Non compos mentis.
The most badass Kentucky snake handler, at the Kentucky Reptile Zoo
Non compos mentis.
Did you check out the fat kid in the UK tee shirt???
Should have let "God judge him" like he wanted. Would have been interesting to see if he was saved.
Fat kid ?? the average weight of the congregation is 354.8 ... SMH
Coots
For some reason, and I can't find any Bible verse that relates to this, they were also burning themselves with blow torches and hooking up to batteries. Appeared to be a lot of self abuse and I don't know if it was a faith thing or not.If you get bit enough, the body developes an immunity. That's how they get bit and usually live. It still causes damage just not lethal. That's why those people have drawed up fingers and hands. On the show "ax men", that nut Shelby bit the head off of a cottonmouth and it bit his lip. He said he had been bit so many times by cottonmouths that it didnt even make him sick anymore. Theres a trick to the poison they drink too. Drink a little and it kills you, drink alot and it wont. Im not a holy roller but im pretty sure the Bible says something about "do not tempt the Lord they God". Whatever, to each his own.
I went to high school (Middlesboro) w/Jamie Coots
I think that's thisssss dude's dad (late dad?)
For some reason, and I can't find any Bible verse that relates to this, they were also burning themselves with blow torches and hooking up to batteries. Appeared to be a lot of self abuse and I don't know if it was a faith thing or not.
I agree, but they seem to be using Bible verses mentioning serpents as a pretense for this kind of behavior. I can see where one would pick out certain passages mentioning serpents or snakes to try and justify this craziness, but I could not understand how one would intentionally burn or shock themselves to prove their faith.What these people are doing has nothing to do with the Bible - putting God to the test to save them from venomous snakes - this is why there is absolutely no actual scriptural support for what they do.
As far as "not putting God to the test" - there are many scriptures that deal with this throughout the Bible - for example in the laws given to Israel as in Deuteronomy 6:16.
Also, Jesus reply to Satan is recorded in all four Gospels (Example: Luke 4:12) not to "put God to the test".
(If even the Son of God doesn't put him to the test, what makes these snake handlers so special?)
Ironically, as it applies to this topic 1st Corinthians 10:9 references the many Israelites that died by snake bites after putting God to the test. (Numbers 21:5)
This is why Christians wear seat belts and go to the doctor when they are sick.
It does seem to be a very small sect of people doing this kind of thing and it is in the mountains. Wish I had their booklet as I'd post some shots.This practice is taken from Mark 16:17-18:
"These signs will accompany those who believe. They will cast out demons in my name and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink something poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them."
The problem. In the earliest and best manuscripts, Mark 16: 9-20 are not included. This will usually be noted in footnotes or italicized in most later Bibles (but not in the King James Version).
The original ending at verse 8 is so abrupt and leaves out so many things stated in the other Gospels that it is believed by scholars that later copyists added material from the other Gospels to make it more "satisfying." It proved to be so "satisfying" to readers that they kept it in the KJV.
Any serious Bible student and all Biblical scholars know that it is not in itself original inspired Scripture. But it has been recognized and noted as a relatively harmless addition (since much of it is in the other Gospels, but not the snake-handling or poison-drinking). Except. A small group of believers, usually in the mountains, with uneducated preachers, latched on to snake-handling and poison-drinking as, not a promise of protection from accidents (like Paul in Acts 28:3-6), but a COMMANDMENT of God as a test of faith.
To them, the KJV rules. To deviate from the 1611 KJV is to deviate from THE word of God. You won't convince them otherwise.
I got nailed by a water moccasin stepping off a boat dock in Florida this March. It just envenomated me a little bit. Leg blew up, foot turned purple, and I couldn't walk for a month. Excruciating pain just hanging my leg over the side of the bed to get up in the morning.
I agree, but they seem to be using Bible verses mentioning serpents as a pretense for this kind of behavior. I can see where one would pick out certain passages mentioning serpents or snakes to try and justify this craziness, but I could not understand how one would intentionally burn or shock themselves to prove their faith.