compliment!)

I haven't read the article you posted yet, but I just wanted you to know that I have been reading all about the ongoing rift (yes, another rift) among the various divisions of my beloved Baptists over all of this! Interesting....

InPeace,
InLove

[Dondi]

Originally Posted by InLove

Hey, Snoop (may I call you that? It's actually a compliment!)

I haven't read the article you posted yet, but I just wanted you to know that I have been reading all about the ongoing rift (yes, another rift) among the various divisions of my beloved Baptists over all of this! Interesting....

InPeace,
InLove

Though I grew up in a Southern Baptist church, I explored various churches, including many Pentacostal/Charistmatic churches. Now understand that tongues is a no-no in the mainline Baptist churches, but imagine my surprise when I visited a Baptist church in Ventura, CA back in the mid-eighties that was charismatic. I was told the unusual story of how they got that way.

It seems it started out as a mainline Baptist church. The pastor, however, had been suffering some excruciating back pain and nothing seemed to help it, so at the invitation of a friend, he attended a healing service, and ended up getting healed!

Well, from then on, he started studying the gifts of the Spirit and begun bringing that teaching into the church. Naturally, many members were upset. About half of them ended up leaving.

But the kicker is that that pastor continued in that teaching and his congregation grew to over twice as many members as he originally had as a "normal" Baptist church.

[InLove]

Hey, Dondi--

Yup--quite a controversy! It has even gotten to the point where some are saying that it isn't okay in private worship, much less public. I do understand the reasoning behind both sides, but I am not involved in that battle. I was surely surprised, though!

I have a friend who is not affiliated with any particular religious organization, and she has shared some things with me concerning worship language. I know her very well, and have no reason whatsoever to doubt her. It all had to do with the healing of her little boy. Wow.

InPeace,
InLove

[wil]

Originally Posted by Dondi

...started ..as a mainline Baptist church. The pastor, .. suffering some excruciating back pain..he attended a healing service, and ended up getting healed!

Well, from then on, he started studying the gifts of the Spirit and begun bringing that teaching into the church. ...members were upset. About half of them ended up leaving.... his congregation grew to over twice as many members...

Always interesting the ways of spirit....and the fact that their are two sides to the coin...there will be those that say it is sacrilige, not our way...and yet, the results, and the number of people that come when the pastor finds his calling...

[Caimanson]

Snoopy, check this thread.

signs of the holy ghost

[flowperson]

Hello All:

I've read in several places and heard on NPR that speaking in tongues is sweeping African Pentacostal Churches by storm. In fact, in many communities, one is excluded from normal social interactions if they do not participate and exhibit the ability to do so. This would certainly seem to encourage fakery IMO.

Here's something interesting that I found in a Nov. 7 article in the NYTimes. It seems that researchers at the University of Pennsylvania took brain scans of five women while they were speaking in tongues. The frontal lobes, the part of the brain that controls what people do (the willful part), were relatively quiet as were the language centers.

The regions of the brain that are involved in maintaining self-consciousness were shown to be active. In other words, the brain scan images seem to support what the people say...that G-d is talking through them.

A researcher summed it up by stating that practitioners, while mindful of their circumstances, still seem to cede some control over their bodies and emotions.

Should we be leery of the fact the the root of Pentacostal is "penta" ? Just thinking out loud again.

flow....

[InLove]

Originally Posted by flowperson

Should we be leery of the fact the the root of Pentacostal is "penta" ? Just thinking out loud again.

Hey, flow--not unless we apply the same to, oh say, the "Pentateuch"? I wouldn't worry.

It just refers to "five" or "fifty", right?

InPeace,
InLove

[flowperson]

Hi InLove:

I was just being facetious as usual. We all have our bad habits...huh ?

flow....

[InLove]

LOL--I wasn't sure! And, what do you mean, bad habits???

Seriously, though--I think there is a lot of room for fakery in this area, and I think it probably happens quite frequently. I have tended to believe that after the Pentecost, there was no longer a purpose for speaking in tongues. And I tend to think that the believers that day simply spoke in foreign languages they did not know in order to spread the message. However, I have come to reconsider some of this. I think perhaps there are different ways this may happen, and for different reasons. I have never experienced it myself, but I am not inclined anymore to totally dismiss the idea that it can still happen.

InPeace,
InLove

[flowperson]

Hi InLove:

I was referring to MY obvious bad habits. As far as I've seen and observed you possess none that I'm aware of, but then one only has to go back and recite the old fable regarding what boys and girls are made of to realize the basic differences. I'm still learning you see.

Go back and look at the brain wave info I edited in after your post. It pretty well convinces me that the phenomenon is "real", but of course, reality may always be imitated for effect.

One of the basic philosophical questions that started me on my writing addiction is one that I believe will determine our fate in the 21st century and beyond. How does one determine what is real and what is artificial ? Is there really a difference at the basic material levels of reality, and if there isn't what's the big deal anyway (as Seinfeld would say) ?

flow....

[InLove]

Flow--

I don't buy all that stuff about girls and boys--I had 2 girls, and I know for sure there are at least some puppy dog tails there. So what's the deal?

Yes--I read your post again. Interesting--no evidence of normal brain-to-speech patterns? (I know that my phrasing is rather awkward there, but hopefully you know what I'm trying to say.)

I agree with you about the levels of reality. I have always wondered about this. To me, what I call "the spiritual" is just as real (if not more so) than what is usually referred to as "the physical". I have noticed your posts often point to something along this school of thought. When I look back at history, I think there have been times when this concept has been more in the forefront of our collective conscience than at others, and I think that it is certainly quite relevant to the present. Maybe more than ever.

InPeace,
InLove

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by InLove

Hey, Snoop (may I call you that? It's actually a compliment!)

InPeace,
InLove

Hi InLove,

Of course! It seems to be occurring naturally; like erosion of a pebble; until all that is left is

s.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by Caimanson

Snoopy, check this thread.

signs of the holy ghost

Hi,

Whoops! OK slight duplication there.
Warning: possible silly question coming up>>>
Does this have anything to do with a "phenomenon" that I think came from Canada, where members of the congregation end up (for want of a better word) fainting? "Similar" from a psychological POV, not religious necessarily.

s.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by flowperson

It pretty well convinces me that the phenomenon is "real", but of course, reality may always be imitated for effect.

Hi,

It may be real, but what is the cause? What is the horse and what is the cart? Are they even connected? OK, I'm going straight onto de-caff I promise.

s.