Kentucky Pastor nearly died after snake bite...

[C.Marie]

I am all for the freedom of regional but some people twist it to their sick will looking @ this handling a hot with as much responsibility as three year that found his father's gun how sad they didn't read their bible closer, like sister brides? Hopefully one day we will evolve to a higher level of compassion and understanding of each other and all life forms, till then we will have news like this we can hope

[Valyrian]

I saw a documentary on these US religious services. "I GOT ME A GOTDAMN RATTLESNAKE BOYAH!"

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[Armiyana]

Yeah, I remember hearing about this same guy a few years ago. Something about getting bit in the hand or maybe it was when his father died.

This same church has been around for quite a while.

And the fact that they're getting a documentary now. Hoo boy. I can only imagine how many copy cults will show up in time.

[Jus1More]

OK! This is my 2 cent on this topic... First off, it was a venomous snake he was handling. The snake was probably pissed off as anything due to the fact that it looks like this pastor was waving it around in the air as he was preaching. Now please dont get me wrong, I have nothing against different religions, but this really takes it to far. As a matter of fact, this really isn't church to me when you are bringing in a dangerous thing as a venomous snake...sounds maybe more like a cult. Let me ask you this, when was the last time you went to church and watched people knife themselves or burn themselves to death, let alone let a dangerous snake bite them.
It's stories like this that give the non venomous snakes a bad name. Many people read this and think "OMG" those things are monsters, why would people keep these in their homes!!!!!

That leads me to share a story with you that happened here in Toronto last week.. A man found a snake coming out of his vents in his apartment. It appeared to be a female ball python, but where did she come from? Seemed that there was a guy living in the same apartment who had many snakes in his place and somehow the ball python escaped. Now that news as gotten out into the public, everybody is all up in arms about keeping snakes. The By-Law officers come out and make new laws to follow and it just ruins it for the rest of us (responsible owners) that have these innocent creatures. In the end, it's not really the snakes that we need to worry about, it's the irresponsible owners that actually ruin it for everyone else. And for those who just have to have a big bad venomous snake, ask yourself why? If you answered because it is COOL! Then you most definitely DO NOT need to be owning such a snake...

[Bogertophis]

... And for those who just have to have a big bad venomous snake, ask yourself why? If you answered because it is COOL! Then you most definitely DO NOT need to be owning such a snake...

Totally agree. I kept a number of rattlesnakes for 20 (safe) years & I still like them a LOT, but it was never because they were venomous, only "in spite of" their venom.
I never wanted or intended to get into them, but there were "locals" that kept ending up in neighbor's yards & getting killed. Still, the first one I kept was "pre-owned"
and needed a new home: at first I said "no thanks" and at the time, I saw nothing attractive about them, compared to my beautiful corn snake! I'm just glad that I did
more research & re-considered the offer, as working with that first one made me comfortable enough to get involved with others. It was never about keeping them
intentionally...the only ones that stayed in captivity had either been captive too long to release (Fish & Game rules, to protect wild species from "exotic" pathogens that
captive snakes might introduce to wild populations that could wipe them out, the way the early settlers "shared" smallpox with the native Americans) or had overt health
issues that made them poor candidates to survive at all. Anyway, I ended up doing educational programs with the ones I kept, to help people understand & appreciate
them as an essential part of nature, & to help them stay safe with the locals. The folks who mess with them & call it their "religion" are several eggs short of a dozen...

[Jus1More]

Anyway, I ended up doing educational programs with the ones I kept, to help people understand & appreciate
them as an essential part of nature, & to help them stay safe with the locals.

I think we all need to educate our families, friends and neighbors about these amazing reptiles. For the most part, the snakes that most of us have in our collections are harmless!!! It's good that you took the time to educate the people about the snakes and hopefully some of them did walked away with a better understanding and appreciation. I would also hope there was acceptance of the snake too, but hey one step at a time!!

[dakski]

SO DUMB!

SO BAD FOR THE HOBBY!

Ugh, no Darwin award this time?

I couldn't watch the video, but I get where it is going. Horrifying! As in, HORRIFYINGLY STUPID!

[EL-Ziggy]

They had a miniseries I used to watch. I remember when his dad got killed. I don't understand their beliefs. Why tempt fate? If you play with fire you get burned. If you carelessly free handle venomous snakes you get bit. It ain't rocket science people.

[55fingers]

I don't want to get too into this but I just want to say that I'm a Christian that loves snakes.. but that is just pure stupidity. Please don't associate us all with them.. haha..

[MasonC2K]

As a Christian I find this disturbing. Nothing new though. We've known about them for years. I was going to write something but this says it better. From Got Answers:

Question: "What does the Bible say about snake handling? Should we be handling snakes in church?"

Answer: Snake handling, as practiced by some misguided churches, is not a biblical endeavor. Mark 16:17–18 is used by some as a basis for handling snakes: “These signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will . . . pick up snakes with their hands.” Churches that practice snake handling have special services in which people actually handle venomous snakes, supposedly giving evidence that the church members are true believers who are empowered and protected by God. It’s true that Mark 16:17–18 says Jesus’ followers will “pick up snakes,” but there are several problems with the modern practice of snake handling.

First, the practice of handling snakes for the purpose of “proving” one’s faith (or proving God’s protection) is a violation of God’s command not to put Him to the test: “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Matthew 4:7; cf. Deuteronomy 6:16). Trying to force God’s hand by requiring that He perform an obvious miracle is more than foolish; it is sinful. To test God’s presence and power by purposely placing oneself in an unsafe situation is expressly forbidden in Scripture. Daniel did not seek out the lions, but when he found himself surrounded by them, through no fault of his own, he found God was there. Likewise, we trust God in dangerous situations, but we never purposely seek out danger.

God can and will protect us, according to His will, as we are serving Him. But we are not to put the Lord to the test. Just as Jesus refused to jump off the pinnacle of the temple and just as Daniel did not go lion-hunting, so are we not to intentionally seek out situations that require God’s miraculous intervention. While not speaking directly of snake handling in churches, 1 Corinthians 10:9 could apply: “We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.”