Snake-Handling Preacher in West Virginia Dies from Rattlesnake Bite

[Errata]

And some fell on stoney ground...

Love,

Caz
X

Often. Depends on how much sleep I get. I tend towards being profoundly literal on my off days. It makes me something of an iffy target.

[caz]

Daft Cults

Less than three. For all I know there is a desert dwelling people out there who use tarantulas as part of some ritual or another, and who am I to say they're wrong. After all, bees maggots and leeches have made their way back into modern medicine. But this couple used enough to rack up so many animal cruelty charges that they had to just round it out to 100 counts. and that is a very low estimate.

And no, the first sentence did not have a typo. Tennessee is an odd state. We are divided into Central, East and West, and each section is completely different. Most states tend to be homogenous. We really aren't. Out of state people say "Hey I can't believe you guys did this or that" and we say "that wasn't us. That was West Tennessee." or East, or Central. The West Memphis Three was a perfect example. There was a perception that Tennesseans were afraid of people with alternate religions, and were persecuting them. And not that it's never happened, but on a social level. Not a legal persecution. But that wasn't us. That was Arkansas, and not even all of Arkansas, just the delta part. Anyway, we have a weird relationship here in Tennessee. We are denying responsibility for the actions of other regions, but still feel possessive enough of the other regions to sort of get pissed off when something happens that makes the rest of us look bad. If we were given the option to split into three states, I honestly think we'd go for it.

And some fell on stoney ground...

Love,

Caz
X

[Cogidubnus]

Of course good old Victor Borge would have called it Elevenessee anyway...

Dave

[curious]

If we were given the option to split into three states, I honestly think we'd go for it.

Maybe. Don't want the folks in the other 2 grand divisions ruining our reputation.

[Rubyretro]

[QUOTE]

Less than three. For all I know there is a desert dwelling people out there who use tarantulas as part of some ritual or another, and who am I to say they're wrong

.

On a bad day, I wouldn't hesitate.

[Errata]

This got me wondering: what would a sane number of tarantulas have been?

And did that first sentence have a typo in it?

Love,

Caz
X

Less than three. For all I know there is a desert dwelling people out there who use tarantulas as part of some ritual or another, and who am I to say they're wrong. After all, bees maggots and leeches have made their way back into modern medicine. But this couple used enough to rack up so many animal cruelty charges that they had to just round it out to 100 counts. and that is a very low estimate.

And no, the first sentence did not have a typo. Tennessee is an odd state. We are divided into Central, East and West, and each section is completely different. Most states tend to be homogenous. We really aren't. Out of state people say "Hey I can't believe you guys did this or that" and we say "that wasn't us. That was West Tennessee." or East, or Central. The West Memphis Three was a perfect example. There was a perception that Tennesseans were afraid of people with alternate religions, and were persecuting them. And not that it's never happened, but on a social level. Not a legal persecution. But that wasn't us. That was Arkansas, and not even all of Arkansas, just the delta part. Anyway, we have a weird relationship here in Tennessee. We are denying responsibility for the actions of other regions, but still feel possessive enough of the other regions to sort of get pissed off when something happens that makes the rest of us look bad. If we were given the option to split into three states, I honestly think we'd go for it.

[Rubyretro]

Though one of our guys did have the unique experience of working on a case here in town where a couple put an insane number of tarantulas in a blender and smeared it all over themselves (for reasons we were never really clear on, but it appeared to be some idiotic interpretation of a native amercian rite), went to go have sex in the woods, and started itching so badly that they literally scratched themselves bloody and had to spend a couple of days in the hospital.

I'm getting far too old for "sex in the woods" ..but Hey ?! TARANTULAS ???!!!!

[caz]

Hi, Errata,
Thanks for clearing that up.

Appreciate it.

curious

You mean Errata cleared up all that tarantula mess? Rather her than me!

Love,

Caz
X

[caz]

And West Tennessee has the highest concentration of cults in the nation. Three, possibly four within a 150 mile radius. Though not snake handlers.
Though one of our guys did have the unique experience of working on a case here in town where a couple put an insane number of tarantulas in a blender and smeared it all over themselves (for reasons we were never really clear on, but it appeared to be some idiotic interpretation of a native amercian rite), went to go have sex in the woods, and started itching so badly that they literally scratched themselves bloody and had to spend a couple of days in the hospital.

