Do We Really Need A Supreme Court Justice Who Speaks In Tongues? Amy Coney Barrett Belongs To South Bend Charismatic Ecumenical People Of Praise Community

Charismatic ACB

Women and Slaves have a good time under democracy.... 

Again, the evil practices of the last and worst form of democracy are all found in tyrannies. Such are the power given to women in their families in the hope that they will inform against their husbands, and the license which is allowed to slaves in order that they may betray their masters; for slaves and women do not conspire against tyrants; and they are of course friendly to tyrannies and also to democracies, since under them they have a good time. For the people too would fain be a monarch, and therefore by them, as well as by the tyrant, the flatterer is held in honor; in democracies he is the demagogue; and the tyrant also has those who associate with him in a humble spirit, which is a work of flattery. Aristotle Politics Bk 4 part xi

So what kind nonsense is this?

ACB belongs to a Catholic charismatic group called the People of Praise.

WHO WE ARE

The People of Praise Christian community is part of a global movement that has brought powerful new experiences of the Holy Spirit to more than 500 million people since the beginning of the 20th century. This historic revival is known as the Pentecostal movement or the charismatic renewal. Our particular moment in this larger story began in the late 1960s, when students and faculty at the University of Notre Dame began to experience a renewal of Christian enthusiasm and fervor, together with charismatic gifts such as speaking in tongues and physical healing, as described in the New Testament book of Acts.

In 1971, building on this experience, 29 people in South Bend, IN, covenanted themselves to one another and to God as the People of Praise community. They took on the spread of the key Pentecostal experience known as baptism in the Holy Spirit as their special mission.

The People of Praise was very much involved in the growth of charismatic renewal in the Catholic Church. There, this renewal has touched millions, including more than 30 percent of U.S. Catholics, according to a recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

In the 1970s, '80s and '90s, the People of Praise ran a series of international Catholic charismatic conferences at Notre Dame and in Dublin, Rome and other major U.S. cities. A total of more than 250,000 people attended these conferences, coming from dozens of denominations and countries. Pope Paul VI addressed the conference in Rome in 1975, and over the course of these conferences other prominent speakers included Pentecostal leaders Derek Prince and Dr. Ern Baxter, Mennonite Bishop Nelson Litwiller, and Catholics Kevin Ranaghan, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa and Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens.

Today we continue to experience the awesome power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We exercise the spiritual gifts in our prayer together as a community. Throughout our daily lives, the Holy Spirit inspires us and helps us solve problems large and small. He empowers us in our work as mothers and fathers, teachers and students, missionaries, caregivers, pastors and business people. Every year we see more and more lives transformed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. As a community, and together with the whole Church, we pray for a continued outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our time, so that all men and women might come to know, love and serve Jesus.  Source

ECUMENICAL

The People of Praise is a community where Christians from diverse church backgrounds can share life, work, prayer and mission while still maintaining active membership in their local congregations. We are Methodists and Lutherans, Roman Catholics and Pentecostals, Baptists and Episcopalians. As an ecumenical community, we strive to be a witness to our Christian unity even while we remain members of our various denominations. 

The vast majority of us are lay—married couples, children and single people—but a few of us are ordained Roman Catholic and Lutheran clergy. Several of our single men, including three Catholic priests and Auxiliary Bishop Peter Smith of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, are members of the Brotherhood of the People of Praise, an organization with official status in the Catholic Church as a private association of Christ’s faithful. 

In 1977, the People of Praise ran a conference in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium attended by 45,000 people, perhaps the largest grass-roots ecumenical gathering since the Reformation, and the first occasion when classical Pentecostals, mainline Protestant neo-Pentecostals and Catholic Pentecostals (known as the “three streams” of Pentecostalism) had gathered en masse. 

In 1981, the People of Praise launched Trinity Schools, an educational outreach that reflects our ecumenical approach to Christian life and offers an education to children in the People of Praise and to the public. Now with campuses in Eagan, MN, Falls Church, VA, and South Bend, IN, Trinity Schools have been honored with a total of seven Blue Ribbon awards from the U.S. Department of Education. 

Since 2002, the People of Praise has been sending Protestant and Catholic missionaries to evangelize and build Christian community in neighborhoods throughout the Mississippi Valley region of the US. 

What is the People of Praise?

The People of Praise is a charismatic Christian community. We admire the first Christians who were led by the Holy Spirit to form a community. Those early believers put their lives and their possessions in common, and "there were no needy persons among them." 

We are Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Baptists, Pentecostals and other denominational and nondenominational Christians. Despite our differences, we are bound together by our Christian baptism. Despite our differences, we worship God together. While remaining faithful members of our own churches, we have found a way to live our daily lives together. 

