# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/21 "2014-02-17T15:06:51Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > This Christian’s take on it is “Darwin Award!” Absolutely not! That SOB Darwin believed in ::gasp:: evolution. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/22 "2014-02-17T15:18:59Z")
Welp, that’s the last time he’ll handle snakes on this Plane. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/23 "2014-02-17T15:34:18Z")
And just last week, he got a new set of vipers for his car. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/24 "2014-02-17T15:36:27Z")
Yeah, he was kind of an asp-hole, wasn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/25 "2014-02-17T15:54:16Z")
From the OP’s link: > [@](#): > > On “Snake Salvation,” the ardent Pentecostal believer said that he believed that a passage in the Bible suggests poisonous snakebites will not harm believers as long as they are anointed by God. I wonder what the poor snake did to piss off God. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/26 "2014-02-17T16:18:40Z")
This is what happens when men with insufficient training are allowed to handle fedoras. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/27 "2014-02-17T16:19:42Z")
“The snake-handling pastor’s son, Cody Coots, told the TV station his dad had been bit eight times before, but never had had such a severe reaction. The son said he had thought the bite would be just like all the others.” [http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20787751,00.html](http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20787751,00.html) Thus the preacher considered the snake bites to be painful, but not deadly. This is why he refused the ambulance trip to the hospital. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/28 "2014-02-17T16:21:52Z")
Is the snake okay? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/29 "2014-02-17T17:25:19Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Thus the preacher considered the snake bites to be painful, but not deadly. This is why he refused the ambulance trip to the hospital. This was just covered on the local Noon News with a clip of the guy regarding his snake handling. Paraphrasing: “When I get bit, either I go home or I don’t.” So he was expecting God to intervene and ran afoul of Matt 4:5-7. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/30 "2014-02-17T17:27:41Z")
It was Allah’s will. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/31 "2014-02-17T17:40:04Z")
And the snake’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, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/32 "2014-02-17T18:51:30Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > “The snake-handling pastor’s son, Cody Coots, told the TV station his dad had been bit eight times before, but never had had such a severe reaction. The son said he had thought the bite would be just like all the others.” > [http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20787751,00.html](http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20787751,00.html) > > Thus the preacher considered the snake bites to be painful, but not deadly. This is why he refused the ambulance trip to the hospital. “I sent you a raft, a boat, and a helicopter, what more did you want?” - God ---
**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 17, 2014, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/33 "2014-02-17T18:53:21Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > “I sent you a raft, a boat, and a helicopter, what more did you want?” - God 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/34 "2014-02-17T18:59:36Z")
It’s sad. Simple medical treatment could have saved him. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/35 "2014-02-17T19:43:28Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > “I sent you a raft, a boat, and a helicopter, what more did you want?” - God Goes oddly with your tag-line. Anyway, guy believed in something I don’t (and consider rather silly), got snakebit and died of it, so I GUESS THAT’LL LEARN HIM! HAW HAW HAW!!! ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/36 "2014-02-17T19:54:17Z")
Simply not playing with snakes would have saved him. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/37 "2014-02-17T19:55:01Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Venomous, doggone it! [Poisonous is perfectly appropriate.](http://motivatedgrammar.wordpress.com/2013/09/23/poisonous-or-venomous/) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/38 "2014-02-17T19:58:51Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > Simply not playing with snakes would have saved him. Or just played with (L)adders. ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/39 "2014-02-17T20:02:12Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Welp, that’s the last time he’ll handle snakes on this Plane. Quoted just so you won’t think this went unnoticed. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489/40 "2014-02-17T20:05:27Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > Simply not playing with snakes would have saved him. Ya _think_? :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-dies-of-snakebite/681489.md?page=3)