Charismatic groups

[ERose]

My problem with it is there is too much of an emphasize being put on tongues by Charismatics. Tongues is a minor gift, the Bible makes that clear. It also makes clear that tongues will cease. When is of course, up for debate. History has shown that after Apostolic times tongues was a rare gift that most people did not have. Now all of a sudden large numbers of people are speaking in tongues? What’s worse is people are admitting that they are being pressured into this and have faked it. If this is truly a gift from God it will be given to you regardless of whether or not you sought this gift. God gives us what he wills when he wills. Everything I have read on this particular charisma, including the Bible, has made one thing very clear. You must proceed with caution!!! You should not just dive into this without some very serious discernment. The discernment is what seems to be lacking in this.

I agree with you that there needs to be caution and discernment when using any gift from God for it is very easy for pride to step in. This pertains to all areas of the Church and life. Humans have the tendency to let things get to their head whenever they believe that they have an edge over others. I believe that whenever you have any type of group situation within the Church that it needs to be monitored by the local clergy and even the diocese to insure that everything is on the up and up.

The gift of tongues, I believe is sometimes overemphasized because it is the easiest gift of the Charismata to receive and most have this gift. My favorites are knowledge and discernment for I believe both of these gifts led me to the Catholic Church. (Used to be Pentecostal, so I have seen the abuse up close).

Concerning why the Charismata is back? I think it is for the same reason why it was prevalent back during the time of the Apostles. Lack of Belief. Our world is secular and hates everything that is religious and slowly our world is turning away from God. Miracles have always been the primary method of God displaying His presence. If the Charismatic Renewal exposes people whether Catholics or non-Catholics to a personal experience with God then so be it. There is alot of people out there that is missing this experience and that includes people that go to Mass every Sunday.

But you are correct there is danger there also and that in those groups that are led astray it is IMO the fault of their local parish/diocese failing to properly monitor these groups. But this can happen in any group and has happened whether it is a prayer group, bible study, etc. If it is not monitored then the people involved can be at times led astray by false teachings. Heck, many people on this board believes that it happens in PSR/CCD in many parishes today.

 

[garysibio]

Such is the Holy Spirit! The abuses come when those present say “we’re not stopping until everyone speaks in tongues!” In the spiritual realm, spirits must absolutely be discerned, as we live in the princedom of the evil one. He is excellent at mimicking good spirits. At the very minimum, insistence upon the exercise of just one gift, to the exclusion of the others, is unbalanced and appears egotistical.

I asked for the release of one gift, but got another. I was originally disappointed, but no more! The Lord knows what He is doing.

Christ’s peace.

That’s the thing about God. He’s always right.

You’re right about groups which get some weird idea in their heads about how things work and then try to force reality into their mold. Somebody provided a link to an article by a woman who had a bad experience in the charismatic renewal recently. Maybe this is what happened to her.

Gary

 

[byers]

Well, I watched this movement from the beginning and I cannot see what good it is has done the Church as a whole. I see where it makes people feel good about themselves. But what has it done for the Church?. All I’ve seen is a lot of division in the Church because of it and I might add a lot of disobedience. What are the fruits of this movement after 40 years?

 

[po18guy]

Well, I watched this movement from the beginning and I cannot see what good it is has done the Church as a whole. I see where it makes people feel good about themselves. But what has it done for the Church?. All I’ve seen is a lot of division in the Church because of it and I might add a lot of disobedience. What are the fruits of this movement after 40 years?

I am one of them. I (reluctantly) submitted to baptism in the Holy Spirit and my faith life absolutely took off. I attend the CCR meetings maybe once a year when I may need a recharge. The rest of the time I’m out trying to restore hope one on one. Is it high profile? No! Rewarding? I have seen miracles in prayer before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

The CCR is not my lifestyle. I liken it to preparing a barbecue. It is the spark that lights the fire. Once your fire is lit, you can get on with the task at hand. And so I go and call the hopeless to Christ. Poorly paid in this life. But, I no longer live as much for this life.

Christ’s peace.

 

[juliamajor]

Well, I watched this movement from the beginning and I cannot see what good it is has done the Church as a whole. I see where it makes people feel good about themselves. But what has it done for the Church?. All I’ve seen is a lot of division in the Church because of it and I might add a lot of disobedience. What are the fruits of this movement after 40 years?

Division is caused by folks like you-we’ve never divided the church and the small amount of us have been very heavily involved in parish affairs and programs- in my parish council out of 7 member 5 were charismatic. WE had a pastor that didn’t care for Charismatic movement- he stopped our Masses- our healing services- what did we do? we obeyed Bought a monstrance and started Eucharistic Adoration- yeah real divisive this bunch!

 

[garysibio]

Well, I watched this movement from the beginning and I cannot see what good it is has done the Church as a whole. I see where it makes people feel good about themselves. But what has it done for the Church?. All I’ve seen is a lot of division in the Church because of it and I might add a lot of disobedience. What are the fruits of this movement after 40 years?

It takes two to divide.

In the 1970s the Rev WA Criswell of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas threw the charismatics out of the church for being divisive. Can anyone spot the flaw in his reasoning?

Gary

 

[po18guy]

It takes two to divide.

In the 1970s the Rev WA Criswell of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas threw the charismatics out of the church for being divisive. Can anyone spot the flaw in his reasoning?

Gary

“Get out of here and form your own church, you dividers!”

Luther sowed the seed of disobedience, and it yielded 10,000 and 20,000 and 30,000 denominations! A bitter harvest, if you ask me.

Christ’s peace.

 

[Jimdandy]

Only through Sacraments do we receive grace-sacramentals prepare us to receive the Grace from the Sacraments-HUGE difference.

I realized that this is way over-simplified and in no way do I mean to limit the goodness of God and His Gifts.

Sure did not mean one had to be Catholic to receive His Grace:thumbsup:

(just for clarification)

 

[Terry_from_Ypsi]

The best referrence I have as to why this is for everyone is the following quote from Pope Benedict XVI:

“Let us rediscover, dear brothers and sisters, the beauty of being baptized in the Holy Spirit; let us be aware again of our baptism and of our confirmation, sources of grace that are always present.”

Also during the same Homily:

“In this baptism of the Holy Spirit,” the Pope continued, “the personal and communal dimensions – the ‘I’ of the disciple and the ‘we’ of the Church – are inseparable. The Spirit consecrates the person and at the same time makes him a living member of the mystical body of Christ, participant in the mission to witness to his love.”

“Let us ask the Virgin Mary to obtain a renewed Pentecost for the Church again today, a Pentecost that will spread in everyone the joy of living and witnessing to the Gospel.”

An interesting article entitled:
Baptism in the Spirit as the Key to Re-kindling the Faith
Pat Collins C.M.
acnirl.org/colart1.htm

Pope John Paul II:
"
Furthermore, the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that charismas of the Spirit are to be gratefully received for the up building of God’s Church. So we see that in our times, recent popes and the Magisterium of the Church not only recognize, but welcome this move of the Spirit, this sovereign act of God in our days, just as they were welcomed and even expected by the embryonic Church 2,000 years ago.