Life Rattlesnakes In Church - Page 2

BoneKrusher · 06-01-2012, 07:19 AM

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/201...WS02/706019874

Rattlesnake bite kills snake-handling pastor

Pastor Mack Wolford handles a rattlesnake during a service at the Church of the Lord Jesus in Jolo, W.Va., in 2011.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- A West Virginia preacher who followed his father into the rare practice of handling snakes to prove faith in God died after being bitten during an outdoor service involving the reptiles.

Mark Randall "Mack" Wolford, 44 -- whose own father died in 1983 after suffering a fatal bite -- had been bitten before and survived. But he died earlier this week after witnesses say a timber rattler bit him on the thigh. Wolford's sister and a freelance photographer said it happened during a Sunday service at Panther State Forest.

Lauren Pond, a freelance photojournalist from Washington, D.C., told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph she was among 25 people at the service. She saw Wolford bitten but said congregants were unfazed.

"I don't think anyone necessarily expected it," she said, "but they've dealt with it before so it's not such a huge shock, maybe."

Bluefield Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Becky Ritter said Thursday that Wolford was a patient and died Monday, but privacy laws prevented her from releasing additional information.

Born in Pike County, Ky., Wolford had lived in the Bramwell area for the past five years and was a pastor at Apostolic House of the Lord Jesus in Matoaka. Unlike many Pentecostal preachers, he embraced publicity, welcoming journalists and photographers.

Ralph Hood, a religion professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, saw Wolford bitten by a copperhead about six years ago.

Wolford and others prefer to be called "serpent handlers" as a reflection of Scripture, and Hood said his friend would want people to remember him as "a Christian who was living his beliefs and being obedient."

"Serpent-handling was only a small part of that," he said. "He was trying to revitalize a strong tradition that doesn't make a distinction between beliefs and practices."

"A common misunderstanding is that handlers believe they can't get bit or it won't kill them," Hood said. "What they'll tell you is, 'No one will get out of this alive.' They'll also tell you it's not a question of how you live; it's a question of how you die. ... This is how he would have wanted to die."

Wolford and his followers have a literal belief in Mark 16:17-18. "And these signs will follow those who believe," the verses say. "In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

"I know it's real; it is the power of God," Wolford said last year. If he hadn't started handling snakes after returning to his church, he said, "it'd be the same as denying the power and saying it was not real."

Although most Appalachian states have outlawed snake handling, it remains legal but rare in West Virginia. Wolford acknowledged that last year, saying his mother was the only relative who still followed the tradition. Her husband died of a rattlesnake bite at age 39 in 1983.

Cody Ford, interim executive director of the West Virginia Council of Churches, represents 15 mainstream denominations and has little interaction with independent churches. But he said serpent-handling is "absolutely not" common in West Virginia, and churches that do it are hard to find.

"To the ordinary person sitting in the pews in any one of our churches, the snake-handling concept would be as strange and foreign as it would be to the most erudite reader of the New York Times," Ford said.

But Hood said the serpent-handling tradition remains scattered throughout the region, from Alabama to Ohio to New York. Its popularity waxes and wanes with the passing of generations, and it is currently seeing a resurgence of sorts.

"It tends to be transmitted through families, and as these young kids mature, the tradition grows and becomes strong again," he said. "And that's what's happening again now."

Ace Gunner · 06-01-2012, 09:30 AM

if we had banned snakes during church, this man would still be alive. so, I say don't ban snakes.

**gblowfish** · 06-01-2012, 09:32 AM

Snake Wavers RULE!

ToxSocks · 06-01-2012, 09:40 AM

One less bigot in the world. The snake is doing God's dirty work.

**bevischief** · 06-01-2012, 10:55 AM

Was he gay too?

**Bwana** · 06-01-2012, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

Evolution in action.

Yep, future Darwin Award.

Okie_Apparition · 06-01-2012, 11:20 AM

Was the snake put down

**Lzen** · 06-01-2012, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Detoxing

One less bigot in the world

Anyone else see the irony in this post?