Like hundreds of millions of other Christians in the Pentecostal movement, People of Praise members have experienced the blessing of baptism in the Holy Spirit and the charismatic gifts as described in the New Testament. This is a source of great joy for us and an important aspect of what God is doing in our world today. 

Founded in 1971 in South Bend, Indiana, the People of Praise has grown into a community of about 1,700 members. We are currently in 22 cities across the US, Canada and the Caribbean. 

How does the People of Praise serve the broader society? 

In 1981, in response to a call from God, we established Trinity Schools—private Christian schools in South Bend, Indiana, Falls Church, Virginia, and Eagan, Minnesota. These middle/high schools have received a total of eight Blue Ribbon awards from the U.S. Department of Education. The Trinity curriculum has also served as a model for more than 30 private and public charter schools nationwide. Additionally, members of the People of Praise founded Trinity Academy, a middle/high school in Portland, Oregon, as well as Praise Academy, an elementary school located in an impoverished neighborhood of Shreveport, Louisiana. 

In 2002, inspired by the Holy Spirit, some People of Praise members began moving into some of America's poorest neighborhoods. Since then, we have lived closely with our neighbors and worked together to help meet pressing neighborhood needs. Our efforts include: running camps for hundreds of children, repairing neighborhood homes, hosting prayer meetings, growing healthy food on an urban farm. Longtime local residents have credited these efforts with lowering the crime rate and making the neighborhoods more beautiful and peaceful places to live. 

People of Praise community life provides a natural support for marriages and families. This has led us to develop Marriage in Christ, a course for married couples. Marriage in Christ helps couples renew their love and affection for each other while building crucial habits of prayer, conversation and forgiveness. More than 1,300 couples have completed the program. 

In addition, branches of the People of Praise in various cities have many local outreach activities, from running prayer meetings to serving the needy. 

What is a covenant? 

Community life in the People of Praise is grounded in a lifelong promise of love and service to fellow community members. This covenant commitment, which establishes our relationships as members of the People of Praise community, is made freely and only after a period of discernment lasting several years. Our covenant is neither an oath nor a vow, but it is an important personal commitment. We say that People of Praise members should always follow their consciences, as formed by the light of reason, and by the experience and the teachings of their churches. 

Can a covenanted member leave the People of Praise? 

Yes. We have always understood that God can call a person to another way of life, in which case he or she would be released from the covenant. 

Is the People of Praise a church? 

No, the People of Praise is a Christian community whose members come from more than 15 different Christian denominations and churches. We aim to share our daily lives together in community while also remaining faithful and active members of our own particular churches and denominations. 

Where do People of Praise members worship? 

Community members attend services at a variety of Christian churches where the majority of congregants are not members of the People of Praise. Typically we hold our community meetings on Sunday afternoons, leaving community members free to be full and active members of their parishes and congregations.  Source 

What kind of judgment is this for a future Supreme Court Justice?

ACB is 48 years old.

Here is article from The South Bend Tribune 7 AUG 1977

“Charismatics: United or hell-bent for schism?”

To some, the Charismatic Renewal has “the best potential for uniting Christians in and out of the major denominations. To others, certain practices destine the movement hell-bent for schism.

Such is the conflict facing many Christians who are concerned for the future of their faith.

Critics have raised some of the most ardent questions about a religious movement since Rev. Sun Myung Moons Unification Church. They are concerned not only because the renewal has revitalized religion for millions of Christians, but because serious conflicts have arisen out of the Charismatic communities.

“There is definitely the potential for a very serious factionalism within the movement, said Rev. Dan Danielson, C.S.C., vicar for Catholic Charismatics for the Diocese of Oakland, Calif. This is even more legitimate a concern than it was a few years ago when criticisms were first made. 

At first, hard-line Catholics balked at accepting the movement

Traditionalists said the swaying bodies, waving hands and verbal outbursts of praise from worshippers seem more of an emotional response to Cod than an internal one, and therefore seem more Charismatic than Catholic.

But as Catholics are becoming more familiar with the movement, gradually they are accepting it. Pope Raul VI himself and many bishops have adopted an attitude of what Rev. Danielson called cautious optimism.

Indeed, the focus of criticism has changed.

Most criticism today is aimed at residential Charismatic communities, rather than the worldwide movement from which the communities have emerged. 

Former community members claim “authoritarianism in communities such as South Bend’s 800-member People of Praise is in some ways unhealthy for its members. 

Catholics attack community prayer practices as unacceptable replacements for time-honored traditions such as the private confessional. 

Still others attack as unsound a fundamentalist attitude toward women, which they said results from a “too-literal interpretation” of male and female roles defined in Scripture. 

Community members claim much criticism of the Charismatics stems from unfamiliarity with what the community is and what their lives are like. South Bends People of Praise community, for example, has been a puzzle to many local residents. 

That’s unusual, considering People of Praise has been used as a model for other communities like it across the country, and that South Bend is communications headquarters for the worldwide Charismatic movement. 

