If babbling is so effective, then why should Baptists pay to train missionaries in local languages?You completely misrepresent the purpose of tongues. The general idea is to allow the Spirit to speak through you - where you personally do not have the understanding to say what needs to be said. When this occurs in a church environment - it needs to be interpreted as to be edified, lest it just be a bunch of random noise. It is indeed a rare occurrence - and I suppose it could be staged by individuals - just as "miracles" can be.
The other purpose, for which I believe tongues are completely appropriate, are for personal communication with God - where we may not know the words to pray, and the Spirit in us helps us in this way. As an example, let's presume you were not feeling well - it could be anything - what do you pray for? Healing? For what though? If you consult with the Spirit (who as an aspect of God knows all), he provides you the words to affect a useful prayer - may even get you cured of an unknown cancer, for all you'd know.
Regardless of whether you believe it to be for you or your denomination - the attribution of such to Demonic Powers and paganism is really being judgmental about something you may not understand as fully as you claim to. Recall something maybe your mother once told you - if you have nothing nice to say - say nothing at all. I agree with the SBC position in that it is their denomination to do with what they choose - as the Catholics do, as AOG does, as they all do. If they lose some members over this - that's their dilemma. I don't support any particular "denomination" as I believe men are incapable of establishing a church that 100% pleases God.
You completely misrepresent the purpose of tongues. The general idea is to allow the Spirit to speak through you - where you personally do not have the understanding to say what needs to be said.
On Pentecost, men understood and were converted.
Show me this where charismatics speak in tongues and the heathen or non-Christians hear of Christ and are converted.
On Pentecost, it is clear they did not speak any common languages. And yet, men of many nations and languages came to Christ.
The other purpose, for which I believe tongues are completely appropriate, are for personal communication with God - where we may not know the words to pray, and the Spirit in us helps us in this way.
Fine. Then keep it personal, in your prayer closet. Don't babble it at me and expect me to worship your practice like you're some kind of special holy man with some special dispensation. If I wanted babble, I could turn on CNN. Or a foreign language channel. I want to hear the Word preached and hymns and have fellowship. Not try to determine if someone is speaking in tongues or is just having a psychotic episode in church.
...may even get you cured of an unknown cancer, for all you'd know.
Do people actually claim in your circle to get cured of unknown (and undiagnosed) fatal illnesses? Those must be some pretty powerful miracles. But even we Baptists can claim to be cured of diseases we don't actually have. Hey, I just cured myself of leprosy while I was typing! It's a miracle!
Regardless of whether you believe it to be for you or your denomination -
Baptists are not a denomination. That is exactly why this makes it a hotter topic than it would be in a denomination.
...the attribution of such to Demonic Powers and paganism is really being judgmental about something you may not understand as fully as you claim to.1 John 4:1 (KJV)
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Recall something maybe your mother once told you - if you have nothing nice to say - say nothing at all.
So a Christian can't say bad things about Hitler? Well, this is just plain silly anyway. What you're telling us is that any discernment or biblical restrictions on our worship or practice is irrelevant in the towering face of false prophets and babblers and
their spiritual needs.
I agree with the SBC position in that it is their denomination to do with what they choose - as the Catholics do, as AOG does, as they all do.
We are not a denonmination. We are several large conventions of state and regional associations who hold to a common doctrine. You can be, for instance, expelled for heresy. As I recall, three SBC churches in Florida were expelled in the late Nineties for going charismatic. Since they were expelled from the Florida association, they were automatically expelled from the entire SBC. If Florida had not acted, the SBC would have had to expel the entire association for Florida and begin a new one with those who were obedient to SBC principles. And if the SBC failed to expel Florida, all the others who objected to their lack of action would withdraw from SBC, something SBC wouldn't like. If it sounds like a campfire where everyone is seated holding a gun on each other (though amicably), you get the picture. We practice separation from error, sometimes being a little trigger-happy perhaps.
Baptist churches are independently owned and controlled. But if you are a Baptist church, there is a certain tradition and theology that you will subscribe to in broad terms. Now, Baptists have also Baptist liberty, which is that principle that we may not forbid to others that which scripture does not plainly speak about. And that is valuable. However, as you know, there are all sorts of ways to determine what scripture speaks of. In general, SBC has conservative Bible-believing positions but is not particularly extreme in how it states them or in trying to boss around any church. And SBC churches expect the seminaries to eschew modernism and liberalism. Baptist seminaries are always watched by vigilant preachers and laymen. Sometimes not enough. But one can see what has happened in the Protestant denominations by failing to supervise their seminaries adequately.
As far as missionary efforts, Baptists do band together to support a pretty ambitious common missionary effort, a hallmark of Baptists as a group. So if there is one place where we might most resemble a denomination, it is in the seminaries and in our missions efforts. That is why the question is so important, perhaps more so to Baptists than to Protestants.