Spiritual Inspiration

Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.


+2
Crystal
Azrael
6 posters

    Snakes in Religion

    Azrael
    Azrael
    Member


    Male
    Number of posts : 192
    Age : 67
    Location : Southern US
    Job/hobbies : Dead End
    Registration date : 2014-02-23

    Snakes in Religion Empty Snakes in Religion

    Post  Azrael Sat Mar 22, 2014 11:07 am

    Here in the US there is a sect of religion that handles poisonous snakes during their religious services. These dedicated followers go on the belief that a God has called them to take up the serpent. While this practice is banned in some states here in the US it still goes on today mostly in the Southern states. Recently a Pentacostal Pastor died after being bitten by a poisonous snake and refusing treatment. Being an avid snake handler since the age of 12 I can honestly say that even I have never been brave enough to pull a stunt like this. Does this make them wrong? Maybe, maybe not, but it endangers those who are in attendance.

    My question here is this since this forum deals with spirit guides and power animals. "Do you have the spiritual faith to test a dangerous animal during a religious service in the hopes if you get bitten you will be saved by some unknown spiritual guide?"


    http://abcnews.go.com/US/pentecostal-pastors-argue-snake-handling-religious/story?id=20971576


    Last edited by Azrael on Sat Mar 22, 2014 11:13 am; edited 2 times in total (Reason for editing : Added something.)
    Crystal
    Crystal
    Member


    Female
    Number of posts : 1249
    Location : UK
    Job/hobbies : Counsellor - Crystals,Tarot, Reiki and animal healing
    Registration date : 2009-06-20

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  Crystal Sat Apr 05, 2014 1:16 pm

    Jeepers, no. I have snake as my power guide and have had far too many run in's with them. One day out walking the dogs I went to pick up a stick and just as I was bending with my hand outstretched the stick turned and hissed at me!

    I think there is faith and then there is stupidity and adrenaline rush.
    blackbirdrising
    blackbirdrising
    Member


    Female
    Number of posts : 177
    Location : Tennessee
    Registration date : 2013-11-06

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  blackbirdrising Sun Apr 06, 2014 9:03 am

    Azrael wrote:My question here is this since this forum deals with spirit guides and power animals. "Do you have the spiritual faith to test a dangerous animal during a religious service in the hopes if you get bitten you will be saved by some unknown spiritual guide?"

    I grew up in the region you speak of. Knew of many snake churches. I dont see testing your spiritual guide as showing faith. I see it as being spiteful and angry.  If I were acting in that manner, I would expect to be bitten and not saved from death unless I drove myself to a hospital.
    Azrael
    Azrael
    Member


    Male
    Number of posts : 192
    Age : 67
    Location : Southern US
    Job/hobbies : Dead End
    Registration date : 2014-02-23

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  Azrael Sat Apr 12, 2014 12:11 am

    blackbirdrising wrote:
    Azrael wrote:My question here is this since this forum deals with spirit guides and power animals. "Do you have the spiritual faith to test a dangerous animal during a religious service in the hopes if you get bitten you will be saved by some unknown spiritual guide?"

    I grew up in the region you speak of. Knew of many snake churches. I dont see testing your spiritual guide as showing faith. I see it as being spiteful and angry.  If I were acting in that manner, I would expect to be bitten and not saved from death unless I drove myself to a hospital.



    If I were acting in that manner, I would expect to be bitten and not saved from death unless I drove myself to a hospital.

    I totally agree.
    innerlight
    innerlight
    Elite


    Male
    Number of posts : 3817
    Age : 44
    Registration date : 2009-02-20

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  innerlight Sat Apr 12, 2014 3:26 am

    Unfortunately many many people have been harmed, or killed, because of their religious beliefs. Like those parents that refuse medical treatment for their kids because they feel God will cure them.

    It is sad to see those that will harm their bodies in the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. They need to realize their bodies are the homes of their souls, and in purposely destroying their home their soul has no more place here on earth. 

    And to answer your question, no I would not harm my body in the hopes that spirit will save me from that harm..
    Azrael
    Azrael
    Member


    Male
    Number of posts : 192
    Age : 67
    Location : Southern US
    Job/hobbies : Dead End
    Registration date : 2014-02-23

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  Azrael Sat Apr 12, 2014 12:06 pm

    innerlight wrote:Unfortunately many many people have been harmed, or killed, because of their religious beliefs. Like those parents that refuse medical treatment for their kids because they feel God will cure them.

    It is sad to see those that will harm their bodies in the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. They need to realize their bodies are the homes of their souls, and in purposely destroying their home their soul has no more place here on earth. 

