Concerning Holy Laughter

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On Wed, 02 Oct 1996 15:58:01 -0400, you wrote:

>Every summer, there is a group of apostolics that go to Arrowhead Bible
>Camp for our annual camp meeting.  This past August, I witnessed what
>is referred to as holy laughter, laughing in the spirit, or whatever else
>you may want to name it.

The phenomenon we are talking about is not the same. There is quite a
bit more to the the movement by that name. Not wanting to differ much
from notable preachers mentioned, I disagree that it is at large a
work of God.

In this Vinyard Movement, the participation and phenomenon is not
personal and particular, as will be the moving of the Spirit we are
familliar with, and like what you mention above, it is typical to have
97% of the audience involved in whatever power is producing the
laughter.  Knowing the nature of how flesh and spirit relate in large
groups, I find this alone disturbing.

God deals with people according to the way in which they open
themselves up to him. God allows people to receive or reject. God is a
"gentleman". Though it would be nice to imagine 100% participation, we
know that in any group of people are reprented many difference
atttitudes and spiritual conditions. We have heard the finest
preachers and the greatest musical encouragement worship.. And yet,
those who mock and rail, and preach very corrupt doctrine see effects
in almost ALL of their audience.

Furthermore, the leadership are intimately associated with the atitude
that they alone are working on behalf of God and cannot and will not
be questioned. Those who question them are subjcted to ridicule, but
without significant scriptural support. In fact, we can find
documentation of statements to the effect of "Let the critics go to
hell".

One of these men is in my opinion one of the greatest heretics and
blasphemers I have ever happened to hear in any movement, speaking
excesses FAR beyond what I have ever heard from Roman Catholicism. I
simply am not familliar with all the others.

Lots of material is available on the WWW about this movement. 

-mwb