Are you channeling satan when opening up your mind and asking to receive tongues?

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I was involved in the charismatic movement and never heard this one before.
The opening poster doesn’t understand the gift of tongues (as he realizes). The person with the gift of tongues doesn’t open his mind and try to channel it. It is something that happens spontaneously. It does not have the dynamic of someone at a seance.
Of course that doesn’t really answer the question. I have read the Church documents and the statements of popes about the charismatic movement in the Catholic Church, and they do not especially warn about the influence of Satan on the movement, nor do they especially warn about the role of Satan in this particular phenomena. Of course Satan can come into any aspect of life, but I do not think that what the opening poster said is a serious concern.
 
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Rather, the being “slain in the Spirit” is a prayer experience in which you allow yourself to be docile to the Holy Spirit. It is not not not a Sacrament. The “release of the gifts” of the Holy Spirit is what is sought. A submissive act of the will, and allowing the Holy Spirit to act within you.

Read Matthew 25:14-30. That last man had a gift from the Master, but hid it and did nothing with it - no profit for the Master, the giver of gifts. And, so it is (and will be on that day) with the charisms, as I see it.
 
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tommy37 said:
I have heard many stories of Charismatic people saying and doing very weird things. I know this is anecdotal and is not perfect proof.
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I don’t think this is very helpful or kind to post.
I know quite a few charismatic Catholics who do not go around “saying and doing very weird things”. They pray in an energetic manner that they find comfortable. One of them is an elderly deacon who is an extremely holy guy.

I could also show you Catholics who aren’t charismatic, including many on this forum, who to me say and do plenty of “weird things” in my opinion. I try to be charitable to them and as long as whatever they are doing that strikes me as “weird” is permitted by the Church, it’s not my business.

The original poster is right now dealing with grief and is new to the faith. She needs to talk to a priest like Limoncello suggested. Instead, this thread seems to have turned into a long and unfair castigation of the Catholic Charismatic movement, after the first responder had already answered the OP’s question (namely that Catholics don’t generally pray specifically for the gift of tongues). What Pentecostals do is neither here nor there as we have had a Catholic movement as an approved part of the Church for many decades now, there are plenty of priests who support it and participate in it, and the original poster does not appear to be seeking to join the Pentecostals.

I’m not a huge charismatic myself, but whenever I have to read all these posts suggesting that charismatics are somehow “bad” I make a mental note to be sure and go to another charismatic service in the near future just out of pure solidarity and to show that one doesn’t get possessed or anything by going. The only thing that happens to me at those gatherings is that the preaching tends to go on very long and sometimes my short attention span runs out after the first 20 minutes.
 
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The OP is obviously concerned about opening herself up to demonic influence. I told her my experience from what I’ve heard from friends who have knowledge of it and from what I’ve read from others regarding their experience and their concerns. I tend to think that it is concerning when someone is saying that “other spirits” have shown up in prayer meetings. And by weird I was referring to the lady prophet who claimed secret information about aliens and bigfoot. Again, not all Charismatics. I just wanted to make her aware that there is some of this out there. Nothing unkind about that. I made it clear several times that this is not indicative of all Charismatics. Take a look again at all the responses and you’ll see that the thread is actually quite pleasant and charitable.
 
Sorry, I find it neither pleasant, nor charitable, nor helpful to a confused OP who I hope will discuss it with her priest and not be listening to a bunch of strangers on the Internet giving anecdotal evidence. I have said my piece and am leaving this thread as I do not wish to contribute to this sort of discussion, on Pentecost yet which is a day on which many pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit and many charismatic groups are holding special services.
 
Yeah, I definitely like that phrase better. I think the idea of emptying or “opening” ones mind that is prevalent in some eastern religions can be problematic with regard to the OPs concerns. Opening your heart sure sounds better to me!
 
Semantics rears its ugly head once again!

tommy37 Call or email your local Charismatic Renewal and investigate. Knowledge is power. If we are going to discuss this, it should be from the point of mutual understanding. Does not matter if the Charismatic Renewal is your cup of tea. What matters is that you identify your charisms and put them to use. I cannot think of a better mechanism for doing that than willfully submitting to the Holy Spirit via a holy Priest’s hands laid on your in prayer.

As to the “release” of the charisms, I am absolutely nobody. But, having said that, my faith was lit on fire by my participation in a Life in the Spirit seminar and the hands-on prayer. I have experienced miracles in prayer before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament; inexplicable things up to and including the revelation of God’s will for me.

There is nothing to lose but fear and the sky is the limit as far as gaining depth of faith.
 
Don’t expect to be taken over or possessed by something. When you speak in tongues, you are the one who does the speaking. There’s never a passage in the scriptures that say that the Holy Spirit will possess you. I suspect that many Christians are open to speaking in tongues, but they’re waiting to be taken over by something. That’s just not so.

Whatever syllable the Lord has given you, speak it. When you do that, you’ll receive more syllables and they will eventually form into words. It is true that most people don’t know what you’re saying, but that’s where faith comes in. We know that God said that this is a mystery language, so we have faith that the words He’s giving you are words from Him. 🙂
 
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I grew up in Evangelical environment from my childhood.
I am graduated from Pentecostal seminary in Ukraine.
There was a time in a villages area, when Baptists churches were gradually transformed into Pentecostal, or when many baptist members were moving to Pentecostal communities just across the road.
Those Christians were saying that they got more power, more spiritual strength to carry the daily cross.
They could not convince me, but if that experience helped them, its up to them to decide.
Later, this movement was mutated into Charismatic movement.
Charismatics function in the city and work among people, where village Christianity will not have success.
Pentecostal village Christianity was traditional, disciplined, strict.
Big families, growth in members in large degree due to a big families.
Charismatics converts are mostly people who grew up in spiritual ignorance.
So, in my opinion these communities performing some missions, each in some degree.
I do not see demonism, unless it goes with some mental deterioration, or money withdrawal schemes… There is also healthy-wealthy propaganda, eschatological prophesies theories.
But this already about misconceptions but with prayer I do not see demonism.
May be there must be some concrete examples of prayer.
If people during the worship rolling on the floor, or barking, enjoying so called “presence of Holy spirit” …
I think it’s unapropriete and strange.🤔
 
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