Serpent-handling pastor dies from snake bite

[Ecurb Noselrub]

Well, ya gotta admit that this guy practiced what he preached.

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/01/death-of-snake-handling-preacher-shines-light-on-lethal-appalachian-tradition/?hpt=hp_c1

But I'm a little disappointed that he finally sought medical help. I almost thought he was a true believer. He reached about 95%, I think. From a Christian perspective, this practice misses the point of the gospel, but if you are a fundamentalist thinker, this is the logical end of that sort of thinking.

[BooksCatsEtc]

But I'm a little disappointed that he finally sought medical help. I almost thought he was a true believer. He reached about 95%, I think.

I look at it as sad but encouraging.  He may have come to his senses (or at least a few of them) too late, but he did eventually come to his senses.

[The Magic Pudding]

Ah that's so sad hearing of this guy trying to keep the old ways alive.
I think we should send some of our guys to add a thrill and help them keep the culture alive.

[BooksCatsEtc]

I've heard there's a snake so mean that if you make it angry, it will not only strike at you but try to chase you down when you run, and so fast that it might well catch you, and so venomous that you're dead before anybody can give you an antidote (assuming there is one).  If one of these folks can handle that snake and survive, I'd be willing to consider a supernatural explanation. 

[xSilverPhinx]

If I were to handle such a snake, I would seriously consider putting it in a bucket full of ice first for a few moments, until it's a bit slowed down and sleepy. No supernatural explanation required there.

And I would defang it too of course, or remove it's venom glands. What these people do is just plain crazy.

[markmcdaniel]

I tend to think of this as evolution in action. Average human intelligence has just gone up by a very small fraction of a percentage point. I think that i detect a Darwin Award winner here. In the future it might be nice if they tried to handle some real snakes say Spiting Cobras or one of the Mambas.

[xSilverPhinx]

I tend to think of this as evolution in action. Average human intelligence has just gone up by a very small fraction of a percentage point. I think that i detect a Darwin Award winner here. In the future it might be nice if they tried to handle some real snakes say Spiting Cobras or one of the Mambas.

Not to want to laugh at another's disgrace and demise, but I feel the same way. It's a clear example of a Darwin Award.

[The Magic Pudding]

I've heard there's a snake so mean that if you make it angry, it will not only strike at you but try to chase you down when you run, and so fast that it might well catch you, and so venomous that you're dead before anybody can give you an antidote (assuming there is one). 

I've seen mambas on wildlife TV shows, their head seemed to be held 4-5 foot off the ground, very freaky.

The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis), also called the common black mamba or black-mouthed mamba,[4] is the longest venomous snake in Africa, averaging around 2.5 to 3.2 m (8.2 to 10 ft) in length, and sometimes growing to lengths of 4.45 m (14.6 ft).[5] It is named for the black colour of the inside of the mouth rather than the colour of its scales which varies from dull yellowish-green to a gun-metal grey. It is the fastest snake in the world, capable of moving at 4.32 to 5.4 metres per second (16–20 km/h, 10–12 mph).[6] It has a reputation for being aggressive and highly venomous and is among the world's most venomous land snakes.[7

[Tank]

I tend to think of this as evolution in action. Average human intelligence has just gone up by a very small fraction of a percentage point. I think that i detect a Darwin Award winner here. In the future it might be nice if they tried to handle some real snakes say Spiting Cobras or one of the Mambas.

The Darwin Awards spring to mind 

[OldGit]

He took a week to die!  Blimey.

A hundred preachers have died doing this, including his own father.  And still they go on.  This really does tell us something about the total irrationality of faith.

[xSilverPhinx]

This really does tell us something about the total irrationality of faith.

Yeah, which goes something like:

I'm going to handle a venomous snake whose bite can kill me. It's an animal with an independent mind, which means that it's under control because god controls it and god is on my side...I pray.

Or it could simply be something more like:

I like an audience and I like to show that I can dominate dangerous animals. Even though I know that this snake can kill me, I'm also in absolute denial that it will. Not me.  

[Gawen]

He took a week to die!  Blimey.

A hundred preachers have died doing this, including his own father.  And still they go on.  This really does tell us something about the total irrationality of faith.

What you said. Congregants will chock it up to "He didn't have enough faith"..."His faith slipped"..."It was his time to go". None of them will learn anything by this idiots death. They of course will see him in Heaven, so what's to worry about?

[Genericguy]

I read about this on another site and it said he was well aware of the dangers involved. He didn't believe his god would literally protect him from the snake. he was just using it as a tool to teach people.

[markmcdaniel]

I read about this on another site and it said he was well aware of the dangers involved. He didn't believe his god would literally protect him from the snake. he was just using it as a tool to teach people.

I am not quite sure what lesson he was trying to teach. It cannot be that it is stupid to handle venomous reptiles. Mind you he did a spectacular job of teaching this particular lesson. Particularly the part about how getting bite by venomous snakes can ruin your whole day.






 

[Amicale]

I love snakes. I think they're awesome creatures. I have a healthy respect and fear of any venomous ones, though. I feel bad for his family and community. I'm sure his wife is grieving, and so is his mother. But the others who have commented here are correct: this is a prime example of how to win a Darwin award. Problem is, I don't know if he had kids or not; if he did, then his own removal from the 'gene pool' might very well be repeated.  Not to sound cold or cruel, but I look at people like this and go 'oh well, they died because of doing something they loved doing!' And I'd say that for people who skydive, do motorcycle stunts or other dangerous tricks - a lot of them die of injuries, too.

To me, it's just absurd that this little group is so bent on interpreting those passages that particular way. Most mainstream Protestants wouldn't. Catholics, Orthodox etc wouldn't. But they choose to, and they believe they're right to such a high extent that they're willing to die if they're wrong because 'it's their time'. That's sad. So much for reason and logic.