How do you know you are speaking in tongues?

[Jeanette_L]

As a charismatic, I have seen tounges used by some as a litmus test if one truly has the Holy Spirit, which is unfortunate.

• Dan
  thecatholicblog.net

Yes, this was my experience. It was almost like having membership in an exclusive club, and anyone who didn’t have the ability or didn’t believe in it (speaking in tongues, or the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit”, which were the Baptists down the street!) weren’t “spirit filled” Christians. They didn’t have any “power” in their walk with God, whatever that really meant. In all honesty, the ones who thought they had all this power seemed to me to be the most shallow and the least mature in their growth in Christ. I think it was because they were all “puffed up” in their own minds, and they sabatoged themselves spiritually. It was very sad.

Now I’m not saying all Charismatics were thinking like this, and I am not familiar with the Charismatics within the Catholic Church, I’m saying the majority of those I knew in the AOG and other Pentecostal churches truly believed this faulty doctrine. My immediate family has fortunately gotten away from it, and although we all still believe in the gifts, we don’t believe they are evidence of being “spirit filled”. Big step when that’s all you knew for years and years! Most of my extended family are still entrenched in this unfortunate nonsense. I guess I don’t have to tell you what they think of me, now that I’ve taken a swim across the Tiber. I’ve always been the black sheep because I never bought into their ideas of what is true Christianity, now I’m not even a sheep at all, I’m a wolf.

 

[yessisan]

First, I believe that the gibberish tongues is fake. I believe the gift of tongues is the ability to speak and understand a real language you couldn’t before.
Second, lay people cannot and have no authority to determine if a person has such a gift. Only the Church can discern that.

Exactly what I was going to say!

 

[estesbob]

I havent spoken in tngues since I quit drinking

 

[Crumpy]

I don’t know what prompted my pastor, but somebody said something so he is filling up the church bulletin with essays on speaking in tongues.

Today, he quotes several paragraphs from the CCC which says that it is an extraordinary gift that should be respected. He says his spontaneous prayers were answered in comparison to his prayers in english which were not.

Forty years ago, in college, I went to a Catholic pentacostal meeting at the student center, where several people were standing up simultaneously and speaking incoherently. It was strange. I didn’t understand anything or have the urge to speak so myself.

What seemed so phony is that it started up and ended as if by signals, like turning it on and off. I’ve never searched the forums for any discussion of this “gift” and this thread does not seem to be too serious.

Anybody out there serious about this?

I’ve heard it both ways, that it should and then it should not be understandable to others. That’s a basic starting point I’d like to have settled. There was no one interpreting at the meeting I attended.

 

[water]

He says his spontaneous prayers were answered in comparison to his prayers in english which were not.

This is very dangerous and I can see the same effect in quite few who are into praying tongue.

What I was explained to by someone is this: when you pray in tongue, the Holy Spirit prays for you, and because the Holy Spirit is God Himself, He knows what to ask of the Father. Hence, according to the person, praying in tongue is very effective.

Few weeks ago, I met the person’s friend, and she asked me if I still prayed in tongue. I told her that I no longer pray in tongue. I told her I am not sure what that praying is, and I am happy that, with graces of God, I pray the Rosary more.

The person told me “it is my lost not to pray in tongue”.
I don’t have anything against praying in tongue, but I didn’t want to debate with the person -

To me, I realize God can hear our prayer even if we just sit there without opening your mouth - even we don’t know what to ask of, He knows what we needs. His answer to our Prayer is His perfect will - not how we pray - tongue or no tongue.

 

[Jeanette_L]

To me, I realize God can hear our prayer even if we just sit there without opening your mouth - even we don’t know what to ask of, He knows what we needs. His answer to our Prayer is His perfect will - not how we pray - tongue or no tongue.

Sometime I think we get too caught up in the “mechanics” and forget about the intent of prayer, which is being open to and with God concering our everyday (and sometimes extraordinary) needs.