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?