# Snake-handling pastor dies of snakebite. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 16, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489 "2014-02-16T19:47:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/1 "2014-02-16T19:47:43Z")
[Reality show snake-handling preacher dies – of snakebite](http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/16/us/snake-salvation-pastor-bite/index.html?hpt=hp_t2) > [@](#): > > Jamie Coots died Saturday evening after refusing to be treated, Middleborough police said. > > \ > > The National Geographic show featured Coots and cast handling all kinds of poisonous snakes – copperheads, rattlers, cottonmouths. The channel’s website shows a picture of Coots, goateed, wearing a fedora. “Even after losing half of his finger to a snake bite and seeing others die from bites during services,” Coots “still believes he must take up serpents and follow the Holiness faith,” the website says. I’m reminded of a line from a _The Little Rascals_ film: ‘See what you get for being smart?’ ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/2 "2014-02-16T20:20:59Z")
I was going to say, at least he’s out of the gene pool, but he’d already bred. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/3 "2014-02-16T20:41:39Z")
The snake was an atheist. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/4 "2014-02-16T23:53:47Z")
Some prior threads on snake-handlers getting martyred by their snakes. [Why Don’t Pentacostal Snake Handlers Get Bitten More Often?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=702075) started by **Fotheringay-Phipps** , 9/12/2013 [Would a snake-handler be more electable as POTUS than an atheist?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=654273), started by **Elendil’s Heir** , 6/6/2012 [Snake Handling Pastor Bitten; Dies-Why?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=653647), started by **ralph124c** , 5/31/2012. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/5 "2014-02-17T00:37:24Z")
This Christian’s take on it is “Darwin Award!” ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/6 "2014-02-17T01:35:41Z")
I think God’s trying to tell these people something…(let’s face it, if I were a snake, I’d bite these morons too) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/7 "2014-02-17T01:42:01Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > This Christian’s take on it is “Darwin Award!” Yeah, and this Christian’s take on it is “God gave us brains so we wouldn’t do outrageously stupid things like handle poisonous snakes based on a couple of clearly metaphorical passages in the Bible and if you ignore the risk it’s your own fault and not God’s.” ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/8 "2014-02-17T02:25:55Z")
God hates stupid people. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/9 "2014-02-17T02:34:31Z")
The snakes handlers believe the Bible tells them they won’t be harmed: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Mark 16, 17-18. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. Acts 28, 1-6 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/10 "2014-02-17T02:46:43Z")
The Bible also has Jesus saying that we shouldn’t do things just to test God. The example is Satan telling Jesus to throw himself off a cliff, to test God saying that he would not even stub his toe. Sound familiar? Seems someone already covered that before in the previous thread: > [@Snake Handling Pastor Bitten; Dies-Why?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-bitten-dies-why/623656/6): > > He forgot about Matthew 4:5-7. > > In a nutshell: Don’t deliberately put yourself in harm’s way to show off. He won’t intervene. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/11 "2014-02-17T03:36:10Z")
[QUOTE=CNN] The National Geographic show featured Coots and cast handling all kinds of **poisonous** snakes [/QUOTE] Venomous, doggone it! ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/12 "2014-02-17T05:27:32Z")
Not the first, won’t be the last. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/13 "2014-02-17T07:04:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Venomous, doggone it! Well, if you ate one and died from it, then it would be poisonous. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/14 "2014-02-17T11:03:09Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Some prior threads on snake-handlers getting martyred by their snakes. > > [Why Don’t Pentacostal Snake Handlers Get Bitten More Often?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=702075) started by **Fotheringay-Phipps** , 9/12/2013 > > [Would a snake-handler be more electable as POTUS than an atheist?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=654273), started by **Elendil’s Heir** , 6/6/2012 > > [Snake Handling Pastor Bitten; Dies-Why?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=653647), started by **ralph124c** , 5/31/2012. Thanks, I thought my DeLorean was acting up again. Have any of them tried erecting a statue of a snake on a pole and looking at it when they get bitten? ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/15 "2014-02-17T12:09:40Z")
When I saw this story on the news, my reaction was to talk to the TV (as I do) and say, “Ha ha! Dumbass.” ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/16 "2014-02-17T13:49:03Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > When I saw this story on the news, my reaction was to talk to the TV (as I do) and say, “Ha ha! Dumbass.” This Christian heard that in Nelson Muntz’s voice. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/17 "2014-02-17T14:10:24Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > When I saw this story on the news, my reaction was to talk to the TV (as I do) and say, “Ha ha! Dumbass.” Dumbass? I’d even say a krait-in! ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/18 "2014-02-17T14:17:25Z")
Well, he was probably wearing moccasins… ---
**Author:** ![MN\_Maenad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@MN\_Maenad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MN_Maenad)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/19 "2014-02-17T14:35:08Z")
My first thought? No great loss to humanity. Any Christian who doesn’t think that God gave them the brains to avoid dangerous animals is just too stupid and doesn’t deserve to live here with the rest of us. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/20 "2014-02-17T14:43:27Z")
> [@MN\_Maenad](#): > > My first thought? No great loss to humanity. Any Christian who doesn’t think that God gave them the brains to avoid dangerous animals is just too stupid and doesn’t deserve to live here with the rest of us. Now, now…let’s try and remamba to be nice… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489.md?page=2)