Is speaking in tongues demonic?

     I recently had a student send me a link to a youtube video of John MacArthur preaching on speaking in tongues.  I watched the videos and found them quite troubling.  John MacArthur seems to be a very educated and convincing speaker on this topic.  His premise is basically that speaking in tongues is a satanic counterfeit.  His argument is that speaking to god in an ecstatic, gibberish speech is an ancient pagan practice that crept into the early church.  Here are his exact words: "The Church has married a system of pagan religion again, and we have developed a sensual, feeling, experiential, erotic approach to religion and called it 'the work of the Holy Spirit' when in fact it is the counterfeit of Satan."
     MacArthur's teaching gives us the sense that experiencing God with our senses or feelings isn't biblical.  If that is the case why would God tell us to love him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength? (Mark 12:30)  Why would God create us with emotions if they have no place in our experience with him?
     MacArthur's primary argument against speaking in tongues is from 1 Corinthians 14.  He says that speaking in tongues is "useless to edify." (or build up)  Even though verse 4 explicitly says that he who speaks in tongues edifies himself.  Later in his message he addresses this verse and says that Paul was being sarcastic in this statement.  That anyone who speaks in tongues is building themselves up in a prideful manner.
     MacArthur addresses verse 2 which says "For he who speaks in tongues, does not speak to men but to God."  MacArthur says that this verse is more accurately translated "He who speaks in tongues...speaks to a god."  He says that speaking in tongues is a pagan practice of "speaking to the gods."  He says that Paul is condemning a private prayer language.  MacArthur says that the gift of speaking in tongues was always directed to other people and that only the pagan version was directed to "a god."  If this is the case why does Paul say in verse 28 "But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately?"  So Paul is saying it is ok to pray to your false pagan god in tongues as long as you do it privately!  I don't think so.
     Finally MacArthur says "These people who think that they have some great thing going with their private prayer language with God, that doesn't do them any good because there is no knowledge of what they are saying.  Consequently, there is no learning in the mind.  Consequently, it is sensual ecstasy.  It is a feeling and Christianity has never been predicated upon a feeling."  Paul addresses this directly in verse 14 "For if I pray in tongues, my spirit prays but my understanding is unfruitful.  What is the conclusion then?  I will pray with the spirit and I will also pray with the understanding."
     If you haven't seen this video or heard teaching like this you may wonder why I am blogging about this.  I am writing for several reasons.  1. To address this false notion that is quite popular "The Bible says that every time someone speaks in tongues it must be interpreted."  God's word very clearly teaches that their is a public gift of speaking in tongues in the church that must be interpreted, but their is also the gift of praying in tongues that does not need to be interpreted.  2. To demonstrate that just because someone sounds like they are intelligent and know the Bible and spout a lot of Greek words that what they are saying must be true.  It is so important that we as believers study God's word for ourselves and never blindly accept anything that a preacher says.
     In closing God does want you to pursue and experience him with your mind, but he also wants you to pursue and experience him with your emotions as well.   I firmly believe that praying in tongues is a biblical experience and that the enemy of our soul knows how powerful this can be in our lives so he tries to bring dissension, division and confusion regarding this topic.