Dark Christianity
dark_christian
.::: .::..:.::.:.

May 2008
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dogemperor [userpic]
We All Fall Down: Pentacost or Party?

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY [info]sunfell)

A couple of articles in today's Beliefnet caught my attention. Since Pentacost is near, they have been focusing on the miracles that occurred during the first Pentacost- mostly the speaking in tongues. Once exclusive to the Pentacostal sect, this phenomenon has spread to other Christian sects, too- even mainstream ones.

What Speaking In Tongues Feels Like talks about how this has spread, and what to expect.

Unfortunately, such things as 'tongues' open the gates wide for abuses and even fake visitations of entities other than the Holy Spirit.

Drooling In The Spirit" talks about some of these abuses, and the toll they take on congregations when this gets out of control.

Groups like the "Toronto Blessing" spread a terrifying form of this spiritual virus in their 'revivals', leaving surreal scenes of twitching, howling, spastic churchgoers who have a difficult time returning to some semblance of sanity. Some have even described the experience as an 'attack' rather than a benign and healing blessing by the Holy Spirit.

Hank Hanegraaf goes into detail in the above article about the origins of this 'holy laughter', and what it means for the Christian Church and the rest of the world. The picture he paints is frightening in its implications. Does the Holy Spirit really leave twitching, screaming people in its wake? Is it safe to participate in a TB-style revival? Decide for yourself.

Sunfell