The University of the Unusual (6)

  Snake Handlers 

  On occasion I produce a post under the label - “The University of the Unusual” - but it has been a while since I have done so. I will now offer the sixth in this series and it is relates to “Snake Handlers”. The last one was about “Spontaneous Human Combustion.” The one before that was about the “Guinea Worm.” If those topics don’t give you some indication of whether you should proceed, I will add that they are modelled on the old “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!” features which were syndicated in many newspapers back in the days when we still had some.  

   The subject this week seems less sensational than the ones mentioned above. It relates to Pastor Greg Locke and the Global Vision Bible Church which is located near Mount Juliet, Tennessee. The Pastor leans toward the far right politically and tilts toward the Pentecostal religiously. About social and cultural matters his stance unsurprisingly is a conservative one and during a recent sermon, these things were “called out:” homosexuality, lesbianism, gender dysphoria, transgenderism and, of course, the Devil. The tent, his “Canvas Cathedral” “slowly took on a spirit of its own. Worshipers began writhing as if in pain. Others waved their hands in the air in benediction. “Amens” began to mix with the guttural sound of growling, moaning and praying in tongues…. Some fell to the ground, pawing at cedar chips, or retched into silver vomit buckets that had been set at the end of each row of white folding chairs.”

    The calling out and rebuking of such things as homosexuality cannot be characterized, even now, as ‘unusual’, but I do find the growling, moaning and guttural sounds to be a bit strange as are pawing at cedar chips and vomiting in silver buckets. Such behaviour may not be as odd as I think, however, since Pastor Locke’s local flock has grown from 200 to over a 1,000 and apparently he is followed by 4,000,000 more on social media. 

    During these polarized days when we think those opposed to us politically hold views and ideas that will be charitably characterized here as “unusual,” just remember that, “Believe It Or Not,” there are a lot of folks around who worship bizarre notions.

And Strychnnine Sippers

 The charismatic Pastor Locke also ranted on about the “fake pandemic” and said this: “If you’ve had the covid-19 shot, I’m telling you you’ve got poison in your veins,” Locke thundered. “We call out the covid-19 vaccine out right now. Keep that demonic spirit out of you right now in the name of Jesus!”

   When I read that, I thought that the Pastor should have taken advantage of the opportunity to encourage the members of his congregation to demonstrate their faith by taking the pandemic poison. I also thought the behavior exhibited by these Tennesseeans gives me the opportunity to present to you the related unusual topics of snake handling and strychnnine sipping. 

  Although those things didn’t occur during this service, there was "talking in tongues" and other strange antics and had reptiles been available they might have been used. During similar ceremonies, rural parishioners in the mountains in the Appalachian area have taken poison and handled venomous snakes to demonstrate their faith. According to what they have been told, serpents and other deadly things will not hurt them as you can see from the Gospel presented above. Sources and fascinating examples are found below. 

   Apart from allowing me to offer you another lecture from "The University of the Unusual," this story can serve as a metaphor to suggest that the folks down in the hollow, may not be so different from some of the politicians up on the Hill. The rural religious fervor resembles closely much that is found in the urban political milieu where snake oil salesmen abound. 

Sources:

The article about Locke is here: "A Jan. 6 Pastor Divides His Tennessee Community With Increasingly Extremist Views," Annie Gowan, Washington Post, Mar. 31, 2022.

The Nashville Tennessean has been following Locke.

"White Christian Nationalist Pastor Greg Locke Divides a Tennessee Community," Johnny Robish, April 1, 2022 The Global Vision Bible Church, headed by White Christian Nationalist and rabid Trump supporter Pastor Greg Locke, boasts millions of followers and has gained national attention through its book-burning, using neo-fascist “Proud Boys” members as security guards, defying mask mandates, labeling the coronavirus as a “fake pandemic,” preaching election fraud, and urging followers to attack those whom Pastor Locke considers “demonic spirits” — people with mental disabilities, “objectionable” cultural or political beliefs, and folks with a “sinful” sexual orientation. That said, his radical views, including bragging about attending the January 6th insurrection, along with the large and frequently rowdy crowds he attracts to his services, have divided not only the community, but also families within the town of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, a mostly white community of 39,000 just east of Nashville."

"Greg Locke Timeline: From independent Baptist Pastor to Right-wing Firebrand,"

Liam Adams, Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, April 20, 2022.

Some snippets:

2020: Locke, on the advisory committee for Evangelicals for Trump, receives an invitation to White House for former U.S. President Donald Trump’s acceptance speech for the GOP presidential nomination.

2020: Political operative Roger Stone and Republican activist Charlie Kirk visit Global Vision on separate Sundays before the presidential election.

Did you know there is a Rational Wiki? See the entry for Greg Lock and the section, "Wingnuttery and Christian Nationalism."

The literature relating to "snake handling" is considerable, but a good start is here: "Confirming the Word: Snake-Handling Sects in Southern Appalachia,"Marsha Maquire, The Quartely Journal of the Library of Congress, Vol.38, No.3, Summer, 1981.

Apparently there was a reality TV show, "Snake Salvation" and one of the participants died from a snake bite: "Snake Salvation Reality Show Star Dies From Snake Bite," Ali Vingiano, Buzzfeed, Feb, 16, 2014.

To learn more about Glossolalia see the Wikipedia entry for "Speaking in Tongues."

The Bonus:

Although there is a statute in Tennessee that prohibits possession of poisonous reptiles, juries have been reluctant to convict those who were using them in religious services. As the First Amendment indicates, there should be no laws restricting the freedom of religion.

Roger Stone is a rather notorious figure whose name you might associate with the administration of former President Trump. He is mentioned above when he visited the church in Mount Juliet. He is not in jail, because he was pardoned by President Trump.

The real bonus - he has been hired as an advisor by the Ontario Party for the upcoming election here in Ontario.