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The first amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right of religion. Many religions have taken advantage of this right. Some of the extreme religions have acted upon their beliefs and to some extant have abused the law. There are lots of religions that have unique practices that make them stand out. The Christian faith has different practices they perform, according to the branch they belong to. One branch that has gained much attention is the snake-handling Christians. Snake handling Christians mostly belong to the Pentecostal ministries. In his short story, “Salvation on Sand Mountain” journalist Dennis Covington writes about his visit to Southern Appalachia, where he first visited a snake handling church. Covington also …show more content…
When the congregation meets during the church service “the preacher acknowledges to visitors what all believers recognize as an ever present fact: “There is death in these boxes” (Hoods 4). Snakes are wild animals, and are extremely dangerous if not fed properly. Covington writes, “a crowd of men dancing up to the serpent box, unclasping the lids” got him worried because when the males of the congregation take up snakes, they tend to be involved in lots of moving (312). Because the wild snakes are poisonous and are fast to travel, if the snakes gets out of the hands of the person handling them, they could strike someone that is not paying attention. Another reason why it is dangerous to have snakes in the congregation is because children are present in the church services. Children, especially babies, cannot verbalize all that well, so if they get bitten or get sick, the parents may not know what caused it. Having a child present in front of a loose wild animal is also a form of child …show more content…
At a young age children tend to capture everything they see. When children see their parents doing inappropriate activities, the children tend to imitate because they cannot process right from wrong. Children are also very energetic. In the church in Sand Mountain the “children were racing down the aisles” because they see what their fathers are doing and imitate them (Covington 311). Thirdly, the practice of snake handling is dangerous for the person performing the act, because the snakes are poisonous. The poison of the snakes can and will kill anything no matter the size, gender, or race. The members of these extreme groups of Christian do not seek medical help when they get bit or overdose on venom. Covington mentions in his writing about a time when Dozier, a brother a Christ of his, tells him of an event in Sauty Bottom where the members “didn’t go to a doctor , just swelled up a little bit” due to the lack of venom the snake injected in them (309). The final and most important reason why this act should be stopped is because it is against God. The bible verse that the snake handlers follow
The children also argue with their mother often. The children think that their mother, with no doubt, will be perfect. They idealize their mothers as angel who will save them from all their problems, which the mothers actually never do. The children get angry at their false hopes and realize that their mothers aren’t going to...
“…The search for holiness is dramatized by their willingness to suffer terrible pain from snake bite, or even death itself, to get the feeling of God in their lives” (Daugherty pg.82 Para 2). Many individuals seem to search for this meaning, largely due to the fact that most are economically disadvantaged, work in extremely dangerous conditions (miners), and usually uneducated because of their rural isolated backgrounds. In addition, all of the aforementioned characteristics gave cause to the proliferation and acceptance of this faith basis because it’s not a private matter and their strife/frustration with life unites them on common grounds in praise. Mainly, as stated in the article, their powerlessness is taken out of the equation when they’re together in church and filled with the Holy Spirit (Daugherty pg.83 para 2), and in a sense the worship itself is based off of its people gathering together to uphold and uplift each other with their faith. Moreover, beside their ritualistic snake handling, is their tendency to drink strychnine and lye. This ritualistic habit is more puzzling in my eyes, because they’re essentially drinking straight poison that should kill a
... person, yet theirs remain unconquered. As we analyze Covington’s rhetoric, we can see the manifestation of an ethos that follows a strong ethic code, a powerful intellectual prowess, and a devoted righteousness towards the confusing, yet strong-willed worshipers of serpent handling. As Covington explains it, “There are moments when you stand on the brink of a new experience and understand that you have no choice about it. Either you walk into the experience or you turn away from it, but you know that no matter what you choose…there will be consequences” (2). For the followers of serpent handling, these experiences are always pursued. These consequences, such as broken windows, burning churches, murder allegations, or desperate pursuits of the Holy Ghost, all have laid the foundation for Covington’s argument, that no obstacle can conquer one’s religious devotion.
This adds to the reader’s sympathy because he didn’t provoke the man’s attack and did nothing to deserve what happened to him. He was punished despite being completely innocent. Though the snake does not pose a direct threat, he is an extremely powerful creature and a great asset to the beauty of nature. He “felt no necessity of getting out of anybody’s path,” showing his confidence in himself. Though he is confident, he is not arrogant. He does not cower at the sight of the man, nor does he try to threaten him. He simply stands his ground confidently, waiting for the man to dictate his next move. This trait of the snake causes the reader to respect him and appreciate his position of power, reinforcing their sympathetic feelings. The snake’s death was slow and painful, and the author described all of the gruesome details in order to further affect the reader. The man himself admits that “it was a nasty sight”. First, he hacked about in the paper bag bush until he “dragged
...ianity in America is one of the “easiest” religions to pursue and to live. But people, in and out of the faith, still do not see any need for it. So I can honestly respect the Nacirema for their devotion and accountability to their faith even if I don’t really agree with what they are doing it for.
