Holiness Nuts Handle Rattlesnakes in Tennessee

[Quantum Windbag]

Oh! And it is also against the law to have poisonous snakes.
So tell me where in the state he would have bought a rattle snake?

Louisiana allows anyone who gets a permit to own venomous snakes. Is there any evidence anywhere outside your brain that the pastor does not have a permit?

By the way, the story was wrong, anyone with a basic fishing license is allowed to collect snakes.

http://www.lgchs.org/handout/LA Regulations.pdf

 

[uscitizen]

As long as they are legal adults let them handle reptiles, get bit and remove themselves from the genepool.

That drinking of poison did not work out too well for the Jim Jones sect though.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Lol

So under sharia law you are allowed to stone your wife if she is unfaithful, but it is still against the law in the US to stone your wife. See how that works?

Much clearer than you do. Picking up a snake is not murder.

Um, I see my point flew right over your head.
The point is even though what he is doing is against the law, doesn't mean it is unconstitutional or infringing on his right to freedom of religion.

How did me pointing out the difference between handling snakes and murder lead you to believe that it is always constitutional for the government to make laws that restrict religion?

 

[Luissa]

Much clearer than you do. Picking up a snake is not murder.

Um, I see my point flew right over your head.
The point is even though what he is doing is against the law, doesn't mean it is unconstitutional or infringing on his right to freedom of religion.

How did me pointing out the difference between handling snakes and murder lead you to believe that it is always constitutional for the government to make laws that restrict religion?

The law was put in place after five people died.

 

[uscitizen]

5 with obviously defective genes gone. I consider that a good thing.

 

[Luissa]

Oh! And it is also against the law to have poisonous snakes.
So tell me where in the state he would have bought a rattle snake?

Louisiana allows anyone who gets a permit to own venomous snakes. Is there any evidence anywhere outside your brain that the pastor does not have a permit?

By the way, the story was wrong, anyone with a basic fishing license is allowed to collect snakes.

http://www.lgchs.org/handout/LA Regulations.pdf

First off he isn't in Louisiana

 

[Cammmpbell]

Do they also heal the sick?

Actually doctors do that and most of the young ones are atheists or agnostic....like the other young people.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Um, I see my point flew right over your head.
The point is even though what he is doing is against the law, doesn't mean it is unconstitutional or infringing on his right to freedom of religion.

How did me pointing out the difference between handling snakes and murder lead you to believe that it is always constitutional for the government to make laws that restrict religion?

The law was put in place after five people died.

People die all the time, should we outlaw cars because people die in them?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Oh! And it is also against the law to have poisonous snakes.
So tell me where in the state he would have bought a rattle snake?

Louisiana allows anyone who gets a permit to own venomous snakes. Is there any evidence anywhere outside your brain that the pastor does not have a permit?

By the way, the story was wrong, anyone with a basic fishing license is allowed to collect snakes.

http://www.lgchs.org/handout/LA Regulations.pdf

First off he isn't in Louisiana

My bad, I have no idea why I thought it was Louisiana.

 

[hortysir]

So if my religion said I must smoke crack to show how much I love my god, I have the right to smoke that crack?
The kid is not right, the state has laws about capturing wild animals and poisonous snake for one, plus they have laws against what he is practicing due to people dying.

Fair enough.
If there is a TN law banning the capture of these snakes then he shouldn;t do it.

While the Bible does tell us to obey man's law unless they contradict God's, there is no 'commandment' to take up serpents.
Only that they'll be able to.

Since picking up snakes or drinking deadly poisons is not a commandment, then doing so serves no actual purpose. Is that what you mean, hortysir?

Then why is this man picking up serpents? Where is the commanmdent that tells him to do so?

Or is this what is meant by "testing god"--doing something dangerous and not commanded?

Sometimes us silly humans do things "just because we can".
No, that doesn't make it right...or smart.

I see it as testing God. Yes.

These people are calling them selves Pentecostals.
I'm a Pentecostal and firmly believe in the Gifts of the Spirit, but I'm not going to drink a vial of arsenic just to show that God will protect me.

 

[Luissa]

Fair enough.
If there is a TN law banning the capture of these snakes then he shouldn;t do it.

While the Bible does tell us to obey man's law unless they contradict God's, there is no 'commandment' to take up serpents.
Only that they'll be able to.

Since picking up snakes or drinking deadly poisons is not a commandment, then doing so serves no actual purpose. Is that what you mean, hortysir?

Then why is this man picking up serpents? Where is the commanmdent that tells him to do so?

Or is this what is meant by "testing god"--doing something dangerous and not commanded?

Sometimes us silly humans do things "just because we can".
No, that doesn't make it right...or smart.

I see it as testing God. Yes.

These people are calling them selves Pentecostals.
I'm a Pentecostal and firmly believe in the Gifts of the Spirit, but I'm not going to drink a vial of arsenic just to show that God will protect me.

My brother was in the hospital for two weeks when he got bit by a rattle snake. He was out in the middle of no where Wyoming and had to be flown into Gillette. These people are idiot. Lol

 

[amrchaos]

The constitution prevents the government from making any law that infringes on anyone's religion.

Why do I have to explain that?

But is this guy commanded by his religion to pick up serpents?

If not, then how can you use Freedom of religion to defend his actions?

Buddhism has no commands, does that mean it is not a religion?

First, Buddhism is a religion despite lacking declarative commands(is that really so? I need to check. Regardless, a religion does not need to have commands is correct)

Second, how is that question related to the subject at hand? I did not say that he is not practicing a religion, I am asking is "why is he picking up poisonous snakes if the bible does not command it?"

I think he is trying to demonstrate the power and correctness of the Last part to the book of Mark. If this is the case, he is trying to demonstrate his faith through a dangerous procedure, not practice his faith through the use of a dangerous procedure..

A somewhat subtle difference here, and one that does not appear to be covered under freedom of religion, unless the religion is commanding(which it does not) the practice.

To make things a little clearer, if the courts did prosecute individuals for handling poisonous serpents without license, the rev can still practice his faith, but cannot demonstrate the faith through serpent handling.

The fact that he can still practice his faith means that his rights to religion is not suppressed.

His ability/inability to demonstrate his faith through snake handling probably falls under free speech. His right of free speech through demonstration is suppressed.

I am not thaty keen on how the constituion works, so I suggest talking to one of the lawyer guys on the board like Liability to get their view of this issue. But I don't think Serpent handling is necessary to practice christianity and thus the whole serpent handling thing is not part of his religion, which is christianity. It is an expression of faith, which I think becomes a free speech issue.