Merged Snake-handling preacher dies by snakebite

Brown said:
Not that Jesus's guarantee of safety would be any damned good, had he said such a stupid thing. Believers have died from drinking poison thinking it wouldn't hurt them.
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I've heard of plenty of snake bite incidents, but can't recall hearing about self-inflicted poisonings. I think that deep down inside, even the most devout believer knows the poison is going to kill him. At least with the snakes you've got a chance that you won't get bit.

Steve S
 
Like "Little Joe"(?) from Bonanza, it's probably a nickname given by Coots & company to him when he was a small child and they keep calling him that as an adult for sentimental reasons.

I personally think I wouldn't be able to stand being called "Little Checkmite" now that I'm quite an adult. It would inspire rage before too long.
 
Did the film crew get it? I know the news reports ruined this twist but it might get me to watch the show.
 
Jekyll's Guest said:
C.O.B.R.A. Commander should consider recruiting these guys as Chaplains for his organization.

They have a snake theme, they're fearful anti-government types, and they are completely incompetent.

It's a match made in Cobra-La.
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:D
fuelair said:
Real shame it is so low. Like to see lots of em!!!
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Well the snakes are (apparently) kept in overcrowded conditions and not fed properly to keep them passive.

Craig4 said:
Lets ask the mods to merge this thread with the one about the nude church. Hilarity would be sure to follow.
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:D:covereyes
 
steve s said:
I've heard of plenty of snake bite incidents, but can't recall hearing about self-inflicted poisonings. I think that deep down inside, even the most devout believer knows the poison is going to kill him. At least with the snakes you've got a chance that you won't get bit.

Steve S
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Steve Irwin handled snakes his whole life and he was pretty much an atheist, as far as any can tell. Yeah, a stingray took him down, but that wasn't poison even (a barb to the heart)
 
pgwenthold said:
Steve Irwin handled snakes his whole life and he was pretty much an atheist, as far as any can tell. Yeah, a stingray took him down, but that wasn't poison even (a barb to the heart)
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Yes, but Irwin was doing it for a reason, this guy was just an idiot.
 
I was just thinking that it'd be far more ironic for a "snake handling preacher" to die by mongoose.
:)
 
steve s said:
I've heard of plenty of snake bite incidents, but can't recall hearing about self-inflicted poisonings. I think that deep down inside, even the most devout believer knows the poison is going to kill him. At least with the snakes you've got a chance that you won't get bit.

Steve S
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Yes, drinking "poison" isn't as popular, since it is widely recognized at face value as being incredibly stupid, and it is also recognized as dangerous. The danger is often perceived in terms of the drinker not having proper faith or being truly saved, so the drinker could not only die, but the drinker's soul could be damned to Hell as well (Mark 16:16). Besides, there are other less risky ways to show one's faith.

According to an article that I read twenty-some years ago, the drinking of poison was practiced in some cults, I mean, some churches. In some cases, the poison was strychnine, it was highly diluted and people didn't take more than a sip (assuming they put the glass to their lips and actually ingested any at all). There were also stories of ingesting "deadly things" that were not actually poisons, although some of the substances may not have been good for people in large dosages. There were also stories of people drinking things that were said to be poisons but that actually weren't, in order to show their faith. After drinking and suffering no ill effects, the peoples' faith would thereby be bolstered--the fact that the "faith" would be based upon a shameless lie ("This is deadly poison!") was deemed to be trivial.
 
Those damned atheist snakes not reading their bible again!
 
Brown said:
There were also stories of people drinking things that were said to be poisons but that actually weren't, in order to show their faith. After drinking and suffering no ill effects, the peoples' faith would thereby be bolstered--the fact that the "faith" would be based upon a shameless lie ("This is deadly poison!") was deemed to be trivial.
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Such bait-and-switch games are evidently quite acceptable when it comes to gauging faith; the precedent having been set allegedly by God himself, who never intended Abraham to sacrifice Isaac but let the former believe it all the way up until the knife was drawn.

