Jamie Coots, well-known Middlesboro preacher, dies from snake bite

[kentuck]

This is in my home county of Bell, in SE Kentucky. He was in the news last year for having his snakes confiscated in Tennessee.
====================

http://www.kentucky.com/2014/02/16/3092068/jamie-coots-well-known-snake-handling.html

<snip>

A well-known snake-handling preacher from Middlesboro died after being bitten during a church service Saturday evening, according to police.

Jamie Coots was bitten on his right hand by a snake, according to a news release.

<snip>
The emergency responders told Coots about the danger of not going to the hospital, but he refused to go, police said.

The emergency crews left the house at 9:10 p.m. Authorities received a call less than an hour later indicating Coots had died, according to police. Coots was pronounced dead at his home.

[arthritisR_US]

1. Must have happened on 'gods' day off....nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. He did not pass the test I guess.

I feel sorry for his family.

[exboyfil]

8. It is sad

He has a picture of what I think is his grandchild on his Facebook.

[Tom Ripley]

3. I guess he had even less faith than intelligence

[enlightenment]

4. Astonishing statement:

Kentucky outlawed handing poisonous snakes in religious services in 1940, but serious attempts to enforce the law ended decades ago because of reluctance by authorities to prosecute people for their religious beliefs.

Really? And if their religious belief includes tossing children into a snake pit, would that be okay, too?

[exboyfil]

9. Rights always walk a fine line

The state has a duty to protect children. You have an absolute right to be stupid so long as it does not hurt anybody else or overly inconvenience society. Snake handling probably has a similar mortality to some of these other sports, and few claim these sports are part of their religion. I am surprised that no one has challenged this law in court. So long as children on not involved, I can't see how you are justified in stopping it (so long as you are allowed to own and handle snakes in other settings for example - perhaps requiring some sort of animal handler licensing).

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/10/04/the-7-deadly-hobbies-pastimes-your-insurer-hates/

[Scootaloo]

28. Except their beliefs don't include that

Seriously, the "what if your friends jumped off a cliff?!" argument was dumb when we were five years old, it's no dumber as adults.

It's a dumb religious practice - which is frankly redundant, because there are precious few intelligent religious practice in the world. But if it's what they all agree to do and they only hurt themselves, I don't care.

And that includes the snakes - Some of these groups hedge their bets by defanging the snakes which is, of course, animal cruelty.

[enlightenment]

31. You certainly like the word "dumb"

Thanks for your opinion.

[durablend]

5. Guess God didn't care much for him! n/t

[Politicalboi]

6. Snake Your Ground

I have no sympathy for idiots. Hopefully the snake won't be charged with murder.

[geomon666]

7. Darwin Award winner n/t

[exboyfil]

11. Does not qualify

I think he has at least one grandkid.

[NightWatcher]

10. He chose poorly

[exboyfil]

12. Noodle handling?

How many meatballs can you stuff in your mouth?

[geomon666]

13. Homemade?

There is no limit.

[NightWatcher]

15. don't play with your god and don't talk with your mouth full

And so it is written

[LiberalAndProud]

14. He died a faithful man.

It wasn't for lack of faith that Brother Coots died.

[L0oniX]

16. Wouldn't jumping off of tall buildings be better?

I mean foaming at the mouth and convulsions ...it just takes too long to die. I think the banksters are on to something here.

Please excuse my dark ambulance humor ...I watch a lot of Bloody Disgusting approved movies.

"I knew that idiot was going to die from that shit" - quote my wife ...just now

[malaise]

17. And written on his tombstone (were I the writer)

Here lies Jamie Coots the snake oil salesman killed by a snake

[spanone]

18. 'go forward and handle snakes' i don't remember that in the bible...

dumb ass

[LiberalAndProud]

20. He took a few verses literally.

Mark 16
17“These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18they 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.”

The Bible is full of very odd things. Also, many people believe very odd things.

[spanone]

41. wonder why he didn't do the poison thingy....or heal as many as he could?

[ohheckyeah]

21. Mark 16:18

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.

It refers to the scripture Acts 28:3-5

Paul at Malta
…3But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 4When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, "Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live." 5However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.…

They forgot the scripture "Do not tempt the Lord your God."

[spanone]

22. so, he thought he was Paul.....

[ohheckyeah]

23. He was part of a sect

that took one part of a scripture and made a religion out of it. It happens far too often.

It's so silly and sad and beyond my comprehension.

My husband went to a snake handler church one time just to see what it was like and because he didn't really believe they handled snakes. They do, he thought it was beyond ridiculous.

[jazzimov]

24. I thought The Walrus was Paul

and there's another clue for you all....

[Wolf Frankula]

34. Ringo Wanted to be the Walrus

but they wouldn't let him.

Wolf

[spanone]

39. i am the eggman....

[Brigid]

38. Yep, they forget Matthew 4:7.

That one's good enough for me

[LiberalAndProud]

44. They would see it differently.

In their view they are testing their faith, not tempting God. It is only theirs to understand the truth as revealed in the Bible. Your understanding is clearly flawed. Or do I have that backwards? It depends on who you ask, I guess.

[ohheckyeah]

46. If they bothered to read the scripture,

Paul picked up the snake by accident. It wasn't a test of faith.

[LiberalAndProud]

47. Okay. If you say so.

Though I suspect these folks have been reading the same scriptures you have.

[ohheckyeah]

48. Well, yeah, I say so. n/t

[Solly Mack]

19. ...

"It's a victory to God's people that the Lord seen fit to bring me through it,” he said the day after the bite in 1998.

Ergo...

[UtahLib]

25. Live by the snake, die by the snake. nt

[VanillaRhapsody]

26. Another one? These guys seem to have short memories...

this is what happens to most of those religious snake handlers..

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

27. "And, for my next miracle..."

[Tanuki]

29. Pinkard and Bowden will play him out with "Shake a snake"....

[Historic NY]

30. And God said the snake wins today....

Question is if he was so sure in the first place why call EMS?

[Bigmack]

32. Never mind Coots...

... how is the snake?

It has had something awful in its mouth. I hope they could save it.

[Stallion]

43. Darn. That's Was My Response on Another Website

running through the thread to see if someone posted first

[MFM008]

33. and the snake died......

isnt this animal abuse of some sort? Or do they do this in between cock-fights??

[reddread]

35. the least they could do is ID the perp

Id WAG a Timber or Eastern Diamondback.
I doubt he was in possession of Coral snakes or deadly Mojave Green types.
Definitely dont want to handle those without tongs and sticks, although I had a standing offer to the faithful to try their luck with my scutulatus.
God help you around Central and South American species.
They'll jack you right up.

[Blue Owl]

36. When the rainbows turn into serpents

n/t

[kentuck]

37. **UPDATE**

http://www.wkyt.com/wymt/home/headlines/Snake-bite-kills-Bell-County-snake-handling-preacher-245764001.html

<snip>
"If he would've lived and he would've woke up in a hospital he would've blamed every one of us," said Coots.

His son says though the family is still in shock, they're relying on their faith and wisdom learned from Jamie.

"He always told me no matter what happens you always keep the snakes here," said Coots, "and you always stand on what I've taught you."

Cody says he plans to continue handling snakes in their church in Bell County.


....more

[backscatter712]

40. Snake-handling religious loonies: a self-correcting problem. n/t

[jsr]

42. Oh well

[zabet]

45. I choose not to ridicule

any person's choice of religious beliefs or their choice to have none. Sorry for his family.