    And to answer your question, no I would not harm my body in the hopes that spirit will save me from that harm..

    It boils down to "faith", mix that with a little hypocrisy and you have the recipe for disaster! Personally for me feeling sorry for those that pull lain brain stunts like this is not an option. Some one needs to send a memo to the snakes that they are not suppose to bite because a God said so.
    innerlight
    innerlight
    Elite


    Male
    Number of posts : 3817
    Age : 44
    Registration date : 2009-02-20

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  innerlight Sat Apr 12, 2014 2:55 pm

    Azrael wrote:
    It boils down to "faith", mix that with a little hypocrisy and you have the recipe for disaster! Personally for me feeling sorry for those that pull lain brain stunts like this is not an option. Some one needs to send a memo to the snakes that they are not suppose to bite because a God said so.

    Of course the irony being.. Who's to say God actually was helping them, by wanting them to go to a hospital? Sometimes when you try so hard looking for a sign, you miss the signs all around you.
    Azrael
    Azrael
    Member


    Male
    Number of posts : 192
    Age : 67
    Location : Southern US
    Job/hobbies : Dead End
    Registration date : 2014-02-23

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  Azrael Sat Apr 12, 2014 6:39 pm

    innerlight wrote:
    Azrael wrote:
    It boils down to "faith", mix that with a little hypocrisy and you have the recipe for disaster! Personally for me feeling sorry for those that pull lain brain stunts like this is not an option. Some one needs to send a memo to the snakes that they are not suppose to bite because a God said so.

    Of course the irony being.. Who's to say God actually was helping them, by wanting them to go to a hospital? Sometimes when you try so hard looking for a sign, you miss the signs all around you.

    One thing hospitals have no cure for "Faith"....Faith is what leads them to this. A belief that if I get bit I will not die. Only thing is what if God fails to pay the life insurance premium? Then you are left DEAD!
    innerlight
    innerlight
    Elite


    Male
    Number of posts : 3817
    Age : 44
    Registration date : 2009-02-20

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  innerlight Sat Apr 12, 2014 7:30 pm

    Azrael wrote:
    One thing hospitals have no cure for "Faith"....Faith is what leads them to this. A belief that if I get bit I will not die. Only thing is what if God fails to pay the life insurance premium? Then you are left DEAD!


    Reminds me of an old joke.. God created hospitals.. The devil created HMO's.  :giggles:
    The author of this message was banned from the forum - See the message
    SpiritVoices
    SpiritVoices
    Member


    Female
    Number of posts : 13312
    Location : UK
    Job/hobbies : Retired
    Registration date : 2010-12-17

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  SpiritVoices Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:46 pm

    Snakes are sneaky.....I remember seeing my first snake after being resident in Australia!

    Walking from the local shops....( our first home was in the bush) stretched across the road we were trudging up.  Big brown thick snake!
    I was terrified.     We took the risk of stepping over it and it never moved,than God!
    Azrael
    Azrael
    Member


    Male
    Number of posts : 192
    Age : 67
    Location : Southern US
    Job/hobbies : Dead End
    Registration date : 2014-02-23

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  Azrael Tue Jun 17, 2014 11:07 pm

    SV you are mostly likely lucky it did not move. Most likely an Australian Brown Snake...very venomous!

    Snakes in Religion 8-australian-brown-snake


    http://deadlylist.com/Snakes/Number_3_Australian_Brown_Snake.html
    The author of this message was banned from the forum - See the message
    SpiritVoices
    SpiritVoices
    Member


    Female
    Number of posts : 13312
    Location : UK
    Job/hobbies : Retired
    Registration date : 2010-12-17

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  SpiritVoices Wed Jun 18, 2014 9:04 am

    That was my first experience of a snake....I remember some of the warnings we were given before migrating.....I was very careful after that!
    Azrael
    Azrael
    Member


    Male
    Number of posts : 192
    Age : 67
    Location : Southern US
    Job/hobbies : Dead End
    Registration date : 2014-02-23

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  Azrael Thu Jun 19, 2014 11:24 pm

    SpiritVoices wrote:That was my first experience of a snake....I remember some of the warnings we were given before migrating.....I was very careful after that!

    Best advice. If you do not know what it is, walk around it or away from it and leave it alone.
    SpiritVoices
    SpiritVoices
    Member


    Female
    Number of posts : 13312
    Location : UK
    Job/hobbies : Retired
    Registration date : 2010-12-17

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  SpiritVoices Fri Jun 20, 2014 8:51 am

    We put a very wide distance between us and the snake.

