So that's what it is!!! LOL!
I was in a Catholic prayer meeting and this girl started praying with this same thing. Indeed, she started saying "shakalal...". It was so distracting from the prayers I tried to pray myself, but in the end, I ended up praying for her...lol.
If this is what "speaking in tongues" is to these people, I honestly think there is a demon behind this. Prayers are not supposed to be spontaneous and hysterical and non-self-control, but of peace. I guess, for one thing, it's a relief to see some "bored" people in Church (although sad), so as to see that prayer is not effected by some hysteria, but truly by the work of the Holy Spirit in you. And the Holy Spirit is full of wisdom and intelligence!!
When the apostles could talk in tongues this was actual "tongues" / i.e. known languages [greek, coptic, hebrew, latin, chinese, arabic etc where words were used to carry intelligent information from transmission of the mouth to reception by the ear.] - what makes people think that they can somehow talk another language that they don't even understand? And it ruins praying together. All of sudden we're standing there, praying for world peace, and then boum: shahalalallalalal comes out of their mouths... and then there's no peace. I'm trying to stop myself from laughing... but now its just getting annoying: I just wanna say : "Look love: If you cant say anything intelligent, then keep a lid on it".
This stuff is weired. I HAVE to go to this Catholic Church as there are no Coptic Churches in the City i live in.
Someone PLEASE PLEASE tell me what i can say to these people to make them aware that saying jibberish is not COOL!!!
Thanks
God bless.
Comments
isn't there someone you could talk to and get them to open up a church near you. We did that here in Sydney, they hire out an anglican church every saturday or sunday i think and conduct a mass.
I go to a catholic school so i know exactly what you're feeling :P I jus sit there try and block everythign out and pray myself, if your game enough, actually approach the priest and tell him that his youth are leaving simply because they arent speaking in english lol
God bless
Mazza
I couldnt believe my eyes. Only the priest is able to hold something so precious and that their communion is not bread, its a wafer. Jesus '...took bread [not wafers!]and broke it, and gave it to his disciples...'
so yea lol
that's my opinion hehehehe ;D
it must be a traditional catholic church then
we use latin wen we have important ppl come like the bishop or a high priest etc
Vassilios,
It's very suprising to hear of such individuals existing within any traditional RC, EO, or Orthodox Church. It's something often found being practised in charismatic pentecostal type churches. It's certainly not representative of Orthodox worship; i'd be very, very skeptical. In fact, if the person in question is so overcome by such phenomena, I would likely interpret that person as being demon possessed. I am not prepared to say outright that such experiences can never be genuine; they should consult a Bishop regarding the matter in my opinion. I see no objective basis for discriminating, in theory, with respect to the gifts of the Holy Spirit - we can certainly admit to things like prophecy, clairvoyance, and healing of the sick, being gifts possessed by many within the Church, but speaking in tongues is a highly unusual case that i've personally never heard being genuinly practised since Pentecost.
I have communion with the Catholics. We believe its the Holy Body and Blood of Christ, so why not?
Doesn't that automatically excommunicate you from the Coptic Church?
It is better to abstain from communion all together than to recieve it from the Catholics.
I'm pretty sure there are Eastern Orthodox churches in Paris - its much closer to the Coptic Church in its faith and worship, though you shouldn't recieve Holy Communion there either as long as you remain in the Coptic Church.
OK. why is the question about me being excommunicated and not about the topic? Speaking in Tongues?
The reason I didn't answer the question you asked is because I think you did a pretty good job of it yourself. You seem to know exactly what speaking in tongues meant in the time of the Apostles and that it's nothing like the inane jibberish that charismatics think it is.
Basically, that's all you need to tell them.
The reason I asked about excommunication is because I'm genuinely interested in whether the canons of the Coptic Church allow for its members to take Holy Communion in a heterodox church - maybe Iqbal knows.
Plz pray for me
So, it really is jibberish. I can't just tell someone that they're praying in jibberish.
I remember, this kid in our sunday school, whenever he used to pray he'd pray like this:
"Dear Lord, oh Lord... Lord? Lord Lord?!! Ohhhhhh Lord".
No one said anything to him about that? That was his entire prayer.... full long "Oh's" and deep breaths between each time he'd say "Lord".
The way I see it is if we all agree its jibberish, and given some of the prayers we do in our Church, plus the fact that many youth pray in Coptic and don't understand a word of it: Can we therefore find commonality with such a Christian Charismatic Community [who pray in tongues] and say: "hey! We have a lot in common with you!" so that perhaps one day, we can unite??
Human words are inadquate when it comes to conversing with God. Vocal prayer, therefore, is the lowest form of prayer - but a necessary step we must go through before we can reach the higher state of wordless prayer of the heart.
We should not judge someone because they are unable to find appropriate words to express themselves in prayer. The kid you mention, for example, that just says Lord might be at a much higher state of prayer than someone who knows the entire Agpeya off by heart.
However, when it comes to the charismatic movement I don't really think that applies. These people are not talking gibberish because they have achieved a state of prayer that trancends words. They are doing it because they misunderstand what the Bible says regarding the gift of tongues. They therefore get themselves into the habit of praying in this way, and decieve themselves by thinking its a gift of the Holy Spirit, when in fact its quite a deliberate act of their own mind.
Working yourself up into such a state can probably leave you feeling like you got closer to God, but so could taking drugs (a common practice among many religions, such as Rastafarians). I think the charismatic movement is dangerous because of the way it decieves people and gives a false impression r.e. the Holy Spirit.
That's my take on it anyways
Vassilios,
It's very suprising to hear of such individuals existing within any traditional RC, EO, or Orthodox Church. It's something often found being practised in charismatic pentecostal type churches. It's certainly not representative of Orthodox worship; i'd be very, very skeptical. In fact, if the person in question is so overcome by such phenomena, I would likely interpret that person as being demon possessed. I am not prepared to say outright that such experiences can never be genuine; they should consult a Bishop regarding the matter in my opinion. I see no objective basis for discriminating, in theory, with respect to the gifts of the Holy Spirit - we can certainly admit to things like prophecy, clairvoyance, and healing of the sick, being gifts possessed by many within the Church, but speaking in tongues is a highly unusual case that i've personally never heard being genuinly practised since Pentecost.
Iqbal,
Im just curious, do you therefore believe that speaking in jibberish is a gift of the Holy Spirit?
Thanks for any clarification,
Speaking of jibrish talk, check this video out http://www.freshfire.ca/downloads/video/ethiopia2.wmv ... and look at what the protestant church from America is doing to those poor children in ethiopia. they get in the country as NGO's and aid givers, but they also bring in their religion. anyways, if u see the video, the children are "speaking in tounges" and acting crazy. what do you think that's making them like that? The holy spirit as they claim it is? I doubt it ..... ::)