Regardless please allow me to share that I often struggle with the concept of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and how they are given, and how they are to be used.

The following is my testimony about how I dealt with the faking of speaking in tongues. I was attending a bible study fellowship that was being conducted by a small group that was very passionate but I believe to this day was mislead. After several weeks of basic study, the leaders attempted to get everyone to speak in tongues after explaining that is was ones own will that caused the manifestation of the gift. Under pressure I began to fake it, and felt badly afterwards.

That night I prayed on the subject asking God to somehow enlighten me over time as to the truth concerning the gifts especially the speaking in tongues.

I received an answer in a dream that very night, although I would not realize it for three days. I dreamt that I was in Mexico, and how I knew that it was Mexico I do not know since I had never been there before. I crossed a river, and then soon found myself pursued by a man, his boy and their dog. I fled to a field and hid in the tall brown grass, and in order to flush me out they lit the grass on fire. I fled once more and found a building with door in back. Upon entering I found that it was the kitchen area of a church and it was a mess. There were kids there eating whatever they could find. Somehow a thought entered my head that lead me to understand that these kids were orphans, and that the pastor of the church was in an upper room too sick to get out of bed, and perhaps was dying.

I began speaking with the children, in English, about general things, and the conversation got around their church and God. I quickly came to the conclusion that although they lived in church they had no real bible training, and they were quite superstitious, and were actually afraid of God in what I thought to be an unhealthy way.

I started to attempt to explain at length to them my perception of God. All of sudden they were speaking in Spanish and we could no longer communicate. I was very anxious to tell them about how I felt about God, and then realized that I was not even sure what to say in English.

I just felt this internal drive to say something as they all gave me a similar odd look. I struggled and struggled and could say nothing until I thought to myself “Oh God please help me to help these children”, and then I blurted out “Ah-lee-en-tose” sounding as a single word. All the children they smiled and nodded and were quite pleased with the one word I had said. I then suddenly awoke from the dream as my alarm clock rang.

I thought later that morning that the human brain is quite amazing in that it could make up a non word that actually sounded quite Spanish. But really I wanted to say a bunch of stuff, not just a word or two.

For the next three days that word stayed in my head, and I actually found myself singing it over and over in my head one the way home three days after the dream. I then decided to be brave enough to ask a friend of mine who knew Spanish if what I had uttered was actually a word. Upon my repeating the syllables to him he immediately told me that the word meant multiple things. The Spanish spelling was Alientos. First he explained that it meant “breath”, or even “wind” of a sort, and then went on to explain that one often uses it in reference to the encouragement that a person receives from his coach if playing a sport.

I immediately knew that God had answered my prayers, and in a flash it was obvious to me the gift is given in cases where it is necessary. And that God can use a single word at times to communicate all that He needs.

I have never again spoken in tongues, nor have I been anxious to, as I now believe that God may use any of the gifts at any time as He wills.

Lastly, I would say that I would never slight anyone who felt so moved as to pray in tongues while feeling moved by the Spirit, but I think that should really be more of a private thing. And Paul has already told us that in church an interpreter should be present if tongues are spoken there, so enough said as far as I am concerned.

-John

Chris, I don’t think you should worry too much about the whole tongue issue. Apparently, millions of people will be there in Badplace right with you if that’s how it turns out.

My biggest hang up lies squarely with the denominational issue. It only happens to AGers? How can that be? I don’t believe you practice the Holy Spirit. I believe it practices you. If tongues were legit, why would it not spontaneously happen to Baptists and Catholics, etc? My sense is that, perhaps, everyone fakes it, but convinces themselves of the truth of it because they want it as bad as you do. I am also bothered by the emphasis placed on it. That further pushes my skepticism.

I also believe God gave us a brain to think critically. I don’t believe education and spirituality are mutually exclusive, as some Christians do.

But I’m a liberal Christian.

That’s my subjective standpoint. For the record, I think all religious beliefs come from subjective perspectives. Talk about a can of worms. That “subjective” piece can get one into a lot of hot water. I might even go as far as to suggest that our understanding of God is subjective. How about that?

Good discussion.

Good thoughts and I’ll try to answer your questions with brevity, candor and clarity without demeaning anyone’s views of the Holy Spirit. They all come from a “this is how I feel, this is my subjective experience” standpoint.

Before I get to those answers, let me touch on the point of questioning the practices of the church. I have questioned the point of tongues in numerous congregations…only one that I attended, and the one I currently attend, had the courtesy to give Biblically based answers to the question as best as they understood it. The others basically said I wasn’t on board with the vision of the church and told me I was unfit for ministry. As for using my brain, I think I was forced to check that at the door.

Now for the answers to your questions:

1. Tongues DOES have a purpose in the body, but I don’t think it’s nearly as prevalent as many take it to be. I think it is a sacred worship and private prayer language, and only in a few instances should it be used in church, and even then it needs to be prayed over by the church and especially the pastor before a decision is made regarding the word that was spoken. I base this on studies of 1 Corinthians 14.

2. Vague messages do not offer anything. They only serve to set that particular church membership back because for one, the people who are new Christians or maybe have a lesser understanding of the Word in general wonder why they’re being fed the same words over and over. Now I will say that in most instances that the messages were vague, the word spoken was legitimate but people failed to act on it. That’s a whole different can of worms though.

3. If the word is from the Lord and is confirmed, and what is spoken comes to pass, then the Lord is glorified due to the fulfillment of His word. A word that does not come to pass or an incomplete word serves to glorify the person speaking it, which is definitely not Biblical at all.

4. Definitely not. I could point out multiple instances where I knew people were faking the funk because they took my example. I am not proud of that, even though I faked it because I wanted the gift so badly (again, the product of it being pumped up as some sort of spiritual prize).

5. I would not ultimately throw the baby out with the bath water. The Bible is very clear when it says to not quench, blaspheme, or mock the Holy Spirit. I believe the Lord speaks through us today and tongues is just one of many ways He does that…there are other ways. But if I had never come to an understanding of tongues and discounted it completely, and still had a love and willingness to follow God’s word, and accepted Him as my Savior, I would be no less His child than someone who has been gifted with tongues, prophecy and the whole nine yards.

Hope that helps further my viewpoint somewhat…

As if something is wrong or sinful about questioning the practices of the church. You further allude to this problem in your being told to not think intellectually but only spiritually. Such responses should be a red flag to the act and practice. God does not curse or condemn our critical thinking brains. It is a God-given gift that we should celebrate. It is with that brain that we are able to discern between God and man’s misinterpretations.

Okay, so to my questions:

1. How does the speaking of tongues benefit God or the church?

2. How do the same vague messages (as you put it) bring anything to the faith table?

3. How does it glorify God and not glorify the individual man?

4. Do you (Chris or Sally) think you are alone in your faking of tongues?

5. What would happen if you decided that the speaking of tongues was merely a psychological ruse? Would you go to Hell? Would you stop loving and following God? Would God reject you as a son of faith?