Freethought & Rationalism Archive

CX · 01-14-2004, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Marduk
There are Christian sects that play this to the max (mostly in the South) they handle poisonous snakes and drink strychnine as part of their service. However there must be a reason they always use strychnine as the poison of choice, I have NEVER seen or read about any group trying this stunt with cyanide.

Actually I think there is only one such denomination with a very small number of adherents in the apalachian mountains.

[edited to add: Found a reference and it is the Pentacostal-Holiness church which originated in East Tenessee in the Appalachian mountains and has only a few associated churchs]

CX · 01-14-2004, 02:03 PM

It appears this practice is more wide spread than I thought

Quote:

An exact number is unknown due to the autonomy of each individual group, but estimates range between 1,000 and 2,000 total church members [including those who do not actually handle snakes] (Burton 1993, 165). Snake handlers can be found as far south as central Florida, and as far west as Columbus, Ohio and as far north as West Virginia (Melton 1996, 636).

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