Posted on 02/17/2014 6:11:16 AM PST by Las Vegas Dave
The snake-handling pastor starring on the reality show "Snake Salvation," has died from a snake bite, according to Middlesboro Police.
Police believe Jamie Coots died after a rattlesnake bit his right hand during a church service Saturday night.
Coots was found dead in his home about 10 p.m. after refusing medical help, according to police.
"The snake that bit him, we've been carrying it for four months. It's been carried hundreds of times and handled at all kinds of times," said Cody Coots, Coots' son. "When it's your time to go. It's just your time to go. "
Coots was best known for his starring role on National Geographic's show "Snake Salvation." The reality show highlights the snake handling practice at his church in Bell County.
WKYT spoke to Coots about a year ago, after he was stopped in Tennessee where police found several rattlesnakes and copperheads in his car.
Coots said he believed the venomous snakes couldn't hurt him as long as he had the power of God.
"We use them in religious ceremonies and I believe as for me, if I don't have them there to use I'm not obeying the word of god," Coots said.
Coots said he was a third-generation snake handler and hoped to pass the church on to his son, Cody.
Pastor Coots will be laid to rest at Creech Funeral Home on Tuesday. Visitation is at 5 p.m. and the funeral is at 8 p.m. The interment will be private.
Guess the preacher didn’t have enough faith, right, son? Or perhaps God means it when He says, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” (Luke 4:12)
FYI pings..
A whole lot of wrong thinking going on here.
We prefer our local Catholic Priest for worship, never have we seen him handle a snake of any kind. < /humor intended >
Sadly its exactly what the show producers were looking for so they can use it to show the failure of Christian faith in God. While I personally think snake handling is foolish, I do understand the faith behind it.
My message for liberals over this is that God doesn’t guarantee that I won’t be harmed or that life will be perfect. God’s guarantee is for the afterlife and I have to try to keep up my end of the bargain in this world.
Kind of a “Hold ma Bible and watch this!” thing...
Of the three or four threads on this topic this is one of the more well reasoned and well written posts.
1 Corinthians 10:9 New International Version (NIV)
9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.
This sums up a lot of what is wrong with contemporary America and contemporary Christianity. I'm sorry the man died but participating in some staged, sensationalized reality show is not the way to get a message across. Especially when, as a prior poster pointed out, the producers aren't doing this to promote Chrisitanity but rather, to make Christianity out to be a backward freak show.
When I was in Vietnam, we had “one step” and “two step” Vipers amongst many others. The number of steps were what you took after being bitten before falling on your face. Rest his soul, but this guy was a total moron.
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. (Mark 16:17-18)*********************Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19)
And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.( Acts 28:1-6)
“Two of the great legacies of the Reformation were the principal of private interpretation and the sharp focus in the sixteenth century. Hidden beneath the famous response of the Reformer to the ecclesiastical and imperial translation of the Bible into the vernacular……. It was Luther himself who brought the issue of private interpretation of the Bible authorities at the Diet of Worms was the implicit principal of private interpretation.When asked to recant of his writings, Luther replied, “Unless I am convinced by Sacred Scripture or by evident reason, I cannot recant. For my conscience is held captive by the Word of God and to act against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, God help me.” (of course Luther never said “Here I stand…….” –Topper) Notice that Luther said “unless I am convinced…….” In earlier debates at Leipzig and Augsburg, Luther had dared to presume to interpret Scripture contrary to interpretations rendered by Popes and by church councils. That he would be so presumptuous led to the repeated charge of arrogance by church officials. Luther did not take these charges lightly but agonized over them. He believed that he could be wrong but maintained that the Pope and councils could also err. For him only one source of truth was free from error. He said, “The Scriptures never err.” Thus, unless the leaders of the church could convince him of his error, he felt duty-bound to follow what his own conscience was convinced Scripture taught. With this controversy the principal of private interpretation was born and baptized with fire.”
R.C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture, pg. 33-4
Someone or something poisoned this guy.
These guys must not have seen the movie “Snakes On A Plane”.
I think it was called a...wait for it...snake.
I think it was called a...wait for it...snake.
Yes. Something. The snake that bit him.
Was that not made clear in the article or are you suggesting the story is not as it is being told?
Amen.
Has anyone noticed that the “Educational” Cable (all connected, by the way) have a plethora of shows that try to lampoon and ridicule White Rural Americans? Some of them backfire, as the characters become BELOVED by the public! LOL! Here is a partial list of “Reality” Shows that attempt to lampoon White Christian Rural Americans to some degree.
Duck Dynasty
Swamp People
Appalachian Outlaws
Moonshiners
Breaking Amish
Amish Mafia
Cajun Pawn Stars
Counting Cars
Pawn Stars
American Pickers
Bars, Dives, and Diners
Restaurant Do-Over Shows
Snake Salvation
Hoarders-Buried Alive
Ax-Men
Bounty Hunter
Not all of these shows ridicule their characters, but do show them as “quirky”. Here are some reality shows we will probably NEVER see:
Harlem Hustlin’
Hip Hop Death Squad
Baby Mama
Baby Daddies
Asian Gang Wars
Crossing the Border
Crack House
No Habla Ingles
Black Urban Church Escape
American Negro Minister Personality Cult
Bath House
Bug Chasers
Hustlin’ Race
Just sayin’......
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