Praying 'in tongue'

I used to go to an evangelical church where speaking in tongues was the norm. They also "prophesied" about coming events and were very demonstrative in worship raising arms and singing choruses over and over and over until in a trance like state. A healing service was something to behold with the "laying on" of hands and folk dropping like ninepins. I know that type of expression of faith is very meaningful to some but I felt uneasy about the foundation for some of the beliefs, and in the end it didn't stand up to my enquiring mind, so I left. For a while I really missed the friendship group, but now have found my home with the humanists who seem to make more sense to me. Thanks for the poem Luckygirl.

It's slightly unsafe to believe in God because of emotion or superstition. This sort of belief cannot tolerate reason, and so if the emotion fades or the superstition is recognised as superstition the faith in God will no longer give the support is formerly did.

Morality is not the same as theology and it's best not to confuse them.

OP is not an angel - she is just a fellow human being with her head screwed on who got on and did the right thing.

A friend of mine was taught to pray in tongues by a missionary but I preferred not to learn because there is no evidence of Jesus speaking in tongues and I didn't see it as being helpful.Some people express their religion like this while others need to be more practical like the OP. I think it is important to be broadminded and accepting of all religious experience.We all do what we can and in my opinion the OP was an angel responding to an unspoken prayer if that makes sense.

Luckygirl, that sums up my feelings exactly. To me, 'speaking in tongues' is a manifestation of hysteria, being carried away with the emotion of the moment. Anything that makes people feel inadequate, guilty, or that they are somehow not religious enough is not for me. I understand that people find comfort in religious practice and ritual, but they are no better or no worse than people like me who do not take part in any organised religious ceremonies.

I'm not a believer and am deeply suspicious of organised religion. However, a close friend once persuaded me to go to a Christian meeting - probably thinking it would change my mind. When they started speaking in tongues, wailing and fainting all over the place, I was scared stiff - I had no idea what was happening! Rather than changing my mind it strengthened my resolve that it was definitely not for me. But I do appreciate that it gives some people a lot of comfort.

Breath of Angels

I do not hear the breath of angels
I do not kneel and humbly pray
I do not sense the moving of the spirit
Or thank a lord for every dawning day

I do not see the need for praising;
I do not find the world that kind.
I do not share the guilt of ages
For ancient crimes I cannot call to mind

I do not place that burden on my children
I do not seek a meaning where there's none
I do not spend my time in striving
To solve life's mysteries; chase the sun.

I do not waste my life in speculation
I do not turn away reality
I do not rate the lives of mystics
Who hide away from life's brutality.

I do not shun the mess of loving
I do not seek an outside hand to guide
I do not want a ghostly being
Forever skulking at my side

I want to greet the world in all its sorrow
I want to taste the joy before it dies
I want the sullied purity of living
And do not look for heaven as a prize.

What is this with religion and guilt?
Organised religion and guilt = control of the people

Praying in tongues - gee whizz! - what can one say!!!??

Well - I think I would say it is a load of nonsense! - ducks below parapet!

I am intrigued by faiths that insist on thanking God all the time - does the corollary also apply of expressing dissatisfaction at those things in this world that do not deserve thanks?

I also find it intensely irritating that clearly good people (like annie) feel they are constantly failing. What is this with religion and guilt?

I do remember a friend of mine who was a priest saying that God always answers everyone's prayers; just sometimes the answer is "No".

I think praying in tongues is sometimes used by people who have this gift to pray for situations where they don't know humanly what to pray for. It is the Holy Spirit within you praying to the Father.

My Mum always said " God helps those who help themselves " , especially when we were praying for something and not getting off our knees to do something about it .
OH got caught up in a religious movement within the Church , he went to meetings where one man spoke in "tongues" , he came to the conclusion that in the Bible the Tongues bit meant everyone could understand what was being taught , and stopped going to the group because the tongues bit made it incomprehensible

Meant to say over the top to me Such shame we can’t edit

I think they often faint all fall as well don’t they or am I muddling that up with g else All seems very strange and overt to me

anno there's a video doing the rounds at the moment of an American pastor preaching for Donald Trump and he "speaks in tongues" - seemingly at will, and it sounds like a take-off of an African language. Well it did to me anyway!

Some of the girls I taught in East Africa were 7th Day Adventists who had prayer meetings when they spoke in tongues. Apparently morning chapel wasn't enough so they were having meetings instead of lunch. When the head heard about this, she made it quite clear that God meant them to have lunch in order to make use of their God-given education. It worked.

Thank you for all your support and comments. This has helped restore my faith in my faith and how I choose to believe.

I have heard speaking in tongues, it is not a language it is as Jalima has just posted , for me shared prayer means in a shared language , unless you are in a country where you do not speak the language

Atlantian?

Yes. I always thought it was speaking in tongues. Gibberish!

I think it's speaking in tongues, sorry!

Apparently it means reaching a state of ecstasy where a person starts babbling in a language unknown to them - not necessarily a proper language as such.

fennel I was just going to ask the same. I consider myself a Christian (albeit not a good one) and I always thought it meant being able to pray in other languages so that many from different parts of the world could understand the word of God. If it is to speak in a language no one can understand I can't see the point ?

What does it mean? (praying in tongues.)

I did not think that praying in tongues was something you could 'just do' - as Eglantine says, it is a gift from God.

Many years ago I had a friend who could speak in tongues (not that I ever heard her) but she said that 'it just came to her'.

Well done Newatthis for having the presence of mind to find the EpiPen and inject the girl - and it was lucky that you knew she was allergic and needed that treatment.

I am rather uncomfortable with over devout religious behaviour of any type, thankfully you were there with your level head and sensible approach to potentially save the girl's life. Praying is all well and good, but an epi-pen was better! I wish no disrespect to anyone who finds comfort in religion but feel sorry that anyone should feel they are not 'Christian enough', this is the kind of belief that gets not 'Islamic enough' people killed in the Middle East.