Nickel D · 06-01-2012, 11:41 AM

What an asp...

BoneKrusher · 06-01-2012, 11:46 AM

thing is, the guy would have lived if he had gotten to the Hospital right after the bite but these people refuse to go till its too late.

**Rain Man** · 06-01-2012, 11:47 AM

Meanwhile, the lion-handling sect has commissioned a study to determine why their membership gets smaller every week.

KCUnited · 06-01-2012, 11:51 AM

The fang is, this guy died doing what he loved doing.

Aries Walker · 06-01-2012, 12:03 PM

West Virginia.

BoneKrusher · 06-01-2012, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aries Walker

West Virginia.

Rural "West By God Virginia".

in this area where this Church is there have been so many Rattlesnakes killed there over the past 20 years that the Government dumped crates of them from Helicopters recently so they dont go extinct.

WV · 06-01-2012, 12:24 PM

Cracks me up how some people think crazy stuff like this inclusive to certain states.

Inspector · 06-01-2012, 12:29 PM

Back when my wife was an actress she took a part in a play where she did snake handling and used a appalachian accent in her dialogue.

Watching the audience react when she pulled the snake out of a basket was funny. Of course they knew it wasn't real as she draped in around her neck. But the really hilarious part was when the snake raised it's head and the audience realized that it was indeed real.

I saw a couple of people crawl up in their seats and a few almost ran for it.

She used a black snake - non poisonous - and would sit at home with that snake in her lap while watching TV and stuff so it would be comfortable with her. I swear that snake got to know her and was very relaxed when she held him but would tense up when others came in the room.

06-01-2012, 07:19 AM
BoneKrusher That's Right Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Bluefield, Virginia Casino cash: $9976645	Rattlesnakes In Church http://www.heraldnet.com/article/201...WS02/706019874 Rattlesnake bite kills snake-handling pastor Pastor Mack Wolford handles a rattlesnake during a service at the Church of the Lord Jesus in Jolo, W.Va., in 2011. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- A West Virginia preacher who followed his father into the rare practice of handling snakes to prove faith in God died after being bitten during an outdoor service involving the reptiles. Mark Randall "Mack" Wolford, 44 -- whose own father died in 1983 after suffering a fatal bite -- had been bitten before and survived. But he died earlier this week after witnesses say a timber rattler bit him on the thigh. Wolford's sister and a freelance photographer said it happened during a Sunday service at Panther State Forest. Lauren Pond, a freelance photojournalist from Washington, D.C., told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph she was among 25 people at the service. She saw Wolford bitten but said congregants were unfazed. "I don't think anyone necessarily expected it," she said, "but they've dealt with it before so it's not such a huge shock, maybe." Bluefield Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Becky Ritter said Thursday that Wolford was a patient and died Monday, but privacy laws prevented her from releasing additional information. Born in Pike County, Ky., Wolford had lived in the Bramwell area for the past five years and was a pastor at Apostolic House of the Lord Jesus in Matoaka. Unlike many Pentecostal preachers, he embraced publicity, welcoming journalists and photographers. Ralph Hood, a religion professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, saw Wolford bitten by a copperhead about six years ago. Wolford and others prefer to be called "serpent handlers" as a reflection of Scripture, and Hood said his friend would want people to remember him as "a Christian who was living his beliefs and being obedient." "Serpent-handling was only a small part of that," he said. "He was trying to revitalize a strong tradition that doesn't make a distinction between beliefs and practices." "A common misunderstanding is that handlers believe they can't get bit or it won't kill them," Hood said. "What they'll tell you is, 'No one will get out of this alive.' They'll also tell you it's not a question of how you live; it's a question of how you die. ... This is how he would have wanted to die." Wolford and his followers have a literal belief in Mark 16:17-18. "And these signs will follow those who believe," the verses say. "In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." "I know it's real; it is the power of God," Wolford said last year. If he hadn't started handling snakes after returning to his church, he said, "it'd be the same as denying the power and saying it was not real." Although most Appalachian states have outlawed snake handling, it remains legal but rare in West Virginia. Wolford acknowledged that last year, saying his mother was the only relative who still followed the tradition. Her husband died of a rattlesnake bite at age 39 in 1983. Cody Ford, interim executive director of the West Virginia Council of Churches, represents 15 mainstream denominations and has little interaction with independent churches. But he said serpent-handling is "absolutely not" common in West Virginia, and churches that do it are hard to find. "To the ordinary person sitting in the pews in any one of our churches, the snake-handling concept would be as strange and foreign as it would be to the most erudite reader of the New York Times," Ford said. But Hood said the serpent-handling tradition remains scattered throughout the region, from Alabama to Ohio to New York. Its popularity waxes and wanes with the passing of generations, and it is currently seeing a resurgence of sorts. "It tends to be transmitted through families, and as these young kids mature, the tradition grows and becomes strong again," he said. "And that's what's happening again now."
Posts: 7,333