Interestingly, Jim Jones had his followers drink fake "poison" on several occasions as demonstrations of devotion. It is something of an antipode to the earlier concept, as Jones' followers actually fully expected to die each time they participated in this kind of demonstration.
 
Serpent Handling Pastor Dies

A "serpent-handling" West Virginia pastor died after his rattlesnake bit him during a church ritual, just as the man had apparently watched a snake kill his father years before.
Pentecostal pastor Mark Wolford, 44, hosted an outdoor service at the Panther Wildlife Management Area in West Virginia Sunday, which he touted on his Facebook page prior to the event.
Snake-handlers point to scripture as evidence that God calls them to engage in such a practice to show their faith in him. Mark 16: 17-18 reads, "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/serpent-handling-west-virginia-pastor-dies-snake-bite/story?id=16459455


I've never fully understood the serpent handling thing, Is is mainly just Pentecostals?
 
This would have been much funnier if ala bomber instructor he had thrown snakes into the crowd and a score or so were also killed.
 
Nay_Sayer said:
A "serpent-handling" West Virginia pastor died after his rattlesnake bit him during a church ritual, just as the man had apparently watched a snake kill his father years before.
Pentecostal pastor Mark Wolford, 44, hosted an outdoor service at the Panther Wildlife Management Area in West Virginia Sunday, which he touted on his Facebook page prior to the event.
Snake-handlers point to scripture as evidence that God calls them to engage in such a practice to show their faith in him. Mark 16: 17-18 reads, "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/serpent-handling-west-virginia-pastor-dies-snake-bite/story?id=16459455


I've never fully understood the serpent handling thing, Is is mainly just Pentecostals?
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Not only is it just a Pentecostal (or charismatic) thing, it's limited to IIRC Appalachia. It's interesting to note that Mk. 16:18 is part of the disputed, tacked-on ending to Mark. The actual end of Mark is sort of dissatisfying and rather jolting. The women find the empty tomb, and a young man, presumably an angel, tells them Jesus is risen and to tell his disciples. Instead, they run away, terrified and don't tell anybody anything (Mk. 16:8).

As to the pastor getting bit and dying, you could play that a number of ways. First, you could say he got bit because he didn't have enough faith. However, since he didn't both taking a snake-bite kit, including anti-venom, with him, maybe he did have faith; but the Lord decided to call him home, sort of like Oral Roberts, only this time it worked.
 
Nay_Sayer said:
A "serpent-handling" West Virginia pastor died after his rattlesnake bit him during a church ritual, just as the man had apparently watched a snake kill his father years before.
Pentecostal pastor Mark Wolford, 44, hosted an outdoor service at the Panther Wildlife Management Area in West Virginia Sunday, which he touted on his Facebook page prior to the event.
Snake-handlers point to scripture as evidence that God calls them to engage in such a practice to show their faith in him. Mark 16: 17-18 reads, "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/serpent-handling-west-virginia-pastor-dies-snake-bite/story?id=16459455


I've never fully understood the serpent handling thing, Is is mainly just Pentecostals?
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Pentecostals in Appalachia almost exclusively. I've encountered a lot of Pentecostals in Africa and I've never heard of them handling snakes. Of course, African snakes are in a different class than those we have in North America.
 
Damien Evans said:
Yes, but Irwin was doing it for a reason, this guy was just an idiot.
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Oh I know, but it just shows that you don't have to have strong enough faith to handle venomous snakes without getting bitten. You just have to know how to handle snakes.

I still like the idea of how they don't seem to be drinking poison, though, even though they bible clearly states they can. Let's see you drink this hemlock. How strong is your faith?
 
It would be interesting to know which species of snake killed him. These people usually handle less lethal snakes such as copperheads and timber rattlesnakes. I know they recently got some Western Diamonbacks. Perhaps in their zeal they mis-identified a Western Diamondback for a Mojave and we all got lucky.
 
Brown said:
There were also stories of ingesting "deadly things" that were not actually poisons, although some of the substances may not have been good for people in large dosages.
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That's not very impressive considering how many substances fit this description. Even pure water can kill you if you drink enough of it.
 
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