Snake handling pastor among suspects in illegal snake bust

[NNN0LHI]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SNAKE_BUST?SITE=MIDTF&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Jul 12, 12:11 AM EDT


Pastor among suspects in illegal snake bust

By ROGER ALFORD
Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- The pastor of a Kentucky church that handles snakes in religious rites was among 10 people arrested by wildlife officers in a crackdown on the venomous snake trade.

More than 100 snakes, many of them deadly, were confiscated in the undercover sting after Thursday's arrests, said Col. Bob Milligan, director of law enforcement for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.

Most were taken from the Middlesboro home of Gregory James Coots, including 42 copperheads, 11 timber rattlesnakes, three cottonmouth water moccasins, a western diamondback rattlesnake, two cobras and a puff adder.

[beam me up scottie]

1. TWO cobras and a puff adder???

There should be a lot more dead parishioners if they were actually handling those.

I'm glad to see they're finally going after some of these churches.

Undercover officers purchased more than 200 illegal reptiles during the investigation, some of which were advertised for sale on Web sites. One such Web site lists copperheads for $50 each and cobras for $450.

"You can purchase anything off the Internet except common sense," Harrison said. "A venomous snake isn't a pet. You don't play with it. If you do, you're an idiot."

:spray:

[Dr.Phool]

5. Let these fundie idiots play with all the snakes they want to.

The problem will solve itself.

[beam me up scottie]

9. I pity the snakes though.

If I thought they would be treated humanely I'd suggest using Black Mambas and Taipans...

[charlie]

21. Daniel, lion's den.

They're in panther country if they want to quit wussing around and go for a real test of faith.

[Warpy]

6. It was refreshing to move out west and deal with snakebit

patients who'd gotten a skinful out in the boonies and thought they were bulletproof enough to play with a diamondback. At least they sobered up eventually and suffered enough before the antivenin kicked in to rethink what they were doing with their lives.

The nuttery of the snake handler churches is permanent until one gets bitten with enough poison to be fatal. They blame the victim, not the stupid ritual, and say enough faith would have kept him/her from being bitten or saved his/her life afterwards. In other words, if the poor schmuck died, it was all his/her fault for not believing.

The only good part was that they generally didn't bother the medical community with the result of their utter stupidity.

Laws have been on the books for decades but are seldom enforced out of respect for religious stupidity and the idiot's right to do stupid things. Odd they don't have the same respect for using psychoactive drugs, but that's a different rant. The problem is that the snakebites aren't reported until the person is dead and nobody tells the truth about how the bite occurred.

Most of these churches are rural and unmarked, making warrants difficult to write. They are unaffiliated with each other or any larger organization. Since they're religious, their books are never opened.

We're just going to have to rely on Darwin's laws to weed out the religiously unfit.

[beam me up scottie]

14. We drove by one of those churches last weekend.

I tried to get bbf to take me to Sunday services but he's a real kill joy sometimes.

[Warpy]

22. I listened outside but never went in

The music was amazing, a jacked up gospel on acid when the snakes came out.

The best thing about these folks is their wish to be left alone. That means they don't go around proselytizing.

[charlie]

7. The dead woman in the article

makes me wonder if she got "spiritual" treatment instead of medical care, at least for a while. I sure wouldn't bet against it. Rattler bites are rarely fatal.

Edit: And there's Warpy, confirming my suspicion. What Eeediots.

[beam me up scottie]

10. A woman died from the same thing here a couple of years ago.

The family sued the hospital even though they didn't bring her in until several hours had passed and she was obviously dying.

[charlie]

18. Hope she wasn't a fundie

That would be some serious cheek, suing the hospital for the result of God's will. That would be like excoriating Judas for doing what God... expected... him..... to........... uh, nevermind.

[Danger Mouse]

11. Hey BMUS, long time no see!

How's things?

[beam me up scottie]

15. Hi Elrond!!!

:hug:
Still fighting the good fight, how are you?

[Danger Mouse]

16. I'm doing alright...you still hang around R/T?

:hug: I've been spending most of my time in GD:P these days :D

[beam me up scottie]

20. Yep, but you're braver than I.

GD isn't as scary as GDP was but it's no walk in the park.

[Danger Mouse]

24. It surely isn't...I don't come in here often, to be honest...

I like the volatile environment in the Monkey House a lot more. :D Good to see you, though! Hope life has been good to you.

[givemebackmycountry]

2. Nice...

I got an idea... instead of handling snakes, and proving that God gives you dominion over all animals, how about handling hand grenades or loaded handguns with the safety off?

42 copperheads, 11 timber rattlesnakes, three cottonmouth water moccasins, a western diamondback rattlesnake, two cobras and a puff adder.

A puff adder?

I wouldn't want to be in the same county with one of THOSE.

[Danger Mouse]

17. They should have a saltwater tank and bring in some sea snakes.

See if they like messing with one of THOSE.

[hlthe2b]

3. TIme for Darwin to be proved right, once again...

:eyes:

[hlthe2b]

4. A major point missing: Most of these snakes are smuggled in

or, in some cases legally imported... Perhaps if customs and other officials at our airports were not so damned fixated on frisking some obese grandma for her underwire bra, conviscating travelers laptops so that they can peruse and copy entire hard drives, and making sure no one can have more than an ounce of shampoo in their bags, some of this might be detected...

[Enrique]

8. they done arrested Pastor Coots?

:rofl:

[iamthebandfanman]

12. ive actually saw these churches

randomly in eastern kentucky.

you can tell its that kinda church by the snake pens outside.

they have the theory that 'if god doesnt let this snake bite me, im supposed to live. if it does bite me, its gods will that i die'....

silly silly.
but whatever floats their boat as long as it doesnt involve small children handling them.

[Danger Mouse]

13. These idiots all deserve snake bites to their balls.

[beam me up scottie]

19. Salvation On Sand Hill by Sammy Hagar:

I wasn't worried
I walked into the room

I saw the serpant's shadow
Against the silver moon

They said as long as you believe
You'll be alright

And I wasn't worried
'Til I saw one bite

You could touch, you could feel
You could smell them all through the night

But as long as you believe, you're gonna be alright

Or you'll be running, running for your life

But I didn't worry, when I caught the spell
I saw the eyes, saw the teeth, beads of sweat
Think I'd gone to hell

They said as long as you believ
A snake won't bite

Or you'll be running, running for your life

But I've gotta tell you
Power over snakes
Sure makes me feel so different
From a cane break

And just as long as you believe
A snake won't bite, yeah

Taking up serpents can take your life
They stuck my hand down in there without a bite

Just as long as you believe, boy
You'll be alright

I should be running, running for my life

Uh

Oh I didn't tell you
About the one that got bit
On the face, on the arms
Between the legs, on the back of the neck

Uh

You see, he didn't believe
The boy didn't believe
I said he didn't believe
He didn't believe

And just as long as you believe, a snake won't bite

Uh

So I didn't worry 'cause the snake won't bite
The snake won't bite
The snake won't bite

[Island Blue]

23. I recently read "The Year of Living Biblically .."

by AJ Jacobs, and the snake handlers actually seemed the most sane of any of the folks he visited during his year-long quest. The folks in the church he visited (including the snake handling preacher) were very welcoming and seemed incredibly tolerant of other people. They just happened to really, really take the bible passage about handling snakes literally. I found myself liking them even though my thoughts on religion are vastly different than theirs.

Of course I'm sure not all of them are nice and/or tolerant, but then neither are all people on DU.