Yes, I was in a very conservative Pentecostal church almost all of my life. Attended their private school, worked in sunday school ministry, went out door knocking on saturday.

The church I attended was a genuine cult, they were extreme even by Pentecostal standards: No TV, put a filter on your home Internet, women can't cut their hair or wear pants, etc.

They strongly encouraged 10% tithes and 5% offerings, on your GROSS income. Yes, that's obscene, young couples with kids were moving back home because they couldn't afford rent.

As far as speaking in tongues and such, I remember doing that many times over the years. I remember the moment I supposedly "spoke in tongues" for the first time. I was faking it, and I knew it wasn't supernatural. I lied to myself for decades that I was feeling something and God was causing me to speak nonsense.

It's a massive fraud, has been ever since 1902 when it really took off.

I went with a co-worker to his Charismatic church. They tricked me into speaking in tongues. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Later I went with my aunt to her Assembly of God Church and there were too many too young girls wearing too short skirts. I was only 31 but I felt like an old creep. Not the church experience I was looking for. As far as "Spirit Type Experiences" I've studied prayer and I've determined that if you stand up, close your eyes, and sway with your hands in the air, you get dizzy. Also if you crush your eyes shut (like TV ministers) your mind is focused on your forehead and eyeballs, and you aren't really praying. But you look like you are, and really hard too.

I was a pentecostal I was even an elder in my local church. I was a member there for five yrs. When my wife kicked me to the curb while I was in the hospital, with the full backing of the church. I just find it hard to believe that a loving god would put ideas like that in someones head.

No

I was Pentecostal from the age of 9 years old until I was 13 years old. It was a long sermon with a bunch of crazy people standing up and dancing in the aisles and on and on. At least it wasn't boring some of the time.