Snake Church

There are many different sects of the Christian Church and although I am not of that faith, I am especially curious about the snake handlers. Now I have found a very interesting site, and won't express my feelings regarding the author, but it seems to be a bit bizarre to say the least.

I have never attended one of these services and am sure that I would not even if invited with a round trip first class ticket. Have you ever seen or perhaps even belong to this sect?

I am not putting them down, because we all practice the faith or path that is comfortable to us.

http://holiness-snake-handlers.webs.com/

 

Good question Richard! The practice of snake handling and drinking of poison has been an established practice of many religions. But, in the Christian faith, Mark 16:18 in the Bible is the cornerstone of the practice.
The debate over the canon of the 4 verses surrounding 16:18 has been going on since 1611.
Most bonafide theologians disagree with the canon but state the the verses in question can be catagorized as hyperbole similar to Jesus' statement concerning moving a mountain, therefore the verses stayed as written.
The problem with snake handling, other than the obvious, is it is based on "works." Eph. 2:8-9 to paraphrase tells us that we're saved by grace and not of works.

So many Christians do find it necessary to "show" how much they love and trust the Lord by doing things that actually put God to the test. Wrong move. They think that their works will somehow earn something extra from God and show everyone the power of God. Rather than accepting the gift of God (grace) they feel as though they need to buy it. Of course, the handlers will not admit to that but essentially they are trying to buy salvation by a show of their faith.
There is a fact though that James did say that he would show his faith by his works but he wasn't talking about snake handling. He was talking about the fruits of the spirit, which is another study.

I do believe, with ernesty, that your love for the Lord can better be expressed on how well you handle other people rather than how you handle a snake.

 

I used to live in East Tennessee. Just about as far east as you could get and still be in Tennessee. I was often hearing of these kinds of churches back then. Not that they were on every corner, but they were around. Back then I used to hear that even the children were allowed (required) to handle the snakes.

I'm not one to want to belittle anyone else's religion, either, Richard. In fact, I'm quite curious about most religions or different expressions of my own, but this particular one I've always felt was steeped in ignorance.

Still, to each his own.

 

@Bobby Cole @Allie Seay Thanks to both of you for your input. Think I will stick with Buddhism...just a bit safer!

 

So long as you aren't inclined to mummify yourself inside a statue of Buddha. The problem with all religious texts is that the words look innocent enough there on the pages. And they are! But run them through the filter of a mind--any mind--and you then have something that is part substance and part perception, with different minds coming up with a different ratio between the two.

God help us!

 

As a young man I actually visited one of these churches that practiced the handling of snakes in their services. I went to three different services. The last service I went to was quite eventful for me. While handling the snakes up at the front of the church with others, one of the women laid a snake down on the floor at the front of the church. Four or five people were dancing around and no one paid attention to the snake on the floor, which began to crawl out among the audience. The place was not well lit and soon the snake disappeared out under the chairs. A couple of men with flashlights quickly found the snake, picked it up and brought it to the front of the church where they placed it in a container. I had an excellent view because when the snake went under the first row of chairs I stood up in the pew and watched the proceedings. There is also a very entering book out on these church snake handlers.It's, Salvation On Sand Mountain" by Dennis Covington. I met him five years ago when he gave a talk about his experiences. At that time he was a professor teaching Creative Writing at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX.

 

The nearest I have been to snakes and worship was when I lived in Penang. My path used to to take me past the Azure Clouds Temple and I would often pop in to leave an offering. I was assured that the burning incense made the many vipers that draped everywhere drowsy and that the resident 22ft pythons were harmless. Being barefoot carried its own hazard

It has changed much because of tourism since I was there and either due to a decline in vipers, or for safety reasons, there are not as many crawling and lying around now

 

@Bill Boggs That is a pretty cool experience. Did you handle them as well?

@Val White Thanks for the video! We have King Cobras here but I have not seen one up in the jungle and that is fine with me.

 

Had my photo taken with the 22 foooter encasing me. I looked and was suitably petrified. Another beautiful Temple was the Wat Chayamangkalaram where it has the longest if not the biggest reclining budha

http://www.visitpenang.gov.my/portal3/what-to-see/attractions/wat-chayamangkalaram.html

 

Great site, Val! Our largest reclining Buddha is next to the Royal Palace in Bangkok at Wat Pho. It is 150 feet long and 49 feet tall. When I lost my D drive, I also lost one of my favorite Buddha pictures. It was at Buddha Mountain, about 2 miles form my home. A much smaller Buddha but at his feet, was a live kitten peacefully sleeping!

 

HAHAHA! This brings back memories of my childhood! We attended a small country church, with people who really were the salt of the earth. There was one old man who was a long-standing member, but for some reason, he decided that it would be a good idea to bring in a basket of rattlers, and pass them around to the congregation, so people could "prove their faith in God!" Fortunately, our preacher got wind of it, and met him at the church door that Sunday night. He told him that he was welcome to stay, but he could not bring his pets into the church. Poor old Fred was so disappointed, he quit the church, then and there, and never came back. The Bible tells us that we are not to test God in foolish ways. He doesn't do "parlor tricks."

 

I thought I had mentioned this but don't see it, There is a very good book, written by a reporter who was sent to Sand Mountain to investigate a preacher who was on trial for murder by rattlesnake. He was supposed to have forced his wife to hold he hand in a bucket or large can containing rattlesnakes. This reporter ccovered the dtrial and later became infatuated with these folks and indeed did practice the handling of snakes. Later he3 became a professor. I met him him when he was at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX where I lived for forty-seven years. He was still excited to talk about this practice. After i told him I had attended several services, we talked for forty-five minutes.. I knew enough about this movement to know he was authentic in his knowledge.

 

I would love to read this book! I'm going to look for a copy. I have no doubt that these believers are devout, I just don't agree with their methods of worship. I certainly wouldn't condemn them for it, but I don't think it's a good idea.

 

I wouldn't do it either but I was raised up to know about these folks and had visited their churches some and when this professor gave a talk to the Friends of the Library and to library personnel. I thought his knowledge on the subject very authentic and I knew he had intimate knowledge of what he spoke about. I was interested because as a young man I had made a visit to a Sand Mountain and I wondered if his Sand Mountain and my Sand Mountain were the same. Turned out they were not. Mine was in Georgia; his in Alabama. Still I thought the book was a worthwhile interesting read. Anyway, the practice is illegal everywhere in West Virginia. Cheers.