Serpent-handling pastor dies from snake bite

[Ali]

My 4 year old knows better than this.  Just this morning, we had a very lengthy talk about why we leave snakes, spiders, and bees alone.

I am also confused about what "lesson" the pastor was trying to teach by handling poisonous snakes.  But he certainly illustrated the old "You knew I was a snake when you picked me up" parable quite nicely.

[Genericguy]

I am also confused about what "lesson" the pastor was trying to teach by handling poisonous snakes.

Me too... Me too. I'm sure it worked though, if the goal was to strengthen peoples faith. Until, of course, the part where he got bit and died. I'm sure that hindered his progress a little. 

[fester30]

I know some think it's crazy that people like these handle snakes, but sometimes I think to either prove themselves more unique or more dedicated, people will often do crazy things.  Some extremist Muslims will blow themselves up.  Assemblies of God churches put particular emphasis on the Biblical gift of speaking in tongues.  The Bible lists it as the least of all gifts, lower than a gift such as healing.  In the Assembly of God church, their attitude is that if you cannot attain the least of all gifts, what kind of Christian are you.  I never was able to attain such a gift when I was a member.  They also took a very long way around scripture to answer my questions when I asked them about the verses that outlined the rules for speaking in tongues, which proved that none of them were doing anything more than just speaking gibberish while working themselves and each other into a frenzy in their piles of praising, praying people near the preacher's podium.  This is just another example, taking a couple verses from Mark and Acts that talk about future events of believers taking up snakes with their hands and not getting hurt, and believing these are actually commandments of Jesus to followers to take up snakes in his name.  I think it's just another tragic example of the harm that an overflow of religious fervor can do.

[xSilverPhinx]

I am also confused about what "lesson" the pastor was trying to teach by handling poisonous snakes.

Me too... Me too. I'm sure it worked though, if the goal was to strengthen peoples faith. Until, of course, the part where he got bit and died. I'm sure that hindered his progress a little. 

Yes, it can be more than slightly counter-productive.

[jumbojak]

What bothers me most about stories like this is that the part about handling snakes and drinking poison cannot be found in the earliest manuscripts of Mark. Most good Bibles will tell you that but people still feel the need to prove their faith in this reckless and dangerous way. I think it must be the tradition.

[Ecurb Noselrub]

What bothers me most about stories like this is that the part about handling snakes and drinking poison cannot be found in the earliest manuscripts of Mark. Most good Bibles will tell you that but people still feel the need to prove their faith in this reckless and dangerous way. I think it must be the tradition.

Furthermore, even in the later-added section of Mark 16, the statement about snakes is descriptive, not injunctive or imperative, in the Greek. It's just describing a phenomenon - it is not commanding people to handle snakes. These folks read only the King James, which says "shall" pick up serpents, and they interpret it as a commandment, but it's not.  For what it's worth.

[MadBomr101]

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.  

This sounds exactly like what killed Steve Irwin. (The Crocodile Hunter)  He was also stupidly arrogant   

Lesson: Dangerous animals will kill you if you screw with them.  They're not impressed by God or ratings.

[MadBomr101]

I am also confused about what "lesson" the pastor was trying to teach by handling poisonous snakes.

This one...

Mark 16:17 - 18
The Great Commission

17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover. "

[Sweetdeath]

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.  

This sounds exactly like what killed Steve Irwin. (The Crocodile Hunter)  He was also stupidly arrogant   

Lesson: Dangerous animals will kill you if you screw with them.  They're not impressed by God or ratings.

That's not nice. I really enjoyed Steve Irwin. He did a lot of work to help the animal community. Including recreational work. I think he did a lot more for the world than this damn snake handling preacher. >_<;;

[MadBomr101]

That's not nice. I really enjoyed Steve Irwin. He did a lot of work to help the animal community. Including recreational work. I think he did a lot more for the world than this damn snake handling preacher. >_<;;

I agree.  I didn't say his heart wasn't in the right place just that he was stupidly arrogant in his approach to handling these creatures.  He was frequently atagonistic because that made for good TV.  I expected him to get killed eventually.  I just thought it would be a croc, or a lion, or something like that.  I respect what he stood for but I didn't care for his style.

[cncracer]

It was nature's way of thinning out those who don't use their brains. I can't understand why a person who had been bitten before would still do something so illogical as to take a snake to church.  If he wants to prove his faith he should have gone out and bungee jumped or skydived, not traumatize a poor snake. 

[OldGit]

Never mind, at least it's safer than suicide bombing.

[markmcdaniel]

Never mind, at least it's safer than suicide bombing.

At least it is for us. The end result is pretty much the same for them.