Snake Handling

Originally Posted by psychoslice

Their just simple minded people who take the bible literally, some have even died doing these silly rituals.

That's exactly it! They believe that since it is written in the bible that man has dominion over snakes that they need to hunt, trap and harass these creatures to prove their faith. If they get bit and survive, then that proves that they've been rewarded for their faith. The Washington Post Magazine (a Washington DC newspaper) did an article on the snake handling churches and what is described, to me, sounds a lot like animal abuse. They hunt these snakes and then put them all in a box and after the congregants have a round of spiritual sermon and singing, they reach in the box for a snake and dance around with it and will even bring it to their lips. The snakes have to be traumatized at this point.

They're not handling the snakes as a spiritual experience or to connect with the snakes. They do it simply to prove their faith. In the article, there are congregants who think the practice is foolish and dangerous. The churches are mainly in the mountain regions of the Shenandoah in Virginia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_handling

[psychoslice]

Great info iolite, I don't know but it must be something about living on the mountains, probably a lack of oxygen lol.

Originally Posted by psychoslice

Great info iolite, I don't know but it must be something about living on the mountains, probably a lack of oxygen lol.

I think it's the hard life and lack of education.

Originally Posted by iolite

That's exactly it! The churches are mainly in the mountain regions of the Shenandoah in Virginia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_handling

Odd, I thought these churches were all through the southern Appalachian Mountain area which includes Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, the Carolinas, West Virginia and Virginia, but not exclusively in the Shenandoah Valley.

Good try though

[psychoslice]

Originally Posted by iolite

I think it's the hard life and lack of education.

Ohhh your too nice, but I don't know, or it could be too much moonshine lol.

Originally Posted by iolite

I think it's the hard life and lack of education.

and the Pentecostal church

[alamode]

Originally Posted by Wisa'ka

Why not take a gun and shoot oneself to see if god can deflect a bullet from entering the skull, or stand in the middle of a railroad track to see if a train can stop in time ?

These people doing the snake ritual might as well do those things too.

They are knowingly doing things that are harmful to the body and I don't find anything respectable about that. You would think that they'd realize that their religious beliefs are flawed when people doing this ritual start dying. But I guess just like the others were saying, its lack of education and I'd add to that lack of thinking for themselves.

And who says religions aren't dangerous.

Originally Posted by alamode

These people doing the snake ritual might as well do those things too.

They are knowingly doing things that are harmful to the body and I don't find anything respectable about that. You would think that they'd realize that their religious beliefs are flawed when people doing this ritual start dying. But I guess just like the others were saying, its lack of education and I'd add to that lack of thinking for themselves.

And who says religions aren't dangerous.

It's the testing of faith which puzzles me. Why not be secure in one's spirituality? Then again there are various different painful rituals like the sun dance, but I cannot be sure if that is a test.

Confession: I find the degree of cultural insensitivity and bashing in this thread disturbing. I expect that in other forums, but not so much in this one. I really don't understand why you guys have such a massive problem with this. It's not affecting you in any way. It's not like their initiation rituals involve busting open your bedroom window and throwing a snake on you when you're sleeping.

[alamode]

Originally Posted by Quintessence

I really don't understand why you guys have such a massive problem with this.

I've always had a problem with people harming and killing themselves and/or other people harming and killing them. I always have this urge to try to help them and sustain health and life, when I'm able to do so. Its probably the main reason why I post in forums, actually.