When the Holy Spirit came to the fledgling Church in Acts ch2, it says that the people attending the Feast of Pentecost, from all the ethnic regions they had pilgrimaged from, were hearing "the great deeds of God" in their "own dialect". (vs11,6,8)

Modern-day "tongues" cannot make this claim. In fact, there have been recorded-relayed accounts of deception and blaspheme. Some of these are from the 40's and 50's as remembered from hearing the adults talk about them. Some are more current, as submitted by VW subscribers:

In a California church during the 50's or 60's, a certain person was claiming to speak "in Chinese" during a "tongues service". Of course, everybody being American, they didn't know Chinese to verify whether it was true or not. Then, as it happened, a Chinese person was visiting one of the church members, and was invited to a service, during which this person got up and "spoke in Chinese". After the service the church members asked the visiting Chinese person if that had been "Chinese". And the Chinese person replied, "Yes. But I have never before heard such foul talk in the Chinese language!"

-Japanese train stations

In another church during the 50's or 60's, a person was claiming his "prayer language" and would "pray in Japanese". One day as he was thus "praying" in the assembly, a voice chimed up from somewhere in the audience, "Ah, soo desuka?" [Oh, is that so??] Asked by a Japanese visitor. The person "praying" had apparently been in the military service in Japan, and the only Japanese he knew was the announcing of train stations over the public address systems. His "prayer" consisted of rattling off the various train -stops- along a certain route he had travelled frequently, as he was used to hearing these stations announced during his travels.

-Gift of Japanese

During the 40's or 50's a couple of female missionaries went to Japan, but refused to go to language school. They were thoroughly convinced that the Lord would endow them with the "gift" of the Japanese language. They were thus engaged, praying for the "gift" and it never came. After a couple years of this, they began to have emotional problems. And finally, one day, as they were "praying", the one came to realize what the problem was, stood, and pronounced, "In the name of Jesus, come out of her" ...to the demons. The emotional problems cleared up -immediately-, and they returned to America..."failures" as missionaries.

-No! not the pit! not the pit!

During my college years (early 70's), one summer I had a house-mate. When he first arrived, he attended the GARBC church across the street. Then attended another baptist church. (He was of a 'conservative' non-charismatic background.) Being disenchanted with the hypocrisy in these baptist churches, he started visiting the meetings of one of the 'local' communes. He would come back from meetings, telling of "healing meetings" where the prime goal was that people's legs be the "same length". They seemed to be -joyful- and he started coming back home repeating "praise the Lord", etc. The one time I went to a meeting, to see what they were all about, they certainly seemed "happy" as they danced (jumped) around during their singing, etc.

But, this friend also started becoming enamored with the whole concept of "tongues". Never -did- it. But was wondering, and I think, secretly desiring to experience it.

After another school-year, the next summer he was back to visit relatives, and stopped by to see me. During that year, continuing to wonder about tongues but never experiencing it himself (he was a true Believer) he met up with a pastor who became aware of his need. Shared an audio tape with him of a situation he had been privy to; of a person who had been engaged in "tongues", and also came to be known for being demon possessed. This 'tape' was a recording of the occasion in which the demon was expelled from this person. The tape apparently recorded this person babbling, and then another person commanding the demons to come out of this person and 'go into the pit'. And at such a command, the 'person' was rapidly muttering, "Oh, no! Not the pit, not the pit!"

During the casting-out of the demons, the person ascertained the 'name/s' of the demon/s. And after the demons had left, the person never again "spoke in tongues".

My friend recounted his hearing of the tape with a 'shudder' and a relief at having found out the truth before he, himself, had been caught into the error. I had been warning him the previous summer about dabbling into these things, as well as the meetings at the commune. But he had been a bit arrogantly stubborn about it at the time. But as he recounted the 'tape', and the new-found understanding, he was a 'humble' greatful man.

-23rd Psalm in Hebrew

The Associate Pastor of one of the EV Free churches here in San Jose was an under grad at Biola when he attended a "tongue service" with a Charismatic fellow student. In the "spirit" of things he stood up and recited the 23rd Psalm in Hebrew. A woman interpreter said that the "Lord was coming to judge LA" so much for interpreters!

-Lithuanian blaspheme

In a second case a friend of mine from Chicago visited a tongue speaking church when a woman stood up and began speaking... Indeed it was a tongue entirely unknown to the speaker but according to my friend it was perfect Lithuanian!! Wherein the speaker blasphemed the Lord!!!

-Knows 60 languages and dialects

I am responding to this part about tongues you'd mentioned in your Q/A, and how on some occasions when someone's babbling IS an actual language, there was gross blaspheme.

While I was in the military and stationed in Germany for 3 years, I met a German national who is a translator for the U.S. Government and we became very good friends. [name] was a German lawyer, but he is so fluent in so many languages that he is now employed by translating legal documents for our government. He is probably more well traveled than anyone I know. He can speak English with a southern drawl, or with other accents like if he was from England, or N.Y. Listening to him speak, you'd never know he was a German. He speaks English better than me. And I'm 45 and was born here. He knows about 60 (yes, I said Six and a Zero) different languages and different dialects of different languages. He even came to America once to give classes for a period of time to the Navajo Indians in their tongue. And he is a great historian on different American Indian's history and traditions.

My point being, our government sent [name] to TN this past spring to take some sort of government classes. I went down for a visit for a few days. During my time, I asked the question if he has ever heard any of this "speaking in tongues." He laughed and said that he said that he has. He said that it is all gibberish. But, on one occasion, he said that he actually recognized the language. One person spoke, and another interpreted. The person speaking was actually speaking a known language. [name] knew the language, but he kept silent and wouldn't interpret. He wanted to see if the one interpreting would really give a correct interpretation. I asked [name] if the interpreter was correct, or if the person speaking in tongues blasphemed or whatever. This was some years ago and [name] said that he could not remember what the tongues message was, or what the interpretation was. [name] said that he does remember that the "interpreter" was not even close to what was said in this known tongue. So, even if the message is not blaspheme, the whole thing is a deception, or a show put on to impress people. And we know who the deceiver is.

Indeed, we do know who the deceiver is.

"For such ones are false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And did not Satan marvelously transform himself into an angel of light? It is not a great thing, then, if also his ministers transform themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."(2Cor11:13-15)

"[The devil] one was a murderer from the beginning, and he has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own, because he is a liar, and the father of it." (Jn8:44)

"Behold, I and the children whom Jehovah has given to me are for signs and wonders in Israel from Jehovah of Hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion. And when they say to you, Seek to the mediums, and to spirit-knowers who peep (chirp, chatter) and mutter (moan, growl, groan, meditate, imagine); should not a people seek to its God, than for the living to seek the ones who died? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because there is no dawn to them! (Is8:18-20)