Snake-Handlers...

[HankD]

Did you broil it or deep fry it?

I ended up losing it

Thankful I saved my lure.

 

[Salty]

Back in the 90's, I was the GM of a Christian Radio station in Green Valley,WV.
One day we played a record making fun of snake handling.
One lady called up and complained that we were truly obeying the Bible.
I told, I would be glad to invite her and her pastor to our radio studio -
for an honest, Sincere, and informative show about snake handling.

She never called back. - would have been an interesting show.

and here is Wendy Bagwell

 

[robycop3]

Back in the 90's, I was the GM of a Christian Radio station in Green Valley,WV.
One day we played a record making fun of snake handling.
One lady called up and complained that we were truly obeying the Bible.
I told, I would be glad to invite her and her pastor to our radio studio -
for an honest, Sincere, and informative show about snake handling.

She never called back. - would have been an interesting show.

and here is Wendy Bagwell

Not surprised !

Speakinga God's protection:

Years ago, about 2 AM I had a tire blow on Re. 23 in Scioto Co. OH near the Jesse Stewart bridge into Ky. I had to stop partially on the pavement, as & realized the ground was too soft to have supported my jack. I raided my emergency kit & lit 2- 20-min. fuzees, placed them about 200 & 150 ft. behind my car & set up a red reflective triangle, and KEPT WATCH while I changed the wheel. (I had first prayed to GOD to protect me.) As it happened, not one vehicle appeared in my lanes (It's a 4-lane highway) in the 10 minutes it took me to change my wheel. I kicked the fuzees off the road onto the berm, put away my triangle, THANKED GOD, & moved out just as I saw several sets of headlights approaching about a mile away. (The highway is very straight & flat in that area for several miles.)

I had done my part to protect myself, & God had answered my prayer & protected me.

 

[Alofa Atu]

I personally think that the real 'snake-handlers' are those who take up the Serpents doctrine of 'ye shall not surely die' and 'sunday-sacredness', and other such false doctrines, and think that they will not be hurt by the bite (physical damage) or venom (spiritual poison) thereof, and they tempt God after that they are warned from it.

 

[Jerome]

While there is one instance of the Apostle Paul bitten by a snake (interpreted as poisonous), Acts of the Apostles 28:3, there are no case examples of ". . . they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; . . ." -- Mark 16:18, ". . . nothing shall by any means hurt you. . . ." -- Luke 10:19, anywhere in our NT record. (Luke 4:12.)

Spurgeon on Mark 16:18 ("And these signs shall follow them that believe...if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them"):

"we [have] all the evidence of all the ages to look back upon!"

Hallelujah! — Bible readers know that the sons of the prophets were protected from "Death in the Pot" (II Kings 4)

 

[1689Dave]

I live just 35 miles from the snake-handling capital of the world, Jolo, West Virginia. Their church there is called "Church of the Lord Jesus".

Don't let that name fool ya! It's a CULT!

They base their belief on this Bible verse: And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (Mark 16:17-18)

They ignore God in saying in Deut. 6:16 & Matt. 4:7 to not dare the Lord your God to do or not do something.

However, in their church & what few others there are like it, often hedge their bets! They usually handle timber rattlers, which aren't all that aggressive, & have been well-fed & kept in a cool environment, which makes them lethargic & actually welcoming the warmth of hands upon them. Also, they almost rattle for some time before striking in defense. And, they're often found not too far away.

One doesn't see diamonbacks, copperheads, water moccasins, or other highly-aggressive venomous snakes in the USA in these churches, let alone species from other countries! But still a number of "worshippers" get bitten every year, with an occasional death. One will often see church members with missing fingers, etc. from past snake bites, which usually went untreated. They'll simply say, "I was bitten cuz my faith faltered".

This practice was started in the early 1900s by one George Hensley, a "Holiness" preacher who married 4 times & was often drunk. He died from a snakebite in 1955. A prominent "pastor", Gregory Coots, died from a rattlesnake bite in 2014.

Most of those churches are of some branch of pentecostals, holiness, or charismatix. (While I won't set foot in a pentecostal church, this not a blanket condemnation of that denom. There are a few actual Christians among them. I avoid them because of all their false, man-made doctrines of faith/worship.)

The practice is outlawed in all states except West Virginia, but the law isn't too-strictly enforced in Kentucky, Tennessee, & Florida, which each have a few small churches.

