Last night marked the premiere of "Snake Salvation" on NatGeo. It follows the members of several "snake handling" churches. An offshoot of Pentecostalism, they take literally the Bible verse in Mark 16:17-16 which reads:“And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
The "Holiness" movement was started by George Went Hensley in 1910. Since that time, 100+ individuals have died from snake bites during church services-- including at one at the churches highlighted in this show (see below). George himself died of a snakebite in 1955. While it is reported that some 40 churches currently practice snake handling, each church's membership is very small. Ya don't have any mega snake handling churches.
While I'm usually wrong about reality shows, I cant imagine viewers will want to stick around for 16 episodes of this. Here's how the first two went:
- We are introduced to the various characters and their families. Andrew Hamblin has 5 children and is the pastor of the Tabernacle Church of God in Lafollette TN. Jamie Coots is the pastor of Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name church of Middlesboro KY. His grandfather founded the church and Jamie's son plans to follow in his footsteps.
- We see them at home and at church (where they handle poisonous snakes and speak in tongues). Oh and did I mention they also dance with fire, drink poison and refuse to go the hospital if injured?
- We see them catch snakes and take various snakes (such as rattlesnakes, cottonmouths and copperheads) out of their boxes. They drive to Texas to catch snakes and then drive to South Carolina to exchange those snakes for other snakes that are legal to own in Kentucky or Tennessee.
- One advantage of having poisonous snakes in church is no one is likely to fall asleep during the sermon.
- We see what a finger that has fallen off to due snake bite looks like (that was disgusting).
- Funniest quote: "I am terrified of spiders. Snakes, all day long; but spiders, oh God Almighty..." -Jamie Coots.
"In July 2008, 10 people were arrested and 125 venomous snakes were confiscated as part of an undercover sting operation titled "Twice Shy." Pastor Gregory James Coots of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name was arrested and 74 snakes were seized from his home as part of the sting. A Tennessee woman died in 1995 due to a rattlesnake bite received during a service at the Tabernacle church. Coots was cited again in 2013 for illegal possession and transportation of venomous snakes when three rattlesnakes and two copperheads were confiscated from his vehicle during a traffic stop in Knoxville, Tennessee."
I'm all for seeing my fellow Appalachians represented on TV, does it have to be by snake handling people who speak in tongues and are on government assistance? Come on NatGeo! Bring back "Doomsday Preppers". At least I could learn some useful skills even if the people were crazy.
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