    I seem to remember a good while ago there were reports given that a particularly venomous snake had been seen in the UK. Whether this is true or not,I'm not sure.
    Azrael
    Azrael
    Member


    Male
    Number of posts : 192
    Age : 67
    Location : Southern US
    Job/hobbies : Dead End
    Registration date : 2014-02-23

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  Azrael Sat Jun 21, 2014 1:10 am

    SpiritVoices wrote:We put a very wide distance between us and the snake.

    I seem to remember a good while ago there were reports given  that a particularly venomous snake had been seen in the UK.   Whether this is true or not,I'm not sure.

    Well you do have three in the UK. One is the Adder (aka common viper) which deaths are rare from it's like 6 in the last 100 years and it is a fairly small snake. Then you have the grass and the smooth snake.

    Here is the Adder:

    image_popup.php

    Grass Snake:
    image_popup.php

    Larger of the three can reach lengths up to 5 feet.
    SpiritVoices
    SpiritVoices
    Member


    Female
    Number of posts : 13312
    Location : UK
    Job/hobbies : Retired
    Registration date : 2010-12-17

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  SpiritVoices Sat Jun 21, 2014 7:05 am

    I thought there was some kind of snakes in the UK...I hate the things when really I think of them as some kind of over grown lizards..
    Azrael
    Azrael
    Member


    Male
    Number of posts : 192
    Age : 67
    Location : Southern US
    Job/hobbies : Dead End
    Registration date : 2014-02-23

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  Azrael Sat Jun 21, 2014 10:46 am

    SpiritVoices wrote:I thought there was some kind of snakes in the UK...I hate the things when really I think of them as some kind of over grown lizards..

    HI SV, many people think that. There are two distinct differences that separate lizards from snakes. (1). Lizards have eyelids. (2). They also have ear holes. Snakes have neither of these. There is a species called the glass lizard that looks like a snake with no legs. There are also poisonous lizards. The Gila Monster which we have here in the US in the desert Southwest and the Mexican Beaded lizard. Unlike most snakes these have to chew to get the venom into their prey. The Coral Snake of the US also has to chew in order to envenomate their prey.
    SpiritVoices
    SpiritVoices
    Member


    Female
    Number of posts : 13312
    Location : UK
    Job/hobbies : Retired
    Registration date : 2010-12-17

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  SpiritVoices Sat Jun 21, 2014 12:00 pm

    Oh God,I feel sick! I suppose in the bush in Oz,there may have been snakes like that but living in the suburbs,never saw anything really dangerous.

    How would you cope with them if you did come across one?
    Azrael
    Azrael
    Member


    Male
    Number of posts : 192
    Age : 67
    Location : Southern US
    Job/hobbies : Dead End
    Registration date : 2014-02-23

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  Azrael Sat Jun 21, 2014 12:51 pm

    SpiritVoices wrote:Oh God,I feel sick!  I suppose in the bush in Oz,there may have been snakes like that but living in the suburbs,never saw anything really dangerous.

    How would you cope with them if you did come across one?

    You go your way and it will go it's way......Now the Gila Monster and Mexican Beaded are not in the UK. 


    How would you cope with them if you did come across one?

    Most peoples solution is to kill them. I do not kill snakes.
    SpiritVoices
    SpiritVoices
    Member


    Female
    Number of posts : 13312
    Location : UK
    Job/hobbies : Retired
    Registration date : 2010-12-17

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  SpiritVoices Sat Jun 21, 2014 3:09 pm

    I can understand that but if they attacked you,how would you deal with that?
    Azrael
    Azrael
    Member


    Male
    Number of posts : 192
    Age : 67
    Location : Southern US
    Job/hobbies : Dead End
    Registration date : 2014-02-23

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  Azrael Sat Jun 21, 2014 4:43 pm

    SpiritVoices wrote:I can understand that but if they attacked you,how would you deal with that?

    Why would they attack you? You are not dealing with an Australian Taipan or African Black Mamba or something.
    SpiritVoices
    SpiritVoices
    Member


    Female
    Number of posts : 13312
    Location : UK
    Job/hobbies : Retired
    Registration date : 2010-12-17

    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  SpiritVoices Sat Jun 21, 2014 5:15 pm

    I wouldn't know one snake from another....I just kept my distance at all times....Got to admit it was good getting back to the UK....

    Sponsored content


    Snakes in Religion Empty Re: Snakes in Religion

    Post  Sponsored content


      Current date/time is Tue Mar 19, 2024 7:33 am