ReptileMan27

[Snakes Incorporated]

SERPENTS ARE HANDLED THERE, NEIGHBORS SAY

Nov. 07, 2006

A London woman is dead after being bitten by a snake during a Sunday church service, the Laurel County Sheriff's Office said yesterday.

Neighbors near East London Holiness Church on Smith Brewer Road, which officials said the 48-year-old attended, said the church practices serpent handling.

The name of the woman was withheld yesterday as the Laurel County Sheriff's Office investigated the death, which police described as accidental.

Friends escorted the woman to a local hospital Sunday afternoon, Lt. Ed Sizemore said.

"She said she was bitten by a snake at her church," Sizemore said.

The woman was taken to University of Kentucky Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 11:30 p.m., almost four hours after the bite was reported.

Sizemore said he thinks the woman was bitten by a timber rattlesnake. He did not know if the woman practiced snake handling.

Snake handling is based on a passage in the Bible, in the Gospel of Mark, that says a sign of a true believer is the power to "take up serpents" without being harmed.

It is illegal in Kentucky to handle reptiles as part of religious services. Snake handling is a misdemeanor and punishable by a $50-$100 fine.

Opal Wagers lives near the church on Smith Brewer Road and said it's been two or three months since she last visited the church, but said she's witnessed snake handling there.

"I don't have no dealings with those snakes," Wagers said. "But they seem to handle them pretty good."

She said people fill the church at least one Sunday each month to handle snakes. Wagers said members from Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia bring in the snakes.

Police said they had not received reports about snake handling at the church.

No church officials could be reached for comment last night.

In 2000, the Herald-Leader reported that the last person to die in Kentucky from a snakebite sustained during a religious service was in 1997.

The death of Daril R. Collins, 23, of Barbourville, was the sixth such death in the state since 1980.

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/state/15947481.htm

[Autoshoty]

that sucks...alot

[Simon]

One of millions of deaths caused by religion...

I find it quite strange that this is a way to prove your faith.  I have loads of faith.  Just not in religion.

[Snakes Incorporated]

Misinterpretation of something good like this has lead nations and peoples to wars for thousands of years.
The lion will eat straw with the lamb is also a quotable verse but would need a logical explanation without the usual mythical guessing.

In my opinion these religious wars have political agendas.

[Globalshock]

I've heard alot about snake handling, it's pretty dangerous.

[Snakes Incorporated]

I've heard alot about snake handling, it's pretty dangerous.

Not if you know what you are doing and not over confidant. My wife if more dangerous to me than any venomous snake I have handled, as I know what to expect from a snake

[Timotei]

Please, i beg u, do not make me have to defend my faith like i have on close to EVERY other herp forum i hav ever been on. Please, I accept ur views, they're ur own, ur entitled to them, but please hav similar respect for the views of others.

[Simon]

Please, i beg u, do not make me have to defend my faith like i have on close to EVERY other herp forum i hav ever been on. Please, I accept ur views, they're ur own, ur entitled to them, but please hav similar respect for the views of others.

Rather than feel that you have to defend your faith, would you object to explaining it?  Please don't feel it is about being judged, but more about educating.

[Timotei]

The thing is, explaining my faith to ppl unwilling to receive it never seems to gain much, it just ends up with them putting me in a box, stamping me as one of those christian ppl, and them judging any statement i make after that moment, and assuming my political and social angles are in perfect alignment with the catholic church. But if u want me to, i'll explain my thoughts on this matter.

Firstly, im not catholic, some ppl dont no its possible to be christian and not worship the pope (i dont believe catholics worship the pope either, for the record).

Anyways, so this woman, who died because she was bitten by a snake. I have NEVER ever heard of this so-called "religious snake-handling", and i think it's merely another case of people taking a symbol in the bible too far. I think to take everything in the bible literally would mean immediate destruction of the earth, ourselves and our minds, with people gouging out their own eyes due to lust and cutting off their arms for stealing and the throwing of logs into people's eyes lol.

We cannot take something written between 2000 and 5000 (rough figures there) years ago in a completely different, dead, language and immediately apply it to our lives. That is a superficial interpretation of the faith and has no intelligent backing. For example, the notion of Jesus in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights, some say, "wow it's incredible that Jesus could go without food for that long". WRONG. The number 40 is used throughout the bible, especially referring to periods of 40 days (Goliath presents his challenge for 40 days, the rain in Noah's time for 40 days and 40 nights etc.), and is meant to symbolise a LONG TIME! Similar thing for the creation story, the world was not created in 7 days. 7 is a number, once again used throughout the bible, and it basically means completion. Enough. And days ? Well, that just means a period of time with a definite beginning and end. (Just for interest's sake, when God "rests", it doesn't say rest at all, it says "ceases". Rest is a bad translation) So, in fact, God made the world in enough periods of time, who cares how he made it, the fact is he did. We cannot read the bible in our current context, it just doesnt work. I for one believe in evolution, and i think the idea that God and science are mutually exclusive is preposterous.

As for the thing about taking up the serpents, well, a similar thing applies. I would never deny people their own rituals and practices, as this is where most find their solace, and it is very comforting to have these practices, BUT, I think the notion that snakes today represent an evil that we must overcome is completely ridiculous. If i were a biblical scholar i could probably explain to you the metaphor of the serpent, and why it was used in the creation story, and what it meant to people thousands of years ago, but unfortunately... I'm not! lol. Snakes are beautiful creatures, and the idea of branding them without any real grounds and using them to perform our own rituals is not good, and not safe. Unfortunately, snakes are animals, and they do not want to die, so when they think they're going to, they will try to stop themselves dying, hence bite.

En plus, I think it was an accident, unfortunate, perhaps avoidable, but gives no cause to sledge religion. Like i sed, that isnt a common chrisian practice lol.

And theres my rant

[Simon]

I think that ophidiophobia goes back to the story of Adam and Eve.  The devil was the snake and persuaded Eve to tempt Adam with the forbidden fruit.  This story is full of interesting metaphors and I personally find them very interesting.

I myself was raised as a Christian, but am now an athiest.  But I do find the study of religion fascinating - especially the concepts and stories.

Before the story of Adam and Eve, there was historic evidence of snakes being worshipped - same as Crocs - to great levels.

Thank you for sharing with us.  I personally believe that no religion is perfect or correct, but always appreciate other peoples opinions and views on the subject.