Hello? Maybe Tutu would know more about this than I....I certainly hope so coz I need answers. I devour books, an average of one a day but I fillet them, take what's necessary and leave the rest. I came across a book today which tells me (Briefly) about Bradley Shell, one of the 'Saints' of the Pentecostal Holiness church of Kentucky. Bradley it seems proves her/his faith by drinking strychnine, handling snakes and placing his/her limbs in fire.
Please someone tell me they don't make the kids do this...please?

Ben

Ben, your talking about a church where most people refer to the members as "Snake Handlers." They pray, dance, and sing, putting themselves into a trance like state, that they call the "Spirit," then they pick up and handle posinious snakes, mostly adult rattlers, as a way of showing that they aren't afraid of the Serpent. Also as a way of showing how strong their faith is to carry them through the handling without getting bit by the snake. Usually, they wait until the children are in their later teens to allow them to become a "Snake Handler." But I was watching an A&E doccumentry on them and there was a little boy of around 10 or 12 who said he felt the, "Spirit" enter him, so he started to "handle" a rattler with some of the other Snake Handlers. While the rest of the congeration sang, danced, and prayed.

~~Greeneyes~~

In no way do I approve of the practices, but it's interesting that thet never get hurt....not by the poison or the snakes.....maybe some sort of "mind over matter" phenomenon?
I'm 99% certain that hypnosis of some sort is involved in these congregational practices.

Did anyone else get hungry when they saw the title of this thread?

I think you'll find that the poison glands are milked before each 'service'..therefore reducing the danger considerably...not eliminating it...and aslo children can be very responsible if trained properly...many have a poisonus snake as a pet....Umm brings to mind the African(and other) tribes who allow four year olds to use exremly sharp hunting knives and axes.to chop wood...if you have ever seen them they are magnificently accurate and delecate with them....yet we would never allow a child of ten to have such sharp tools.....if it is a matter of course to light the fire in the morning for a five year old they will learn too be very carefull and quick.Its horses for courses really. I suppose a matter of what is expected of you...
I digress to far anyway



Opal Princess...not that keen on snakes....

ACTS 28:3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. (NASB)

ACTS 28:5 However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. (NASB)

Now theres a real snake handler for ya :amen:

Actually, I'm pretty sure the poison glands don't get milked before the services...you have to remember that these practices are a vital part of these people's lives. This is nothing but the real deal....
And, Dave, that verse, in conjunction with a couple of others, is the source of their inspiration to do these things.

Why would anyone even think about making kids do any of that????
Kelli

Yes there are sects which do this and yes people sometimes get hurt...but does anything really shock you anymore?

Kelli,
I'm fairly sure it is a rare occurance that children participate in these kinds of services....I'm not sure, but I'm kinda-sure, if you knoe what I mean....
22,
What do you think of my "hypnosis" theory? I only give that out of personal experiance....I only realized that aspect of it after an intense involvement in the charismatic church from a first person point of view....and I still consider myself to be a little Pentacostal....

Kelly...yes, there is definately hyponsis going on....just like 'firewalkers' induce trances to walk across coals

But surely hypnosis does not 'protect' from the consequences???

I can be hypnotised and believe that I can cut off my finger but if I do I'm still one digit short when I wake up!?? Yes/No??

Ben

Ben...hyponsis can do amazing things. I once saw a Shoalin monk (I think he was Shoalin) drop molten metal onto his tongue, roll it around and spit it out...without even a bit of redness. This same bit of metal burned through solid wood in about 3 seconds. But as I said there has been some 'accidents'.

Ahhhhh I see. Hmmmm. Not a lot I can say then.

Wow.

Ben

That is not hypnosis, and I have heard much of the Shaolin Monks, but not the metal rolling. They have thrown needles through panes of glass (thin panes, though), and being balanced on a spear without being gored. It's all about controlling pain, consentration, building up muscles and hardening the body. No hypnosis.

Dros...it is the same thing as hyponsis. What makes you think it is not?

I thought hyonosis was when another person out you into a trance, and made you do stuff. These orange guys (monks) put themselves into a trance/certain state of mind. You might as well call watching tv an act of hypnosis. If you do, then fine by me, but I don't define hypnosis soulely as being in a trance. I call it, well, being in a trance

Dros...its called self-hypnosis...its an altering of conscious through intense concentration or the exclusion of other thought...and no one can 'make' you do anything in hypnosis...you remain in control...you are thinking of stage hypnosis, which is BS

Oh good. But it takes more than self-hypnosis to shoot a needle through glass with your bare arms (over a distance of course). The walking over coal stuff has nothing magic in it. When they walk across, they never get hurt, and neither would I. The time their feet are on the coals are so short, and flesh takes up heat so slow that you would never feel a thing unless a coal got stuck under you.

Rather than self-hynosis I think its more like meditation, but Dross is correct too with the total control over muscles and the building of tone in the muscles. Pain can be easily controlled but with the correct training the muscles are strong enough to not allow too much pain to get through anyway. If you've seen them training they learn a great deal of self control not hypnosis, that with the meditation and bodyily control they can withstand almost anything.

Opal Princess :devil: :knight: