Snake Handling and Belief (Jesus, tradition, beliefs, elder, America)

[The Voice of Reason]

I'm not even remotely interested in what the Bible has to say about it, or how the Bible is interpreted on this (or any other) subject. But I have to ask - how do you account for people drinking strychnine and being bitten by rattlesnakes without dying? This stuff happens - regularly. Of course, every once in a while one of 'em will die, but not very often.

Anyone?

Please do not respond by quoting scripture. If that is what you wish to discuss, please start another thread. I am only interested in hearing why you think this is possible.

Thanks,
TVOR

[Ronald]

Do you think they would allow me to supply the snake and /or the toxic material?
If not? Why not?

[The Voice of Reason]

I have no idea. I do know for certain that the strychnine the ingest has been tested (several times) by independent laboratories. It is definitely strychnine, and they will have as many as a dozen snakes at a time.

My guess (and it is just that) would be that if you showed up at a service with your own snake(s), they would probably be more than happy to handle them with you. I can tell you this, with certainty: I wouldn't even consider drinking the strychnine. I am willing to handle one snake at a time, as I have no fear of snakes. This is not based on faith, rather, I played with snakes when I was a kid growing up. I have a healthy respect for snakes, but I know how to handle one. These people do not handle them in a safe manner, but will drape them over their faces, put the snakes' head in their mouths, etc. They do all of this as an affirmation of their faith in God and his healing powers.

I have no such faith, and am amazed that they can do these things.

TVOR

[Jaymes]

This is probably really stretching it, but I think it's mind over matter. If the snakes are handled often, odds are they're tame... well, as tame as any snake can get. As for the biting without dying, perhaps the snakes are giving dry bites?

As for the strychnine, I have no idea.

[Ronald]

They do all of this as an affirmation of their faith in God and his healing powers.

Just as I spoke of in tongues, this is a litmus test, a demonstration, "I am holier than Thou."

I have a LITMUS TEST FOR THEM.

[The Voice of Reason]

Okay Ronald, I give. What is your litmus test, and, more importantly, why should they take your litmus test, as opposed to the one that they see as having been put before them by their God?

I have no problem with you believing whatever you choose to believe, or to put those beliefs online, on this site. However, you seem to be saying that their faith is somehow "wrong" because it is not the same as your faith. That, my good man, is bigotry. Perhaps I am wrong, and am misunderstanding your position, but that is what I can gather from the tone of your post.

TVOR

[linwood]

Niether ingesting strychnine or being bitten by a North American viper are necessarily deadly to a person in good health.

The Strychnine may have been tested and is indeed strychnine but at what potency?
People down here do "shrooms" they find in the fields and eat them for the effect the poison in them has on their bodies (strychnine)...it`s a drug.

North American rattlers don`t often kill people from a single bite.
Children and elderly yes but I don`t think a Diamondback bite could kill me, make me so sick I would wish I were dead but kill me?
Unlikely,, but again it depends on the potency of the snake.

If a snake is milked previous to biting he may have no venom or weak venom in his glands.
There are also people who have made themselves immune /resistant to certain snake venoms.
Usually by being repeatedly bitten.

Now if you would let me join one of these religious snake handlings and as Ronald has suggested bring my own snake I could guarantee all but the truly insane would refuse to show his/her faith in God by holding it.

I say insane, you may say strong faith.
It`s splitting hairs either way.

[Sunstone]

I think Linwood is onto something here. I've read that people can build up immunity to some poisons (such as arsenic) by beginning with very small doses and then building up the strength of the doses over time. Maybe something like that is going on with these people?

[linwood]

Something I just ran across..

Churches survive and grow not by attracting new members, but because of enduring family traditions. "Serpent handling is maintained through powerful families whose children have carried on that tradition for up to four generations," Hood said. "There are a small number of converts, but they generally maintain themselves through these families, and by people marrying into the tradition."


"I was bit 14 times, by rattlesnakes, copperheads, water moccasins, and I never used anti venom—all I had was just Jesus. I've been bitten badly, but I'll go back the next week and take them out [serpents] again."

(Genetics Anyone?)
"There are over 100 documented deaths from serpent bites," said Hood. "In every tradition, people are bitten and maimed by them. They risk their lives all the time by handling them. If you go to any serpent-handling church, you'll see people with atrophied hands, and missing fingers. All the serpent-handling families have suffered such things."

"It's a misconception that these people believe they won't get hurt," Hood explains. "The Bible says to take up serpents, not that they won't be bitten. If they're bit, that's up to God. The issue is obedience to God. There's no magic power type of stuff. They know the reality of it because so many families have had people hurt and killed."

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...ehandlers.html

Go read the whole article.
It sounds like more of these serpent handlers are bitten than you might think.

[linwood]

This leads me to a whole different topic.

What does the effect of being bitten have on one of these peoples mentality?

If the reason you were bitten is because God didn`t protect you then you must be wondering why God didn`t protect you.

"What did I do wrong?
"Why is my faith not strong enough?"
"Whats wrong with me?"

What does that do to a person?

I think the snakebite does minimal damage in comparison