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Faith fails to protect idiot from snake bites.

His dad died of the same thing. At least he dieddoing something he believes in. I can think of worse deaths than that.
 
One less mouth draining our already limited resources.

Here's an idea, instead of "surviving" snake bites to show how one is a believer in Christ, why not donate to charity or do some work to actually improve your community? I seem to recall Christ teaching his followers to serve or donate to the poor or something like that.

Mind blowing, I know.
 
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I say if you're going to die of snake bite or put God to the test via his control over animals, you better be on some sweet expedition deep within the Amazon or an African Safari or something. Getting bit at your church is no fun.
 
You folks have got this all wrong.

Not dying when bitten by poisonous snakes is a promise given only to the TRUE believers/followers of Christ. Don't be deceived. If anyone is bitten by a snake and dies, he wasn't a true believer, that's all.

Ambrose Bierce > Quotes > Quotable Quote


“Christian - One who follows the teachings of Christ insofar as they are not inconsistent with a life of sin.”
― Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary and Other Works
 
Here's a very interesting read about similar believers. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this strand of belief: https://www.amazon.com/Salvation-Sa...=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338786106&sr=1-2

...here's a better read: Members of snake-handling groups claim that their practices are commanded by God’s Word, and they cite Mark 16:17, 18 as proof. According to the King James Version, these verses read: “And these signs shall follow them that believe; 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.”
First, it should be noted that almost all Bible scholars agree that these verses were not originally part of Mark’s Gospel. “The doubtful genuineness of verses*9-20 makes it unwise to build a doctrine or base an experience on them (especially vv. 16-18),” points out noted commentator Charles Ryrie.

However, those who handle snakes in their worship are not often impressed by what Bible scholars think of the genuineness of Mark 16:9-20. The verses are in the King James Bible, which is the only Bible most of them trust, and for them that is the end of the matter.

But even if these verses were authentic, they do not command the handling of serpents or the drinking of poison, and they say nothing of fire. So they cannot be read as a requirement for worship. In fact, the apostle Paul did encounter a serpent on the island of Malta (Melita, KJ) but only by accident because it was in a bundle of sticks he was laying on a fire. Although Paul was bitten and was divinely protected from harm, he did not pass the viper around for others to hold. Instead, he “shook off the beast into the fire.” Far from feeling a burning pain as modern snake handlers do, he “felt no harm.”—Acts 28:3-6, KJ.

The teachings of the Bible do not support the idea that snake handling is an acceptable feature of true worship. The Bible says: “God is love.” (1*John 4:8) You will probably agree that our loving Creator would not require that his true worshippers carry out dangerous rituals in order to please him. His Son, Jesus, offered the invitation: “Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you.” (Matthew 11:28,*29)
 
You folks have got this all wrong.

Not dying when bitten by poisonous snakes is a promise given only to the TRUE believers/followers of Christ. Don't be deceived. If anyone is bitten by a snake and dies, he wasn't a true believer, that's all.

Ambrose Bierce > Quotes > Quotable Quote


“Christian - One who follows the teachings of Christ insofar as they are not inconsistent with a life of sin.”
― Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary and Other Works

That should be the new baptismal ordinance for Christians. You get dunked underwater, have to take a Belcher's Sea Snake bite to the *** while under, and then if you're alive in a few days everyone knows your intentions are pure. That goes for the baptizer too. We don't want anybody that's not worthy to be baptizing. So the Belcher's Sea Snake *** bite can be the litmus test for everything coming unto Christ properly in some kind of paradoxical relationship to that whole Adam/Eve....Garden of Eden..... original sin thing.
 
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If the founder of Christianity refused to tempt God in the face of the adversary, then why do "Christians" believe they can? And in this case, SHOULD, as a demonstration of faith?

I truly don't understand the ridiculous actions of so many "Christians" in the south.
 
Sometimes it's easy to believe that US is all New York, Florida, and the West Coast. There are parts of the South(though this business actually took place in WVA) that may as well be in the 19th century.

I'm going to Montana in a few days, and it'll be my second time there. That place is scary with a capital "s". I have never seen that many churches, especially that many churches of fundamentalist denominations. They have billboards on the side of the road talking fire and brimstone. One of them actually said "Repent, sinners!" And I live in Canada's most conservative and social ***-backward province, and I'm utterly unaccustomed to anything like this.

I mean, here's the church down the street from my parents' house. It belongs to the biggest protestant denomination in Canada. Check the flag. And yes, it does mean what you think.

