CONSPIRACY #716

Volume 1 Issue 32 November 13, 2007
Snake Handling Church -- Is God there? We were

the following is a story about a snake handling church somewhere in clay county. it was reported as if someone from the clay county times actually went to the church and sat in on a serpent handling event. after reading the following information you decide for yourself what really happen.

(story printed as written in the clay county We at the Times will go anywhere there is a story. Recently a lady at London was bitten and died from a snakebite wound during church services. The church practiced serpent handling. We wondered what that really meant and wondered if we have churches in Clay County that held this practice. So we went hunting and discovered a small church in the Bright Shade community. We asked the preacher if we could talk to him and watch a service. He had no problem with this; he just didn't want the church name to be mention. So one Sunday we went to watch the service and interview him. We felt welcomed there and had a great time, until the snakes came out. I was terrified. But after the service we sat down and talked with the pastor.

For serpent-handling churches, the verses in the bible hold no debate-they are the literal words of the Lord that have inspired worshiping believers to handle poisonous snakes for a hundred years. Serpent handling is always controversial, yet it shows no signs of disappearing from its traditional home in Appalachia, Junior G. Minton is a serpent-handling pastor from Bright Shade. He explains that, for him, handling snakes is simply following the gospel to the letter. "Other folks don't do this this because their churches don't believe, or it's just something they're scared of," he said. "They come to that scripture but want to jump over that part because it's a deadly thing."

The practice began in the early 1900's. Its popularity has grown through the years. Serpent handling is currently at fairly low popularity. Such fluctuations are characteristic of faith that persists throughout Appalachia. The perception that communities that practice serpent handling church services are poor, isolated rural areas is simply no longer accurate. "Historically that's where it emerged, but that's no longer the case," said Minton. "Some of these churches are near cities like Atlanta, Georgia, or Middlesboro, Kentucky - and the middle Appalachian region itself is less rural than it used to be. Serpent handling is no longer restricted to miners." While a number of churches with small congregations around a dozen members survive throughout the heart of Appalachia, the faith is also practiced in adjacent states of Ohio and Tennessee.

Can they get new people we wondered? Churches survive and grow by not attracting new mwmbers, but because of enduring family traditions. "Serpent handling is maintained through powerful families whose children have carried on that tradition for up to four generations," Minton said. "There are a small number of converts, but they generally maintain themselves through these families, and by people marrying into tradition."

While Junior Minton's grandparents handled serpents, he said he came to the practice later, after a religious awakening that included baptism. "I prayed for this, for God to give me the sign to do this because it was in the scriptures," he said. "I don't want to get out of it. Churches that practice serpent handling tend to be aware of being different from others. This desire for privacy stems, in large part, from negative attention that inevitably follows the practice after deaths due to snakebite occur.

"There are over 100 documented deaths from serpent bites," said Minton. "In every tradition, people are bitten and killed by them. They risk their lives all the time by handling them. If you go to any serpent-handling church, you'll see people with atrophied hands, and missing fingers. All the serpent-handling families have suffered such things." "It's a misconception that these people believe they won't get hurt," Minton explains. "The Bible says to take up serpents, not that they won't be bitten. If they're bit, that's up to God. The issue is obedience to God. There's no magic stuff. They know the reality of it because so many families have had people hurt and killed."

Junior Minton has seen many serpent-handling bites, and experienced them himself. None of those experiences have deterred him from answering his calling. "Some people were bit, and I believe God was ready for them and their time had come," he said. "I was bit 21 times, by rattlesnakes, copperheads, twice by a water moccasins, and I never used anti venom-all I had was just Jesus. I've been bitten badly, but I'll go back the next week and take them out again." What is it that inspires these worshipers to handle poisonous snakes? Like other Christian fundamentalists, serpent handlers' beliefs are rooted in a literal interpretation of the scriptures.

These activities don't dominate services, but play a limited role within more traditional worship. "In almost all serpent-handling churches, they don't handle them all the time. They usually don't even handle them every Sunday," Minton explained. But those anointed by the Holy Spirit answer the calling by taking up the deadly reptiles or by drinking poisons. Minton said: "Only certain individuals commonly handle serpents, and it goes with out saying that they warn people; "If you're not directed by the Holy Ghost to do this, you'd better not.'" While few outsiders are drawn to the dangerous and controversial practice, Junior Minton predicts that its future is assured. "Since the beginning people have been predicting that it will disappear, but as long as there is Appalachia there will be handlers," he explained. "It's an integral part of Appalachian tradition and it's not going to fade away.


sounds like a great story doesn't it? so let's look further into the story to see if it is the TRUTH of a made up LIE about a church in Clay County told to the citizens of the community.

Here is the TRUTH--

Snake Handlers Hang On in Appalachian Churches

National Geographic News/April 7, 2003
By Brian Handwerk

Above is a story written by Brian Handwerk for National Geographic News on April 7th 2003. The entire story can be by clicking here

but to look at segments of the two stories you be the judge about the story printed is TRUE or a LIE.

example 1: excerpt from Clay County Times Story -- Junior G. Minton is a serpent-handling pastor from Bright Shade. He explains that, for him, handling snakes is simply following the gospel to the letter. "Other folks don't do this this because their churches don't believe, or it's just something they're scared of," he said. "They come to that scripture but want to jump over that part because it's a deadly thing."

NOW HERE IS AN EXCERPT FROM BRIAN HANDWERK'S STORY WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED IN 2003 ---- 4 YEARS EARLIER ---- Junior G. McCormick is a serpent-handling pastor from Georgia. He explains that, for him, handling snakes is simply following the gospel to the letter. "Other folks don't do this because their churches don't believe, or it's just something they're scared of," he said. "They come to that scripture but want to jump over that part because it's a deadly thing."

example 2: Clay County Times Story -- "Historically that's where it emerged, but that's no longer the case," said Minton. "Some of these churches are near cities like Atlanta, Georgia, or Middlesboro, Kentucky - and the middle Appalachian region itself is less rural than it used to be. Serpent handling is no longer restricted to miners." While a number of churches with small congregations around a dozen members survive throughout the heart of Appalachia, the faith is also practiced in adjacent states of Ohio and Tennessee.

EXCERPT FROM 2003 HANDWERK STORY -- "Historically that's where it emerged, but that's no longer the case," said Hood. "Some of these churches are near cities like Atlanta, Georgia, or Middlesboro, Kentucky and the middle Appalachian region itself is less rural than it used to be. Serpent handling is no longer restricted to miners." While a number of churches with small congregations around a dozen members survive throughout the heart of Appalachia, the faith is also practiced in adjacent states of Ohio and Alabama.

example 3: Clay County Times Story -- Junior Minton has seen many serpent-handling bites, and experienced them himself. None of those experiences have deterred him from answering his calling. "Some people were bit, and I believe God was ready for them and their time had come," he said. "I was bit 21 times, by rattlesnakes, copperheads, twice by a water moccasins, and I never used anti venom-all I had was just Jesus. I've been bitten badly, but I'll go back the next week and take them out again."

EXCERPT FROM 2003 HANDWERK STORY --

Junior McCormick has seen many serpent-handling bites, and experienced them himself. None of those experiences have deterred him from answering his calling. "Some people were bit, and I believe God was ready for them and their time had come," he said. "I was bit 14 times, by rattlesnakes, copperheads, water moccasins, and I never used anti venomall I had was just Jesus. I've been bitten badly, but I'll go back the next week and take them out [serpents] again."

ANYWAY you get the picture that the story was a FRAUD and the contents of the story were STOLEN from another writer who published the article 4 years ago. so Clay County Times -- TRUTH of LIE --- you be the judge.