Woman Fatally Bitten By Snake At Church

http://www.kcci.com/news/10264521/detail.html

Giving snakes a bad name - due to somebody's own foolishness. A woman in a church was handling a Texas rattler and was bitten and died. She was handling the snake bc she was told a "true believer" could handle a serphent without being bit. I wonder how many people that snake was passed to and how stressed the poor thing was before he finally bit.

Does anyone else agree that this wasnt the best idea? opinions...discussion maybe? Oh and by the way this is also an illigal practice that they were doing.



If the link does not work - this is what it said:

LONDON, Ky. -- A southeastern Kentucky law enforcement officer said a woman was bitten by a snake during church and died.

She was 48-year-old Linda Long. The Laurel County Sheriff's Office reported that she died Sunday at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.

Detective Brad Mitchell said Long died about four hours after the bite was reported.

Officials said Long attended East London Holiness Church. Neighbors of the church told the newspaper the church practices serpent handling.

Lt. Ed Sizemore of the Laurel County Sheriff's Office said friends went with Long to a local hospital Sunday afternoon.

"She said she was bitten by a snake at her church," Sizemore said.

Sizemore said he thinks the woman was bitten by a timber rattlesnake.

Handling reptiles as part of religious services is illegal in Kentucky. Snake handling is a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine of $50 to $100. Police said they had not received reports about snake handling at the church.

Snake handling is based on a passage in the Bible, in the Gospel of Mark, that said a sign of a true believer is the power to "take up serpents" without being harmed.

A woman who lives near the church told the Lexington-Herald leader that she's witnessed snake handling at the church.

"I don't have no dealings with those snakes," Opal Wagers said. "But they seem to handle them pretty good."

She told the paper that people handle snakes at the church at least one Sunday each month. Wagers said the snakes are taken to the church by members from Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.

Church officials could not be reached for comment.

Once again another documented fatal snake bite that is 100% the fault of the person being bitten and not the snake. Unfortunatly that wont be the message taken away by people with a fear/hatred of snakes.

she is not a "true believer"...that's why it bit her! AAHHHH HA!

Seems a bit foolish and too ritual like for my taste. This definitely should not have been done and was definitely not the snakes fault. Its a shame the things people do to get "closer" to god. I think the passage in the bible they are referring to says that a true believer will be able to live with the bears and handle snakes with no harm or something. I guess faith isn't enough anymore, we have to go and handle snakes to verify the existence of a higher power.

Hey I haven't been bit by a snake yet, am I going to heaven?

well according to the bible,a snake was supposed to represent the devil.and i saw on National Geographic a few days ago that in some churches somewhere they handles rattlesnakes.and if their "faith is strong", then the snake won't bite them. im like "ha! let's see how strong your faith is when it bites you!".

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Originally Posted by Snakeman

im like "ha! let's see how strong your faith is when it bites you!".

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:rofl: true true

Psshhh how naive! I wouldn't want to go to that church. Sounds like they are preaching the wrong stuff...

Naturally the snake is to blame................:mad:

:( I've been bit by my red tail so I guess I better pack my summer clothes, I hear it gets quite hot down there. HaHa

I think this is the same group that was in the news a short time back.It was a peice about there worshiping the rattlers.I totaly agree its the womens fault for being plain right down ignorant:mad: .Of course this will add to the bad veiws of snakes in general and not the fruit loops who are really at fault.Gee i wonder how long it will be before a snake is passed around at there gatherings:rolleyes: .Just so everyone knows i am NOT knocking the church just the idiots that pass around the Timber Rattlesnakes!

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Originally Posted by Snakeman

i saw on National Geographic a few days ago that in some churches somewhere they handles rattlesnakes.and if their "faith is strong", then the snake won't bite them.

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was the show called snake wranglers? My friend Jesus Rivas did a show on the venomous snakes in the southeast and up in the most remote country part of the state (TN) he did a section on a snake handleing church. Some real stupid stuff if you ask me.

i dont think it was snake wranglers.it was something like "wild" i think.maybe it was snake wranglers but idk, i started watching the show when it had already started.

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

Its a shame the things people do to get "closer" to god...I guess faith isn't enough anymore, we have to go and handle snakes to verify the existence of a higher power.

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You have to wonder sometimes just how off their rocker the founders of these religious systems were, and whether or not there was money changing hands over who could make a group of stupid people believe something more outrageous than the last.

That said, who wants to bet me that I can convince a group of rural texans that that passage infers they should be rubbed down with rodent musk before bringing on the serpents?

:twisted:

That has to be the most stupidest thing I've ever heard of going on in a church!

im all for religion and all, but sometimes the bible doesnt mean everything directly, and even if it does, you are breaking a law handling the snake. I have a feeling that god would frown on that too.

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Originally Posted by Amy1217

im all for religion and all, but sometimes the bible doesnt mean everything directly

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that doesnt stop people from believing every word.

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Originally Posted by ctrlfreq

That said, who wants to bet me that I can convince a group of rural texans that that passage infers they should be rubbed down with rodent musk before bringing on the serpents?

:twisted:

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hehe i'll help!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ctrlfreq

You have to wonder sometimes just how off their rocker the founders of these religious systems were, and whether or not there was money changing hands over who could make a group of stupid people believe something more outrageous than the last.

That said, who wants to bet me that I can convince a group of rural texans that that passage infers they should be rubbed down with rodent musk before bringing on the serpents?

:twisted:

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Depending on the odds i might drop a $20:rofl: :rofl: ,i really dont like losing alot of money lol

Bien the christian I am the stuff is false. You will get bit. I have bien bitten by my snakes and I am a true beliver. Its a false myth..lol crazy people.

Only advandced snake handlers should be handling hot herps like that rattlesnake. Some one who takes a snake like that in public whith out it being caged and handled properly is an extremely dangerous person. It's funny how animals get a bad name for bad human behavior. Did they ever think that take up the serpents was meant for the nice snakes? Or using our brains to learn about them and live with them peacefully? People frighten me much more than any snake would. At least you know how a snake behaves.

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Originally Posted by Snakeman

well according to the bible,a snake was supposed to represent the devil

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I do not mean to begin an arguement, but this is not true at all nor is a snake depicted as evil in any way.

Maybe they should've tried it with a GTP at nighttime :rofl:

I suppose since this incident happened, next they will use venomous snakes that have had their venom glands removed. So if the snake bites them they'll think their faith is that much stronger when in reality the joke's on them :rolleyes:

This whole incident just makes me sigh and shake my head.. gotta love religious fanatics!

Many religious people believe snakes are true serpants of the Devil himself and they are evil, and if they have true faith they will not get bit.. hey maybe she wasnt so faithful after all? She slipped up a bit in her life apparently;) being frightful of the snake must be it. But what those religious people need to realize is that IMO and belief that the Devil doesnt creat beings, he corrupts them and does evil things, and he cannot take a life or bring forth one. A snake has no true sin.. they are not evil. And have souls as well. Im highly religious but I dont see why some do that!

"well according to the bible,a snake was supposed to represent the devil"

No, the Devil took form of the snake. He new a legless being, that slithers will scare people.. surpised he didnt take form of a spider.. I guess he was trying to be elegant...