Few know about the community because the members are content to “live and let live.” When they do talk about the community to outsiders, its like listening to attorneys plead a case before a judge. They weigh every word. 

They’re careful to the point of being defensive and tight-lipped to the point of convincing you they have something to hide. Even if they don’t. 

Charismatics have been lambasted for everything from getting excited about God to exorcising evil spirits–a practice they call “deliverance.” So strong has been the onslaught of criticism that the Charismatics have become calloused, almost unresponsive to it. 

Asked why they have remained so aloof, Tom Noe. community member, responded they are only interested in fulfilling their commitment as a community: to put the Christian tenets a lot of persons talk about into -practice in their daily lives. 

According to Charismatic Conference Coordinator Tony Rowland, critics take potshots at the People of Praise out of ignorance of what it is really like. Still, some of the most ardent critics were once Charismatics themselves. 

An example is Brad (not his real name), who left a People of Praise household after living there for nearly a year. 

Brad, 20, quit the community because, among other reasons, “it restricted my lifestyle.” 

When Brad wasn’t working, community prayer sessions, recruitment meetings and other activities crowded his free time. Brad and the rest of the Charismastic family pooled their paychecks in the household fund for food and lodging expenses, but received only $8 each week for outside expenses. 

“The evil spirit of pride” was exorcised from Brad, he said, in a required “deliverance” session before a room full of others at the LaSalle Hotel. 

For a year, he was not permitted to date anyone outside the community, he said. If he chose to date inside the community, it had to be “with the intention of looking for a wife,” and he had to receive permission from his “head” (spiritual advisor.) 

“They wanted me to quit my job, which I really enjoy, to come to work for them in the LaSalle building. I think I should decide things about my career and marriage. In a sense, they tried to control my life.” 

Such practices have been called “authoritarian” by Dr. William G. Storey, a Notre Dame theology professor who left the movement in 1970. 

Another Notre Dame faculty member, Dr. Josephine M. Ford, has written more than 30 articles and books explaining and criticizing the Charismatics. Her most outspoken objections concern the treatment of women in the communities. 

Dr. Ford, an associate professor of theology who is now on sabbatical in California, was expelled from the movement six years ago for being disruptive. There is an incredible subordination of women in the communities,” said Dr. Ford. 

“There are male and female roles which community members interpret too literally from New Testament scripture, particularly Paul. 

“You would think that Adam and Eve are more fundamental to their faith than Jesus Christ Himself.” 

Rowland admitted that “a lot of our beliefs go contrary to what is going on (with women’s liberation) today. Scripture says the man is the head of the household, and that women are to support their husbands. A lot of people are apt to take this loosely. 

Besides, Rowland added, a relationship in which the wife supports the husband in work does not mean she is inferior. But Dr. Ford insists that the People of Praise and Word of God (Ann Arbor) communities do treat women as inferiors. 

She cited as an example a community practice that women may not step outside the traditional female roles when seeking jobs. A South Bend woman I know of wanted to become a doctor, but it was recommended instead that she become a nurse,” she added. 

Rev. Danielson and other critics of the Charismatics stress they have “a very positive attitude about the potential of the movement,” but “maintain significant differences with current leadership.” 

Communities in South Bend, Ann Arbor and elsewhere often leave discordant voices no choice but leaving the movement. 

Considering that the current leadership an eight-member National Service Committee fills its own vacancies, there seems little chance for a change in philosophy that would overcome current conflicts. 

Rev. Danielson and others say the only hope is for the Charismatics to work more closely within the church structure, and for the (ad hoc) committee of bishops and local diocesan bishops to become familiar enough with the communities to help overcome conflicts. 

“Otherwise, the potential for a very serious factionalism is very great,” he said. I, for one, and many of the Charismatics are dissatisfied with many of the decisions that have been made, and feel it is time for a new voice to bo heard.” 

Here is Kathleen Harsh’s piece, “Charismatics live together, sharing faith, good times”: 

Dinners over. While that’s the time most American families clear away the dishes and tune in Walter Cronkite, the family at 1304 Hillcrest moves to the living room and tunes in the Lord. 

This is not your ordinary American household. 

The home on Hillcrest is one of more than 30 households in the 800-member People of Praise Community, an extension of the Charismatic Renewal. 

Outside’ the spacious brick house are clusters of shade trees. Inside, 18 persons put to practice the Christian principles a lot of other people just talk about. 

“You came at a very bad time,” said Mrs. Colette Rowland, the wife of the head of the household, as she bustled through the dining room in a bright yellow caftan. 

Everyone in the household and that includes her family of eight, four Notre Dame students and a second grade teacher rushed about as they prepared to leave for the Charismatic Renewal Conference in Kansas City. Mrs. Rowland’s husband and a few other residents were on their way to the conference. 

