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2013 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

The Snake Handlers In The Ozarks

2013 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

The National Geographic Channel began airing a show last month (Sept. 2013) entitled "Snake Salvation." This show is about the Snake Handlers, who are a fundamentalist sect of Pentecostals, who have been practicing their religion in the southern states since 1910. The Snake Handlers interpret two (2) passages from The New Testament which mention touching serpents VERY literally (that's why we call them "fundamentalists"), and as part of their weekly church services on Sundays, they dance while holding live copperheads and eastern timber rattlesnakes. They appear to me to fit the definition of a "cult" nicely, but because they've been doing this in Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky as well as in West Virginia for more than 100 years now, people in the Ozarks seem to view them as being just another fundamentalist Christian sect, rather than being a cult. Ms. Northcut, if you're curious, you may already know this, the religious practice of snake handling is officially illegal in 49 states, judges have ruled that our First Amendment rights DO NOT include the freedom to endanger people, and the right to pass around live venomous reptiles during a church service is NOT protected within the First Amendment to our Constitution. As of 2013, this practice is still legal in West Virginia, somehow the courts have ruled this practice to be permissible. Fatalities during their church services seem to be relatively rare, although serious injuries do not seem to be terribly rare at all- People do routinely get bitten by venomous reptiles during their church services, although if the bite is minor enough, you'll merely get very, very, VERY sick for a few weeks or months, and probably lose some fingers but you'll eventually recover (minus a few fingers.) Here's the link to the National Geographic Channel's site's page about their show "Snake Salvation"- http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/snake-salvation

And yes, I would like to nominate The Snake Handling churches of Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and West Virginia for a 2013 Darwin Award. I know this is a bit unusual here, I'm nominating a group of people rather than an individual, although I do believe that your rules to permit groups to be nominated too- Watch the videos that the National Geographic Channel has posted on their page about this show...

PLEASE : )

Submitted on 10/17/2013

Submitted by: Scott Benowitz
Reference: The National Geographic Channel- Sept. 2013

Copyright © 2013 DarwinAwards.com

>> Moderator Scores <<

Candi said:
Definitely Toss: Other
Sorry, Scott, we never permit nominations of whole groups for Darwins. Darwins are about individual irresponsibility, disregard of consequences, and lack of common sense. Plus, we've had individual nominations of snake handlers before, to the point where they're at "too common" unless something very unusual is going on. Thanks anyway, and submit again.


Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: Other
As Candi said. Darwin Awards are all about individual self-selection. Thanks just the same.


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