Does anyone know anything about Catholics speaking in tongues? I was raised Catholic but I was baptised and attend a protestant church. A family member is now in a "special" group in the Catholic church where they talk in tongues. There has been a "New Pentacost " supported by John Paul II and continued with Pope Benedict XVI. I believe this is a ploy to draw superstitious people in to the church.
I have a personal belief that the Catholic church lies to people. I also stated that all of the atrocities supported by the Catholic church throughout the centuries must be atoned for in order for me to go to a Catholic church. I expressed this to the family member and he stated that "the end can justify the means ".

Procodulce:

The Catholic Church has atoned for atrocities and the past Pope personally aplogized to the Jews.

Likewise, Vatican II had a specific provision regarding the Jews and salvation, essentially stating that Jews had salvation without the church or Christianity.

Charismatic Catholics "speak-in-tongues," much like charismatic Protestants or Pentecostals.

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rrmoderator
Procodulce:

The Catholic Church has atoned for atrocities and the past Pope personally aplogized to the Jews.

Likewise, Vatican II had a specific provision regarding the Jews and salvation, essentially stating that Jews had salvation without the church or Christianity.

The last Pope said that Judaism was a saving tradition. He was very liberal.

Hi Richard,

As a Catholic, Pope JP2 was not liberal in his views, he was just stating a theological principle of the Catholic Church that Judaism is a saving tradition.

There has been much good work done over the years in generating positive inter-church dialogue and mutual understanding.

A note to Pocodulce: The Charasmatic Movement in the Catholic Church was inherited from the Christian Pentecostal Churches. I suggest you do your research before posting. Also, lots of unoffical movements in the church claim support from the Pope and show photographs of their leaders shaking hands with the Pope. It means nothing. I could take a flight to the Vatican and get a ticket on Wednesdays for a Papal general audience and have a friend with a camera poised as he shakes my hand. Does this follow then, that the Pope endorses me and my beliefs and practices? - NO. When the Pope supports a group or movement, it is done publically and through offical documentation. One needs to quote facts, not heresay or personal groundless belief. BTW - I am Catholic and don't speak in tongues other than my Ozzie accent mate :)

Oz

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pocodulce
I also stated that all of the atrocities supported by the Catholic church throughout the centuries must be atoned for in order for me to go to a Catholic church.

What do you mean by 'atonement'?

Presumably you don't mean you want them to say lots of Hail Marys?:)
Love
Kath

Speaking in Tounges came out of the Charismatic movement of the mid to late eighties.

Much of it was like having a church within a church.
The people were enthusiastic, never cursed and lived pretty much on their spiritual nerve.
That being said there was a huge range of the types of people who used the lable Charismatic.
From simple prayer groups that were pretty traditional to what were known as the 'Jesus freaks'.

These groups did manage to gain some inroads in a time when the Catholic Church had declining membership. Instead of empty pews the Charismatics easily had crowds of 300-400 people.

They were big on experiencing religion in a fully emotional way. Waving arms in the air, spontanious dancing and fainting in the middle of a service.

To them this was a sign of spiritual engagement.
However one priest commented that "I don't know if they are having a religious experience or an hysterical one."

Speaking in tounges was described to me as more of a backroom thing where they would form a circle and go into some kind of mental state. Then some one would say something thing that they do not understand themselves and someone else would reply in the same manner.
Neither could understand each other but they claimed the words were matching. If you have ever seen the end of Cape Fear you see something like this kind of jibberish.
Other backroom prayer groups claimed to be in direct communication with God and were getting his messages all the time.

Healing services were also big and many group claimed a cure each week. Often the miracle was said to be a slight improvement in a condition but I never heard about any total cures. This may seem okay for some but it begs the question of why an all powerful God would work in percentages.

The passage of time was not kind to 'Jesus Freaks' type of Charismatic's. They did freak out a few people and at time entered into power struggles with local parich priests over access to run healing services. Claiming to have a direct line to God that over ruled the Parish Priest only added fuel to the fire and several groups either reformed, broke up or marched out taking their followers. Several marched down the street and joined with the Pentocostals but I know of one that tried unsuccessfully to start its own religion. Kind of funny actually.

Anyway the bottom line is that most were what I would class harmless cranks but cranks all the same. The rest were just ordinary people.

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pocodulce
.... I have a personal belief that the Catholic church lies to people.

I dont think its just the Cathlic church that does this. I'm sure that there are many other Chiristian denominations that do this.

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pocodulce
.... ....I also stated that all of the atrocities supported by the Catholic church throughout the centuries .....

Not just the Catholic church that supported atrocities.

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pocodulce
.... ..... I expressed this to the family member and he stated that "the end can justify the means ".

Is this an innuendo for violence? Or a plan for commiting a violent act?

I have attended (several times during college in the mid-late 70's) charsmatic catholic meetings, so, Zinga, I think the mid to late eighties is putting the date a little late. I don't know if in fact they were going from the 60's or what not.

And yes, everyone spoke in tongues (Not me, I was an observer).

I was told by a priest in attendance and several nuns, that everyone would be mumbling, speaking in tongues, then someone would "get the Holy Spirit to come upon him/her and they will shout out clearly a message in Tongues. The NEXT person to speak will do so in English and translate the Word for the congregation to hear and understand."

The first time I was there, after 10 minutes of listening to people making up sounds and a pig-latinesque "language" someone sure enough, someone shouted out clearly some long made-up diatribe. The entire room went silent. Then a little old lady spoke up and said what it meant. I don't remember exactly, but it was probably about Hope and Change and the coming of the new Messiah (I think from Chicago, but don't quote me sarcasm/off)

The last time was all I needed. The same routine was started, then once more someone shouted out a long clear utterence of crazy talk. The place fell silent. No one spoke for about a minute, and it felt much longer, believe me.

Then someone shouted out clearly the translation of the 30 word "Holy Spirit mesage"

The woman translated it as this (I will always remember it , how could I forget this?)

"GOD spelled backwards is DOG and DOG is man's best friend"
At this point, I deemed it unnecessary to return to judge that Tongues is a load of crap.

This actually happened to me. Seek out a Charasmatic meeting. They're a bat-shit crazy hoot!

In our old neighborhood it seemed like tongue speaking churches were everywhere. I visited a few mega churches. Very large. People passing out and making strange gurgling noises. Babies always cried. Every time. You would hear this bizzarre babble and a kid would cry...it just seemed bizarre.
Tongue means language. Period. It means language. The Bible which tongue speakers like to quote is very clear about the fact that... tongues means languages. If you read any Bible passage where the word ''tongue'' is used it absolutely and possitively means language.
The story of Pentacaust in the Book of Acts says that a mass of people from different areas and speaking different languages came to hear Peter speak and, when Peter spoke the miracle was that each man heard in his own native tongue(language) and understood the message. The story in the book of Genesis about the tower of Babel says that a people of one language, had that language confused. They all began to speak in different tongues and could no longer understand each other. Tongue means language.
Why people feel the need to gurgle and pass out, I just never understood. Maybe its me.

Sallie, I had planned on entering the ministry (prior to my born-again atheism) and agree with your reading of the Bible in this account. The "Tongues" of the apostles were not gibberish.

Fast forward 2000 years with poor back-water preachers or (more to my dislike) Elvis-haired idiots on Trinity Broadcast Network trying to steal money from the rubes, and "tongues" now means gibberish. If I encountered a man (or woman) who spoke in "tongues" and I heard it in English, my French friend heard it in French, my Chinese bud heard it in Mandarin...well...I might rethink my atheism...until then "Get off my lawn, you Carol Singers!!!"