This got me wondering: what would a sane number of tarantulas have been?

And did that first sentence have a typo in it?

Love,

Caz
X

[curious]

Hi, Errata,
Thanks for clearing that up.

Appreciate it.

curious

[Errata]

Interesting. I live in mountainous East Tennessee and it is my perception that such a thing is a rare occurrence among a very tiny percentage of the population.

curious

It is rare. My perception is completely skewed because I worked for a cult investigator for a couple of years. And in truth, I never ran into it in Tennessee. But we did interviews and collected data from snake handlers in Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Arkansas and West Virginia. But these "churches" were cults, by the legal definition of using religion or religious practices that results in or facilitates criminal activity. Evidently there were other genuine churches out there that we didn't bother with because they did not fit that definition. Which still isn't to say that it is somehow common. But when you have a bunch of these people within driving distance, you tend to feel a bit.. surrounded. And West Tennessee has the highest concentration of cults in the nation. Three, possibly four within a 150 mile radius. Though not snake handlers.
Though one of our guys did have the unique experience of working on a case here in town where a couple put an insane number of tarantulas in a blender and smeared it all over themselves (for reasons we were never really clear on, but it appeared to be some idiotic interpretation of a native amercian rite), went to go have sex in the woods, and started itching so badly that they literally scratched themselves bloody and had to spend a couple of days in the hospital. So while it takes all kinds, sometimes you get the impression that evolution is not necessarily a passive act, but sometimes an avenging force out to rid the species of the inherently flawed members. Sort of like an angel of death wearing Darwin's face.

[curious]

I am not the typical knee-jerk religion hater but this is where "religion" (or an aspect of it) is wrong IMHO.

Actually, it has been illegal in Tennessee since the 1940s (47, I think), but not normally enforced unless there is a death, or so I read somewhere this morning.

[curious]

Tracy, I'll simply be too ill to go.

Are you planning to call in an excuse?

[curious]

. It is their life to do with or not do with as they choose.

Ally,
While I see Archaic's point and would likely also be compelled to call for help, I actually totally agree with you that the individual has the right to make that call for him/herself.

curious

oops, pun not intended.

[curious]

I In fact it happens all the bloody time around here. Not that I live in some snake handling mecca, I just surrounded on all side by snake handling meccas.

Interesting. I live in mountainous East Tennessee and it is my perception that such a thing is a rare occurrence among a very tiny percentage of the population.

Because it is sensational, snake handling gets far-reaching publicity. Because the number of stories on snake handling far exceeds the number of stories on boring regular worship of the vast majority of the population is is easy to understand outsiders' perception that snake handling is much more prevalent than it is.

It has certainly been in the news lately since the death of the West Virginia man, and according to reports, snake handling as a part of worship may be on the increase.

So, perhaps the recent publicity explains your comment, Errata, which as a native Tennessean I believe to be a gross exaggeration.

I found this interesting quote at http://www.christianpost.com/news/sn...edience-75985/
Snake-Handling Christians: Faith, Prophecy and Obedience

By Nicola Menzie , Christian Post Reporter
June 5, 2012|5:31 pm

"Relating his two-year experience with snake handlers in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia, Covington* said that when he first encountered snake handlers, 'I was prepared to meet a bunch of crazy folks, you know, just insane, uneducated and superstitious and ridiculous.'

"'But they didn't strike me that way,' he added. 'When I talked with them during recesses at the trial (of a snake-handling preacher accused of attempted murder), they seemed perfectly ordinary and thoughtful. When I asked them why they did what they did and what it was like, I was getting answers that led me to believe that this was a genuine spiritual experience.'"

*Dennis Covington, a Christian and former journalist who wrote an insider's account of his experiences with serpent handlers for the 1995 book Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Salvation in Southern Appalachia.


I am very glad to see that some people on the thread recognize the rarity and small part of the population involved. Does my heart good.

Anyway, folks, I sincerely hope you are are savvy enough to take Errata's statement with a grain of salt.

curious