06-01-2012, 09:30 AM	#16
Ace Gunner First Overall Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: kcmo Casino cash: $10007271	if we had banned snakes during church, this man would still be alive. so, I say don't ban snakes. __________________ The Greatest
Posts: 10,580

06-01-2012, 09:32 AM	#17
gblowfish Be Kind To Your Pets Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Glorious Independence, MO Casino cash: $16896178 VARSITY	Snake Wavers RULE!
Posts: 41,011

06-01-2012, 09:40 AM	#18
ToxSocks Needs more middle fingers Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego Casino cash: $2133063	One less bigot in the world. The snake is doing God's dirty work. __________________ Life is like a dick. Sometimes it gets hard for no reason, but it can't stay hard forever.
Posts: 65,925

06-01-2012, 10:55 AM	#19
bevischief .... Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somewhere Kansas Casino cash: $7759352 VARSITY	Was he gay too?
Posts: 27,771

06-01-2012, 11:20 AM	#21
Okie_Apparition Banned Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: floatin cobwebs n the sky Casino cash: $10004900	Was the snake put down
Posts: 7,012

06-01-2012, 11:41 AM	#23
Nickel D Veteran Join Date: Mar 2011 Casino cash: $11006781	What an asp...
Posts: 1,321

06-01-2012, 11:46 AM	#24
BoneKrusher That's Right Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Bluefield, Virginia Casino cash: $9976645	thing is, the guy would have lived if he had gotten to the Hospital right after the bite but these people refuse to go till its too late. __________________ "MaHomes/MaAuto"
Posts: 7,333

06-01-2012, 11:47 AM	#25
Rain Man Seize life. Be an ermine. Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $-452449 VARSITY	Meanwhile, the lion-handling sect has commissioned a study to determine why their membership gets smaller every week. __________________ Active fan of the greatest team in NFL history.
Posts: 145,246

06-01-2012, 11:51 AM	#26
KCUnited Cheat Death Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Land of Drincoln Casino cash: $-1391756	The fang is, this guy died doing what he loved doing.
Posts: 36,845

06-01-2012, 12:03 PM	#27
Aries Walker Back again, again. Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: York, PA Casino cash: $9503357	West Virginia.
Posts: 8,213

06-01-2012, 12:24 PM	#29
WV Veteran Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: In the Holler Casino cash: $10004950	Cracks me up how some people think crazy stuff like this inclusive to certain states.
Posts: 4,983

06-01-2012, 12:29 PM	#30
Inspector MVP Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: K.C. Casino cash: $9914975	Back when my wife was an actress she took a part in a play where she did snake handling and used a appalachian accent in her dialogue. Watching the audience react when she pulled the snake out of a basket was funny. Of course they knew it wasn't real as she draped in around her neck. But the really hilarious part was when the snake raised it's head and the audience realized that it was indeed real. I saw a couple of people crawl up in their seats and a few almost ran for it. She used a black snake - non poisonous - and would sit at home with that snake in her lap while watching TV and stuff so it would be comfortable with her. I swear that snake got to know her and was very relaxed when she held him but would tense up when others came in the room.
Posts: 7,917