As if that wasn’t enough to disrupt the unusually routine household, the Rowland family is preparing to move to Belgium, where they will help organize international Charismatic prayer groups. 

Despite empty chairs and the sense of change that pervaded the atmosphere of the household, life continued as if everything were normal. 

Most days, the family follows a rigid schedule: prayer at 6 a m. and breakfast at 7. During the day, they separate for work or household chores. Residents are “encouraged” to spend their free time together. They are given only one free night each week, according to household head Tony Rowland. They meet every night for the evening meal. 

In the minutes before dinner started, Chris Meehan, a senior at Notre Dame, explained why he moved into the household over a year ago. 

“I like the environment a lot better here than at Notre Dame,” he said, .leaning comfortably on a piece of furniture in the dining room. “Drinking is a big thing at Notre Dame, and you’re nowhere if you don’t have a girlfriend. Here, there’s more of a family-type atmosphere.” 

Chris handles all finances in the household. Although members are not all related, they pool their pay-checks each week and are given personal allotments based on need. Chris then pays the rent, utility, and food bills for the family. 

Finances in households in the People of Praise Community vary, depending on the consensus reached by the members. But, usually finances are handled in a manner similar to the Rowland household. When the paychecks are pooled, a certain percentage is set aside in a fund to be used if the individual decides to leave. 

The family type atmosphere Chris finds so appealing was apparent as the unusual assortment of people gathered round the dining room table. Before the household sat down to dinner, the air was filled with the whispering of 13 simultaneous conversations with the Lord. Then together they broke into a prayer, spoken almost routinely. 

At dinner, Mrs. Rowland apologized because it was not served punctually at 5:30, as is household custom. Chicken, rice, green beans and peaches were served on unmatching plates and saucers–the everyday set was on its way to Belgium. 

After dinner the household moved from the dining room to the air-conditioned living room to pray. The living room was even more sparsely furnished than the dining room. All that remaimed was a piano and one red sofa, on which Mrs. Rowland seated herself. The rest of the members formed a circle on the floor. 

Chris, the 18-year-old son of the Rowlands, took his guitar out of the case and began tuning it. They sang from worn prayer books strewn on the floor. Some members lifted their hands up and swayed back and forth, as if in a trance, while others just closed their eyes and praised the Lord. 

Alleluia, Lord Jesus,” and “we give you praise and glory,” and “I love you Lord” hummed through the air on that hot summer night as the members chanted their individual prayers. 

Next they selected passages from scripture, relating what they read to problems and experiences in their everyday lives. The prayer session ended with a spirited singing of “Alleluia” complete with maracas. 

One by one, they left the room. 

Seated alone on the carpet was Mrs. Rowland, who with her soft French accent, told of how she came to be a Charismatic. She said the first time she attended a prayer meeting, five years ago, she felt a “very genuine authenticity of the presence of God. 

“I’ve heard scripture all my life, but before it was just words. Now it has come alive.” 

Mrs. Rowland said it was not a hard decision choosing to live a life in common with other people. “Once you give your life and your heart to the Lord, you naturally live according to the scripture.” 

Although the role of women in the Charismatics life is something most members are reluctant to talk about, Mrs. Rowland discussed It, but not without carefully choosing each word. She added that it was a very touchy subject. 

The women in the Charismatic household are given charge of cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children. Tony Rowland said they follow literally the roles for men and women set forth in the scripture. 

“What my husband and I do is talk things over and make a decision together. Nevertheless, the father has the responsibility of raising the family,” Mrs. Rowland said. 

Although critics have attacked Charismatics for requiring women to submit to their husbands and heads of household, Mrs. Rowland said there is a lot of misunderstanding about the word “submission.” 

“The key to it is unity,” she said slowly. “My husband and I are of the same mind and heart to serve the Lord. I know his mind so well that I can make a decision without his presence.” Mrs. Rowland explained that this is submission. 

Betty Raven, another household member, also discussed her views concerning the roles of men and women. Betty, a Notre Dame graduate student who has an electrical engineering job at Bendix Corp., said she thinks a lot of the women’s liberation movement–specifically their stance on abortion–is “crazy. She added she did not think a person should pursue a career just for the sake of pursuing a career, saying she would quit work if she got married. 

After prayers at the Charismatic household, all was quiet. The dishes were done and some members were outside in the backyard trying to make the heat bearable by talking, laughing and enjoying each others company. 

Glancing over her shoulder at the joyful household, Mrs. Rowland said, They really do have a good time.”   

Source

I thought this was funny "They really do have a good time.”   

Aristotle.....Women and slaves are of course friendly to tyrannies and also to democracies, since under them they have a good time. 

Isn't Amy a friend of the government shut down of the economy?

A friend to tyrannies.....

LOL!