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Pastor among suspects in illegal snake bust- Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro, KY

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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-12-08 06:08 PM
Original message
Pastor among suspects in illegal snake bust- Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro, KY
Edited on Sat Jul-12-08 06:10 PM by IanDB1
Black Collar Crime + Darwin Award Nominees

Pastor among suspects in illegal snake bust
By Roger Alford
ASSOCIATED PRESS
8:41 p.m. July 11, 2008

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The pastor of a Kentucky church that handles snakes in religious rites was among 10 people arrested by wildlife officers in a crackdown on the venomous snake trade.

More than 100 snakes, many of them deadly, were confiscated in the undercover sting after Thursday's arrests, said Col. Bob Milligan, director of law enforcement for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.

Most were taken from the Middlesboro home of Gregory James Coots, including 42 copperheads, 11 timber rattlesnakes, three cottonmouth water moccasins, a western diamondback rattlesnake, two cobras and a puff adder.

Handling snakes is practiced in a handful of fundamentalist churches across Appalachia, based on the interpretation of Bible verses saying true believers can take up serpents without being harmed. The practice is illegal in most states, including Kentucky.

Coots, 36, is pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro, where a Tennessee woman died after being bitten by a rattlesnake during a service in 1995. Her husband died three years later when he was bitten by a snake in northeastern Alabama.

<snip>

The snakes, plus one alligator, were turned over to the nonprofit Kentucky Reptile Zoo in Slade. Most appeared to have been captured from the wild, with some imported from Asia and Africa.

More:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20080711-2041-snakebust.html



Signs of True Christians

"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
http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/mk/16.html#17


"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
http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/lk/10.html#19


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skooooo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-12-08 06:10 PM
Response to Original message
1. Hey, it says so in the Bible.
So how can you argue with it?

:shrug:
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-12-08 06:24 PM
Response to Reply #1
3. Is this what it means to be a "FULL" Gospel Church? n/t
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Imagine My Surprise Donating Member (938 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-12-08 06:12 PM
Response to Original message
2. Thanks for affording me another "proud to be in KY" moment n/t
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JohnnyLib2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-12-08 08:07 PM
Response to Reply #2
6. Know what you mean.

Then again, maybe we are safer from snakes than others? :evilgrin:
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-13-08 01:31 PM
Response to Reply #6
11. Shallel Says: July 13, 2008 at 1:38 pm I strongly support the use of snakes in CHristian Worship!
Shallel Says:
July 13, 2008 at 1:38 pm

I strongly support the use of snakes in CHristian Worship! Can you say religious freedom?
Besides, the more Christians who are killed by snake bites, the less there are to vote for McCain!



# Job Says:
July 13, 2008 at 1:57 pm

Shallel:

So, you support killing people to advance your own political objectives? With that, you reveal the hard heart and a dark soul devoid of the love of Jesus Christ.




# Shallel Says:
July 13, 2008 at 2:17 pm

It comes from being subjected to your War God, Jehovah-Allah-Yahweh-Satan, Christ’s sworn enemy!

More:
http://healtheland.wordpress.com/2008/07/12/kentucky-snake-handling-pentecostals-arrested/

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Botany Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-12-08 07:23 PM
Response to Original message
4. What about God gave me a brain .... is that in the bible?
Edited on Sat Jul-12-08 07:26 PM by Botany
Puff Adders and Cobras????? most American snakes just make you real sick
and puffy if they bight but those will kill you.
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Adsos Letter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-12-08 07:52 PM
Response to Original message
5. "The snakes, plus one alligator, ..."
Edited on Sat Jul-12-08 07:54 PM by adsosletter
They're handling alligators now?!

Seriously, someone should tell these people that textual scholars are pretty much in agreement that Mark 16:17-18 is a later scribal addition. Those texts don't appear in the earliest known manuscripts, iirc.
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-12-08 08:54 PM
Response to Reply #5
8. The alligator is to dispose of the corpses of those who weren't "Real" christians. n/t
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-13-08 01:27 PM
Response to Reply #5
10. Snakes on a Pew!
Edited on Sun Jul-13-08 01:37 PM by IanDB1
Is this guy any relation?