Don't be fooled! They're NOT some kinda "super-Christian"! There's no such thing! They're a man-made cult! It's NOT Christian behavior to deliberately do something one KNOWS is dangerous! That's DARING GOD! Would you deliberately play Russian Roulette? (Some of those people have occasionally deliberately drunk strychnine, for which there's no known antidote, and none of them have ever survived THAT !)

If you study the origins of American Pentecostalism, many resources link it to African voodoo tongues brought by the slaves and mixed with Wesley Methodism in the early 1900s in Los Angelos. https://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Pentecostalism-Its-Roots-Slavery/dp/1500858080 is well documented.

 

[Walter]

I personally think that the real 'snake-handlers' are those who take up the Serpents doctrine of 'ye shall not surely die' and 'sunday-sacredness', and other such false doctrines, and think that they will not be hurt by the bite (physical damage) or venom (spiritual poison) thereof, and they tempt God after that they are warned from it.

I personally think abortion loving Adventists should not condemn Sunday worshipping as the SDA worships Moloch. The SDA abortion mills are stench in the Lord's nostrils!

 

[Alofa Atu]

I personally think abortion loving Adventists should not condemn Sunday worshipping as the SDA worships Moloch. The SDA abortion mills are stench in the Lord's nostrils!

Been there, refuted that - Link

Again, see the real 'snake-handlers' at Paul VI Nervi Hall next to the Vatican-

 

[Walter]

Been there, refuted that - Link

Again, see the real 'snake-handlers' at Paul VI Nervi Hall next to the Vatican-

You tried to refute it but your SDA website spells out your pro-choice position nicely
Pro-life Andrew, an SDA BEGGING your church to stop murdering babies exposes you and your ilk.

 

[Walter]

 

[Alofa Atu]

You tried to refute it but your SDA website spells out your pro-choice position nicely
Pro-life Andrew, an SDA BEGGING your church to stop murdering babies exposes you and your ilk.

Pro-catholic Andrew wouldn't address my material either, as you still cannot and do not. Thanks, but try not to derail the OP.

 

[Walter]

Pro-catholic Andrew wouldn't address my material either, as you still cannot and do not. Thanks, but try not to derail the OP.

Who tried to make the op about the Catholic Church? You did!

 

[HankD]

You tried to refute it but your SDA website spells out your pro-choice position nicely
Pro-life Andrew, an SDA BEGGING your church to stop murdering babies exposes you and your ilk.

Hmm, does SDA support postpartum abortion AKA infanticide?

 

[Walter]

Hmm, does SDA support postpartum abortion AKA infanticide?

Good question, Hank!. Outside the womb the SDA has a different position on the child having a soul. I find it interesting that Alofa Atu deems a fellow SDA as pro-Catholic instead of pro-life because he condemns the pro-abortion SDA. Alofa Atu uses the same tactics other SDA's have tried here by attacking what individual pseudo Catholics have done in the past but stays clear of the fact that the Catholic Church's dogmatic condemnation of abortion. The SDA blames the running of their abortion mills on actions of phoney Catholic politicians and judges. 'They made us do it!' You can order up an abortion in Adventist hospitals and clinics but don't try to order a ham sandwich in the cafeteria! Alofa.Atu does his best to derail this thread by attacking Catholics, but when the SDA is exposed as breaking the sixth commandment day in and day out he cries foul. Hypocrisy!

 

[rlvaughn]

The practice is outlawed in all states except West Virginia, but the law isn't too-strictly enforced in Kentucky, Tennessee, & Florida, which each have a few small churches.

Don't know the extent of it, but the book Salvation on Sand Mountain by Dennis Covington talks about snake-handling on Sand Mountain in northeast Alabama, and I think some in Georgia. Maybe they don't enforce the law either? Been so long since I saw the book, I don't remember many details.

 

[Salty]

Just a side note: Was Bagwell afraid of danger?
Well, according to Wiki: "Bagwell served in the United States Marine Corps and twice was decorated for bravery."

 

[utilyan]

Been there, refuted that - Link

Again, see the real 'snake-handlers' at Paul VI Nervi Hall next to the Vatican-

If we are the bad guys why are you doing our job?


How many more horns do I need till you look righteous?


The link is a joke, So apparently Catholics are the pro abortion.


Alofa. Whats it mean when "only the snake looks at its killer?"

 

[robycop3]

fact still remains that jesus said not to dare God, & deliberately handling a potentially-dangerous snake for no essential reason is daring Him !