February 9, 2014:

Rattlesnakes, Poison, and Propane Torches, O My!

America has been a fertile field for the creation of new religious movements. Probably as many or more new religions have been created here than in the Middle East and India combined. Why is this?

While I have studied the American religious scene, past and present, since my seminary days, I am neither a religious historian or sociologists. Having made that caveat, I do have some ideas why this has happened.

Many early immigrants to America came here to escape religious persecution and the domination of state religions. Our own Congregational ancestors were among them. The original name for them was “Separatists,” those who wanted to be “separate” and free to establish their religious faith and practices for themselves.

Protestant immigrants believed in what has been called “The Protestant Principle.” All matters of faith and practice are open to criticism and correction, but also Protestants felt free to create new religious groups if they felt led by their reading of scripture.

America itself inspired new religious groups. This magnificent country has places of awe-inspiring and mystical beauty, what some call “thin places” where God seems very near to us.

The vastness of America meant there were many isolated communities where charismatic leaders could rise up to proclaim new religious faiths.

All of this and more seems to have been the genesis of that peculiar southern appalachian group known as the “Snake Handlers.” They base their faith upon two verses in the Gospel of Mark (16:1-17-18). These verses are in the so-called “Longer Ending of Mark” believed by most scholars not to have been part of the original Gospel. “And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

This religious movement was started by a man named George Hensley on Oak Mountain in Hamilton and Bradley counties, TN. Some have said that Hensley was a moonshiner, an illiterate, and a drunkard. He believed these Markan verses should be believed and practiced in modern times. This belief was sanctioned by the Cleveland-based Church of God until fifty years ago. Despite this, “Snake-Handling” churches continue in isolated communities in the hills near here.

I doubt that any reading my words are likely to search out such a church (!) but their continued existence raises an important question:  “Do these fervent believers have a right to practice their faith free of governmental control?” You may disagree with me but I believe that all Americans should have the right to practice their own faith no matter how bizarre it may seem to the rest of us so long as it does not endanger children or the wider community. I want their religion to be protected so that mine will be, too, particularly in today’s political climate where some religious groups want to impose their faith and practices on the rest of us.

Love, Dave

P.S. I hope you will be interested in attending our Sunday adult class in February when we will discuss the “Snake Handlers.”