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LONDON, Ky. -- A southeastern Kentucky law enforcement officer said a woman was bitten by a snake during church and died.

She was 48-year-old Linda Long. The Laurel County Sheriff's Office reported that she died Sunday at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.

Detective Brad Mitchell said Long died about four hours after the bite was reported.

Officials said Long attended East London Holiness Church. Neighbors of the church told the newspaper the church practices serpent handling.

Lt. Ed Sizemore of the Laurel County Sheriff's Office said friends went with Long to a local hospital Sunday afternoon.

"She said she was bitten by a snake at her church," Sizemore said.

Sizemore said he thinks the woman was bitten by a timber rattlesnake.

Handling reptiles as part of religious services is illegal in Kentucky. Snake handling is a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine of $50 to $100. Police said they had not received reports about snake handling at the church.

Snake handling is based on a passage in the Bible, in the Gospel of Mark, that said a sign of a true believer is the power to "take up serpents" without being harmed.

A woman who lives near the church told the Lexington-Herald leader that she's witnessed snake handling at the church.

"I don't have no dealings with those snakes," Opal Wagers said. "But they seem to handle them pretty good."

She told the paper that people handle snakes at the church at least one Sunday each month. Wagers said the snakes are taken to the church by members from Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.

Church officials could not be reached for comment.

Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

"Snake handling is based on a passage in the Bible, in the Gospel of Mark, that said a sign of a true believer is the power to "take up serpents" without being harmed.

Guess she wasnt a true believer.

I wonder how long that cult would last if they were provided with a bunch of healthy death adders, cobras, gabboons, mambas, etc to replace their emaciated and traumatized canebrakes and coppers?

"Handling reptiles as part of religious services is illegal in Kentucky. Snake handling is a misdemeanor and punishable by a $50 to $100 fine."

so what?!? My python can't be "saved" if I lived in Kentucky?!?
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
0-0-1 Rescued Bearded Dragon - Zeus
0-0-1 Rescued Non-Alpha Green Iguana - Bud
1-2-0 Rescued Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet, Isis
0-0-1 Rescued Fit and Trim Panda Hamster - Mr. Fluffy
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

The verse in the Bible these people always refer to says "They shall take up serpents". I saw an interview with one of their preachers and the preacher himself said that the verse says nothing about not being bitten when taking up serpents.
Also, "take up serpents" covers a LOT of ground-where does it say venomous? I don't follow the religion, but wouldn't a corn snake fill the bill as well? If everyone involved could keep it civil, it might be interesting to discuss that with their leaders--but, like George Carlin says, more people are killed in the name of religion than anything else-that and politics are two very dangerous topics.

I'm a man of Faith (A Christian) but I don't go jumping in front of 90mph locomotives expecting God to protect me. He did give us a brain and intends for us to use it. Every time I've handled a rattlesnake it was by the head.

I was invited to a snake handling service once by a guy that did it but turned down the invitation. I figured I see enough idiots everyday, I don't need to see a building full of them.

But what can you say, there are extremists in every category. A little bit of common sense can go a long way.

Have a good one!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

Please mail it via money order to address listed below. Dont fear, your python can be sanctified by my simple, easy , at home method. Painless and takes mere minutes. then you can handle him/her and be saved.

Amen

Sincerely
Fred Albury

P.S.

Though people have a right to worship whatever Diety they beleive in, the use of animals in the entire debacle is kind of questionable, especially if they arent being taken good care of.

"Handling reptiles as part of religious services is illegal in Kentucky." This cannot be true, unless Kentucky does not abide to the Bill of Rights found in the U.S. Constitution.