It is not always easy to steer a child towards the right path, sometimes they do as they please, and sometimes it is the parents that make a mistake. No sons or daughters truly understand their parents’ choices until they have reached maturity. For example, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s novel Frankenstein can be interpreted as a metaphor of a kid defying his parents’ wishes and going into a teenage crisis asserting his rights over them. If the novel is deconstructed we can identify the different stages of the creature’s life mirroring the stages towards adulthood; First there is the first actions of the child and how the parent reacts to it, in second there is the learning phase where he acquires awareness of his surroundings and consequences of his actions and third is the child’s revolt against the authority figure as he attains maturity and finally the reconciliation between father and son as the wrong is being atoned for.
The comparison of the rattlesnake to a bigger, more frightening, and yet less deadly creature makes the former seem dangerous. While a blacksnake would “flee at the sight of a man”, the rattler proved its fearlessness with the way he “held his ground”. The rattler is cocky, and for good reason, because his poison could kill the man much easier than the theoretical blacksnake could. The man is in a life-threatening situation and the reader is likely to sympathize with his fear and worry. The author uses violent diction when describing the snake to make us see him as a vicious creature, in need of killing to keep others safe. Even dead, the rattler “may still bite”. He needs to be kept as far as possible from people - especially vulnerable people, such as young children - in order to protect them. The author includes this hostile wording to bring awareness to the fact that the snake is remorseless, even in death, and that taking its life is noble and just. Finally, the snake’s “little song of death” is personified negatively by the man to show that the snake is the villain in the story. Life is, according to the rattlesnake, “dear and would be dearly sold”. It comes to light in this phrase that the snake is looking for revenge from the man’s actions. The rattler is not as innocent as he may have initially seemed. As he attempts at the man’s life to bring
Although “The Pardoner’s Tale” and Selling Salvation” come from two different genres they both share similarities and differences.AlthoughAlothough these two texts from very different genres, “The Pardoner’s Tale” and “Selling Salvation,” still have many similarities and differences. While “The Pardoner’s Tale” is an imaginary tale, “Selling Salvation” is a non-fiction text article. Still, through characteristics, author’s purpose, and author’s craft, these two texts resemble each other in some way, while still having their own unique differences.
Ménez, Andre’. The Subtle Beast: Snakes, from Myth to Medicine. New York, New York: CRC Press, 2003.
A child’s behavior is often seen as a direct reflection of the parenting they received. If one spots a misbehaving child in public while their guardian does nothing, one could perhaps think of the parent as being the lesser person even though it is their child doing the misbehaving. June 15th,
Alligator, which safeguards the family from dangers, is a snake-dog. There are animals especially snakes that could harm or kill the family members. “One feels the bush as the common enemy” (Matthews,
We had to be taught that from our parents, who were taught at some point during their lives. I imagine the toddler as a symbol of secular life with parents being a symbol of monastic life. Toddlers are told what not to do, but aren’t trained for different situations until they happen. Parents on the other hand represent the monastic life because they been trained to know right from wrong following their own learned life lessons. I’ve gotten a bit off track, so it’s time to bring the topic back to monks and
I chose to relate this theory because I feel like it can be present in most every child as well as parent. Based on the age and actions of the child, I would place her in the stage of autonomy vs. shame and doubt. This stage typically occurs between the ages of two and three years old, which matches the age of the young girl. In addition, I looked at the actions of the girl and there was one example that I feel matched what typically happens during this stage. When the parent first saw the play area for the kids, they decided to let their daughter play. They took her to the small table in the area and sat down next to her. The little girl got mad and said that she did not want her parents help. She wanted to do it alone. The parents eventually decided to go back and sit at the table while she played. Their table was right next to the toy areas, and they could keep a good eye on her while she played. They likely decided to do this to give their daughter more independence which will make her feel like she can do things on her own without the help of her parents. This theory also relates to the parents that I observed. Since they appear to be in their thirties, they would be in the generativity vs. stagnation stage of development. They clearly have a child and are focused on caring for others, specifically caring for their daughter. This stage was
Recently, I went to The Happy School, a preschool in my hometown of Smallville, California, to pass the morning with the students there. In the time I spent there, the children, ages 3 to 5, engaged in unstructured play, and sat in a circle for calendar time and reading aloud. The preschool is primarily child-centered in terms of its organization, meaning it incorporates a lot of child directed activity, and less structured, or adult directed, learning (Berk, 2008). I watched the group of about twenty children with the intention of studying them as a whole, but I found myself compelled to watch two children in particular, Addison and Jack, because they displayed particularly intriguing behavior. (p187) THESIS, what behavior, theories etc.
there was no possible fishing hole in sight. All I could see was a river