The following post is an extended endnote to an essay of mine to be published in fall 2019, “Tidal Wave or Trickle? Assessing Keener’s Miracles,” a chapter in The Case Against Miracles.
The Miracle of Speaking in Tongues?
As a former tongue–speaking Christian I tried spelling out what I was saying phonetically on paper and soon noticed the repetitive nature of many of the syllables, hardly much of a vocabulary. Also, people in the prayer groups I used to attend would sometimes “speak in tongues” a long time yet the “interpretation of tongues” (another “miracle”) could be brief. Or someone would “speak in tongues” briefly and the “interpretation” came out long–winded.
Folks who loved the King James Bible “interpreted tongues” in Elizabethan–sounding English, while those who loved other translations of the Bible delivered less Elizabethan–sounding “interpretations.” And the messages received via this allegedly miraculous discourse of “tongues” followed by their “interpretation” were often vague paraphrases of biblical Psalms—as if God didnʼt have anything specific to say to us. Yet it seemed to me that if God was going to give people miraculous linguistic and translation abilities, He would have found more cogent uses for them.
How does one speak in tongues? Based on my own experience (which was originally attempted in a believing and expectant Christian frame of mind, but which I no longer think is necessary) one can begin by exhaling, moving oneʼs tongue, and opening and closing oneʼs lips, and speak the first clear syllable or two that naturally erupt from oneʼs mouth. One can start with something as simple as yaba–daba. Repeat it. Toss in additional sounds, maybe an “sh” sound or throaty “k” attached to a random vowel like “a” or “o.” Donʼt be disappointed if you can only repeat one or two mono–syllables in the beginning, try repeating them rapid fire, one monosyllable will naturally lead to another. Learning to loosen up oneʼs tongue is more difficult for some people than others. Like learning any new skill or talent it becomes easier, and appears more impressive, the more often one practices it. Think of people singing skat to a jazz melody, or performing interpretive dance where their steps are not mapped out consciously beforehand (certain steps also repeat themselves naturally and are characteristic of each interpretive dancer just as certain mono–syllables are with each tongue speaker). One doesnʼt get good at anything in one go. Once one becomes proficient one can even learn to adjust oneʼs tongue to sound like different languages just as actors pick up the knack of speaking in a different dialect, or dancers learn to incorporate new styles into their repertoire. Like other natural talents, if one ceases to believe in Christian doctrines one does not lose the ability to speak in tongues.
In the ancient world glossolalia [speaking in tongues] was practiced by religious prophets and mystics in the Near East, Egypt, Greece, India and China. And, besides glossolaliaʼs popularity among some Christians today (because the Bible tells them it was popular in some early Pauline church groups) it has also been practiced among North American tribespeople who take Peyote, South American and Australian aborigines, Eskimos and shamans in North America, Greenland and Siberia, Tibetan monks, several cults in Africa, and the Voodoo cult in Haiti.
Linguists who have studied glossolalia of Christians (and non–Christians) have found characteristics more common to babble than to language. Pattison, E. Mansell, Behavioral Science Research on the Nature of Glossolalia. Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation. Vol. 20, September 1968, p. 73–86.
Holton, Larry. Has The Tongues Movement Convinced The Language Experts? The short answer is “no.” “Glossolalia is language–like because the speaker unconsciously wants it to be language–like. Yet in spite of superficial similarities, glossolalia fundamentally is not language.” Skepticʼs Dictionary, The, glossolalia.
Joel Bjorling writes, “At Oral Roberts University, I was prayed over to speak in tongues, and this girl instructed, ‘Praise God, but donʼt speak English. Let God have your tongue.’ So, what came out? Something like ‘coom–di–a–sa–me–da–sa.’ Monosyllables...The girl exclaimed, ‘Praise God! Heʼs speaking in tongues!’ But was I? For several years, when I was feeling especially intense, I prayed in words (or whatever) like the afore–mentioned monosyllables. Did it make me feel stronger, more inspired? Well...it did have punch to it. I eventually abandoned Pentecostalism and ended up a Unitarian...[I can see why people are drawn] to tongues and experiences like being ‘slain in the Spirit,’ which are new, exciting, and different [for them, and think that] if you believe speaking gibberish will help you, it will.” Bjorling, Joel, Strange Tongues: A Personal Encounter, The Anomalist, 2000.
Yuriy Stasyukʼs story is similar, “[I was] a young preacher who conducted passionate Pentecostal prayers in front of crowds, and loved to speak in tongues...I wanted a relationship that manifested the supernatural presence of God through miracles, signs, and wonders,” but he changed from Pentecostal to reluctant skeptic. His investigation of tongues and his personal journey appears in a series of five well articulated blog posts titled, Why I Changed, where he discusses the effort he put into attempting to maintain his beliefs. Stasyuk, Yuriy. Ten Hard Questions About ‘Tongues’, and, Why I Changed: Pentecostalism is as Clear As Glossolalia.
Tongues and Salvation, an ex–Pentecostal (Lovingdoubt on youtube) discusses excuses invented by her church as to why people can still speak in tongues after they have left the fold.
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