How to answer "I know that I know that I know"?

[brewer]

Hi and Welcome Woof to the forum.

Quick question: When you began speaking in tongues at such an early age did you know that you were pretending? Were you pretending?

You friend(s): As you said, you may not be able to convince them that they are being foolish. You can't change anyone unless they want to change themselves. (well, actually you can but it's an ugly process)

1) god is great but he allows his creations to suffer/die. That would only mean he is not great or does not care or there is no loving creator. Every time something bad happens to them I'd ask "Is this gods will?".
2) The bible could be made correlate to any time in existence. This time is not special. 
3) There may be no help with this one. "I just know" (with no evidence), that's a childs way of thinking.

You may have to cut this family off completely. That might be very hard.

OBVIOUSLY I did not think or realize I was pretending?!  Come on!  That very question is stupid.  How could I believe that god's holy spirit has now filled me to overflowing, while I CLEARLY REALIZE I'm PRETENDING!?

In the moment, and for the next roughly 30 years, I honestly believed that what was happening was the holy spirit.

In fact, even now that my de-conversion is complete for about 6 months, I can still, at will, speak in tongues freely and easily.  THAT VERY FACT is, to me, even more evidence that speaking in tongues is not anything supernatural or holy spirit inspired.  Although, many christians would argue "god said he would never take his holy spirit from us....so that's why you can still speak in tongues".  That argument fails in my case, since there is one unforgivable sin:  denying the holy spirit, and I have done this audibly, consciously and clearly, and yet, I still am able. at any time, to pull up my parlor trick of speaking in tongues.  :-)

Thanks forrrrr the other points, though ;-)

From my point it's not a stupid question. If you had not been exposed to others speaking in tongues, would you have spoken in tongues?

Or do you consider it stupid because you now realize it was pretending?

Do you consider your current "at will" speaking in tongues to be man made?