Dr. Michael Coots

"Get these muthafuckin snakes offa my goddamn pew!"*'
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=119349180



*Caption mine- iandb1


Same last name, lots of whacked-out fundy beliefs, plus he cites Gregory Coots in the "books" section of his MySpace page.
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ICESTRI Donating Member (1 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-03-09 05:27 AM
Response to Reply #10
12. Snakes on a Pew!
Hello 'Democratic Underground'.

The guy in KY is no relation to Michael Coots or Greg Coots that is in the "books" section of Mike Coots' MySpace page.
I am Gregory A. N. Coots, brother to Michael V. Coots. I am the guy in the "books" section.
We are in fact ministers and Michael, my brother is a PhD psychologist and I am a Dr. of Metaphysics through a world church organization. We have no known relation to the Gregory James Coots in KY.

I just got home from hospital visits in the name of Christ and had a note about this page. Greetings in Jesus name.

Mike and I both are ministers and have active ministries - We have been given by Christ our Lord 'Foundation Fellowship', 'Apogee Harvest', and 'ICES Group' - see Mike's MySpace page and www.icestri.com for more info.

Please Note: Read and understand the truth about this issue with a very few Holy scriptures.

LUKE 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
10:19 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.
10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

LUKE 11:11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
11:12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

MARK 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
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.
16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

MATTHEW 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.


2 TIMOTHY 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 TIMOTHY 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect,
throughly furnished unto all good works.

HEBREWS 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

It is clear here and in other Holy Scripture that the 'serpents/snakes/scorpions' = demons/devils.
It is a clear message that the followers of Jesus Christ - The Son of GOD = the Christians have authority over the enemy
of human souls - the devil and his demons. In many Holy passages in The Bible it is made clear that the enemy is
referred to as serpents, etc. and that they can not harm GOD's children in Christ our Lord.
Psalm 91 among many others shows the forces of hell as animals, Peter calls the devil a lion, Corinthians again a serpent,
Revelation a dragon, the Old and New Testaments are full of such images - all = forces of hell and how they attack and
destroy. Holy Scripture is also clear that IF by attack from the enemy - an accident - or a plot - that snakes will not
kill us or will poisons - IF by mistake or trickery.

LUKE 4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, "It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."
JAMES 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil,
neither tempteth he any man:
1 CORINTHIANS 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful,
who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,
that ye may be able to bear it. 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
10:15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

This guy, last name Coots, in KY s not rightly using or understanding the Holy Word of GOD and is confused and tricked.
Please read the Holy Bible and pray that GOD open His Holy Word to you and you know the salvation of GOD through Jesus Christ.

JOHN 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God. 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?
can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

JOHN 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

All Honor, Glory, Praise, and Thanks to GOD through JESUS CHRIST our Lord and Savior by The HOLY SPIRIT now and forever - Amen!

Thank You - May GOD richly bless and keep You all in His grace and mercy and may You be saved in Christ the Lord - AMEN!
GANC
+++JOHN 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."+++

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DrCoots Donating Member (2 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-04-09 01:20 AM
Response to Reply #10
13. Good Picture of me! Thanks....
Sorry I am not this strange, wierd, odd Snake Man you are speaking of! I NEVER made such a statement (notice how it is set up to SEEM as if I said this).

I do not know any of the folks involved in this incident! My Brother Gregory (also unrelated to this ignorant bit of silliness)have our Ministry and Outreach in Colorado and are unrelated to this mess!!

Also I do not post any ideas on my Site, so "IanDB1" or is it "Dr" Rev" Thomas "Tom" Roy Monroe, Career Criminal and NOT are real Dr. or Rev.? However or whatever you are, get it right, better to make friends than unfriendly contacts!!!















p
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JohnnyLib2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-12-08 08:09 PM
Response to Original message
7. Yup, campaign work for liberal candidates is not easy around here.


And "liberal" sometimes means anyone beyond these believers.....
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-12-08 08:56 PM
Response to Reply #7
9. I think any christian who objects to gay marriage for religious reasons...
Edited on Sat Jul-12-08 08:56 PM by IanDB1
... should be required to allow themselves to be bitten by one of these poisonous snakes to prove that they're "real" christians.

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Manifestor_of_Light Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-04-09 01:23 AM
Response to Original message
14. Darwin is Mighty!
Yep, they don't believe in Darwin, but they live by his rules.

:evilgrin:

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