The late Reverend Mark Wolford belongs to a sect that takes this verse in the New Testament, translated in English, at face value with no consideration or thought: "Mark 16: 17-18 reads, "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." Now; Christians who encourage alcoholics to go ahead and drink because they have been "cured", ( Damascus Christian Community, Damascus Maryland) and who tell people with food allergies that it is safe to eat the stuff to which they are allergic because if a person is truly faithful, Jesus will cure the food allergy, ( Damascus Christian Community and Frederick Maryland Rescue Mission) are evil enough, but if my child visited a church where wild animals were teased and provoked during a church service, and got attacked by one of them, (one of the snakes, not one of the Christians) I'd never want to be reminded of that religion again. Actually, I hate being reminded of Christianity already, but this would make me hate it more. And this "laying on of hands" to heal; do they tell diabetics and people with TB that they no longer need their medications? Do they tell schizophrenics not to take their medications?
One more thing about using snakes in the church service to make Jesus happy.......why is Jesus happy when innocent animals are teased? And why would anyone who is truly spiritual and inspired want to use an unwilling participant in any service or ritual? The snake had obviously not converted, otherwise, he would not have bitten the pastor! Or am I asking for too much logic here?
Does the obvious contradiction of the rattlesnake bite killing the pastor despite the misleading interpretation of one verse in Saint Mark's gospel mean that the pastor's faith was all in vain, or nonexistant?
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