5319199291_157fc0fc57_z.jpg
 
Sometimes it's easy to believe that US is all New York, Florida, and the West Coast. There are parts of the South(though this business actually took place in WVA) that may as well be in the 19th century.

I'm going to Montana in a few days, and it'll be my second time there. That place is scary with a capital "s". I have never seen that many churches, especially that many churches of fundamentalist denominations. They have billboards on the side of the road talking fire and brimstone. One of them actually said "Repent, sinners!" And I live in Canada's most conservative and social ***-backward province, and I'm utterly unaccustomed to anything like this.

I mean, here's the church down the street from my parents' house. It belongs to the biggest protestant denomination in Canada. Check the flag. And yes, it does mean what you think.

5319199291_157fc0fc57_z.jpg

It really is not that scary Jim. I am sure that you will find most people are perfectly friendly.
 
It really is not that scary Jim. I am sure that you will find most people are perfectly friendly.

The billboards don't seem that friendly. Especially since my people apparently killed Jesus.

I guess it's just a cultural difference. In Canada, it's considered decidedly impolite to inquire about religious beliefs of people who aren't close friends. It is downright hateful to suggest that someone else will go to hell because they don't believe in the same thing as you. We also have much tougher hate speech laws, as for example KKK delegations that come down from south of 49 to visit their brethren here find out. While putting up a sign saying "If you don't believe in Jesus, you'll go to hell" may not necessarily fall afoul of our hate speech laws, a community association would likely ask a church here to remove it.

It just shocks me the way things work in the US sometimes. The rhetoric of some US politicians on faith and immigration would actually be criminal up here.
 
The billboards don't seem that friendly. Especially since my people apparently killed Jesus.

I guess it's just a cultural difference. In Canada, it's considered decidedly impolite to inquire about religious beliefs of people who aren't close friends. It is downright hateful to suggest that someone else will go to hell because they don't believe in the same thing as you. We also have much tougher hate speech laws, as for example KKK delegations that come down from south of 49 to visit their brethren here find out. While putting up a sign saying "If you don't believe in Jesus, you'll go to hell" may not necessarily fall afoul of our hate speech laws, a community association would likely ask a church here to remove it.

It just shocks me the way things work in the US sometimes. The rhetoric of some US politicians on faith and immigration would actually be criminal up here.

Well I still think you would be suprised. They may believe that anyone not in their church has no shot at salvation but that does not mean they hate you. Think of it like your family member on hard drugs. He is destroying himself and when you tell him that it is not out of hate but love.

Of course there are always the jackasses who do it out of hate but generally I do not think that is the case.
 
The billboards don't seem that friendly. Especially since my people apparently killed Jesus.

I guess it's just a cultural difference. In Canada, it's considered decidedly impolite to inquire about religious beliefs of people who aren't close friends. It is downright hateful to suggest that someone else will go to hell because they don't believe in the same thing as you. We also have much tougher hate speech laws, as for example KKK delegations that come down from south of 49 to visit their brethren here find out. While putting up a sign saying "If you don't believe in Jesus, you'll go to hell" may not necessarily fall afoul of our hate speech laws, a community association would likely ask a church here to remove it.

It just shocks me the way things work in the US sometimes. The rhetoric of some US politicians on faith and immigration would actually be criminal up here.

That's nice, but this isn't Canada. 46% of the US population don't even believe in evolution. And I mean AT ALL. Not the half assed "I believe evolution was guided by god" stance. I'm not surprised one bit by the guy's level of idiocy.
 
I mean, here's the church down the street from my parents' house. It belongs to the biggest protestant denomination in Canada. Check the flag. And yes, it does mean what you think.

5319199291_157fc0fc57_z.jpg


That the deluge was real along with the rainbow promise?
 
That's nice, but this isn't Canada. 46% of the US population don't even believe in evolution. And I mean AT ALL. Not the half assed "I believe evolution was guided by god" stance. I'm not surprised one bit by the guy's level of idiocy.

I'd love to see the state-by-state breakdown of belief in evolution. I've got a feeling that if the Confederacy had successfully separated, the USA would be indistinguishable from Canada today. Except that you wouldn't speak a lick of French.
 
I'd love to see the state-by-state breakdown of belief in evolution. I've got a feeling that if the Confederacy had successfully separated, the USA would be indistinguishable from Canada today. Except that you wouldn't speak a lick of French.

Not necessarily true as several western states (Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming...) would be in The USA and not the confederacy. They would still be very conservative and religious.
 
Not necessarily true as several western states (Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming...) would be in The USA and not the confederacy. They would still be very conservative and religious.

I just figured ya'll would be overwhelmed by various snowbirds from the North.
 
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