Opinion of Snake Handling

[Samof94]

What is everyone's opinion on any Protestant church in Appalachia that handles literal snakes??? I would widely consider their actions animal cruelty for obvious reasons.

[Aurelius2]

Big-time respect for those guys. Your poll options are a joke, please put more effort into your threads. I am disappointed that the poll does not allow me to express my admiration without also implying that the Christian Bible is accurate or correct.

[RINO Tom]

Big-time respect for those guys. Your poll options are a joke, please put more effort into your threads. I am disappointed that the poll does not allow me to express my admiration without also implying that the Christian Bible is accurate or correct.

There are a lot of intelligent and well-read atheists/agnostics/other "Nones" on this site that will treat opposing views with the respect and dignity these types of conversations deserve ... but I do not think we should expect that of the OP, from what I have seen.  His topics are usually one sentence strawman posts that seem to hope for a few responses that validate what he already thinks.  BORING.

As for the OP, I will at least address one thing ... the use of "Protestant" here is really strange.  I mean, yes, a Pentecostal church is a Protestant church by definition, but Pentecostals represent approximately 9.0% of American Protestants (per Pew), and from everything I have read a small minority of those churches still practice snake handling ... so even if an absurdly-high-and-inaccurate 50% of them do, you are still talking about less than 5.0% of American Protestants.

Again, it's not *technically inaccurate* to call them Protestant churches in this context, but it would be similar to calling an Italian a "European" in the context that you are referencing something as specific as Italian wines.  It comes across as trying to deceitfully push that this is a widespread practice among Protestant traditions or in any way whatsoever indicative of what your average Protestant worship service is like ... even in West Virginia itself, the population is 70% Protestant and only 7% Pentecostal...

[PSOL]

Cool shows

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I've been to a church that did this once although the lady speaking was holding a non-dangerous snake. It was kind of cool how she just let it slide through her hands and around her shoulders while she preached and prayed.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Big-time respect for those guys. Your poll options are a joke, please put more effort into your threads. I am disappointed that the poll does not allow me to express my admiration without also implying that the Christian Bible is accurate or correct.

I've edited the first poll option.

[vitoNova]

"Crack is wack."

- Whitney Houston

[RINO Tom]

"Crack is wack."

- Whitney Houston

This made me LOL, haha.  Cheers.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

I wouldn't be surprised if snake handling was something Christians did in apostolic times.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I admire their sincere, deeply held faith in God's protection, that's for certain. I don't think I'd participate. Voted "Positive" and "dangerous."

[John Dule]

I don't understand the point they're making, but at least they look cool doing it.

[Dr. Cynic]

It's stupid. Not that I'd expect rational, intelligent behavior from religious whackos, but it's still extraordinarily stupid. But hey, they have a death wish, go ahead.

[pbrower2a]

1. It is cruelty to animals, and as such it is wrong and stupid. Do something stupid to a dog or cat and you will be bitten or scratched. The snake is defending itself from what it sees as a predator intent on eating it. A snake will defend itself as best as it can.

2. Expecting God to save you from your own stupidity is in essence demanding a miracle, at the least an act of pointless arrogance.

[RINO Tom]

1. It is cruelty to animals, and as such it is wrong and stupid. Do something stupid to a dog or cat and you will be bitten or scratched. The snake is defending itself from what it sees as a predator intent on eating it. A snake will defend itself as best as it can.

2. Expecting God to save you from your own stupidity is in essence demanding a miracle, at the least an act of pointless arrogance.

Very much agree with #2.  Revivalism in general starts in a good place (emphasizing the "heart" part of religion in addition to the "head" part of theology), but it ALWAYS devolves into anti-intellectual nonsense that attempts to simplify how God works so that it's accessible the average dumb person off the street and pretty much always strays into some type of heresy, too.

[Fuzzy Bear]

I wouldn't be surprised if snake handling was something Christians did in apostolic times.

There is no evidence of that in Scripture.

[Yellowhammer]

It's silly and weird. Snakes are a symbol of Satan, they don't belong in a church.