[reggie_woic]

donno if you've heard of them,but a couple of pentecostal churches involve rituals that include the handling of poisonous snakes in church.
now i'm a christian, but if THAT is the definition of faith, i've got NOTHING..

[ndigila]

It's based on these bible verses
Mark 16:17-18
These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;
they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Interestingly, most [pentecostal] churches do the casting out demons, tongues, and healing the sick. Only some are brave enough to do the snake handling and even more rare, the cyanide ingestion.

[oogg]

I have heard of and seen these churches and their rituals on TV, and I was shocked.

I think there's a thin line between having faith and being unrealistic. Honestly, those are the people that get bitten and I am among the first to say that they had it coming.

If one was in a situation where it was honestly and clearly miraculous, say for example you found a snake on top of your child and you took it off the child to save it's life, or something equally unlikely, then I can see some basis for such an argument.

Picking up a poisonous snake voluntarily and where imminent danger to you or anyone is unlikely, I will have to agree with the saying that "God helps those who help themselves", and I would be among the people wondering and asking you, "What were you thinking?"