Summary Of Salvation On Sand Mountain

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

mentions his first experience handling a snake in the church. The snake handling churches are filled with men, women, and children. The practice of snake handling has become an issue in the twenty-first century, due to the deaths of pastors who have been known to handle snakes. There are many of reasons why the snake practice should not be tolerated. These include the facts that the act is against the law; it is dangerous for the congregation; it is a health hazard; and it is against God.
First, it is against the law in certain states to have snakes in gatherings, for example in churches in Kentucky (Cevallos). The freedom of religion gives the right to do what one sees fit, but when one breaks the law there is a heavy penalty for the lawbreaker. State laws are written to protect the people of that particular state. Danny Cevallos from CNN writes, “the First Amendment embraces two distinct concepts -- the freedom to believe and the freedom to act. The first is absolute, but the second cannot be absolute”. One can believe in whatever he or she sees fit, but only if his or her belief cannot harm or danger someone else’s life. Cevallos writes, “Handling poisonous snakes is potentially more dangerous than other regularly prosecuted activities, such as drug use”. Because the practice of handling poisonous snakes is illegal, snake handlers in certain states are fined no more than one-hundred dollars. When the government does not enforce their laws “and impose stricter penalties, then the snakes will continue to impose their own punishment, which is often the death penalty” (Cevallos). Higher penalty fees could possibly slow down the practice. A higher fine is effective when the state government want to put a stop to practices that puts the citizens in harm. Cevallos states, “While citizens of the United States have an unlimited right to our religious beliefs, our right to act within those beliefs is tempered by a state's duty to protect its citizens”.
Furthermore, the practice of snake handling should not be tolerated because it is dangerous for the people in the congregation.

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

abuse.
Like mentions before, there are children in the snake handling churches.

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

states:
"and these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17-18).
The bible verse is referring to spiritual and physical gifts that true believers would perform when the Holy Spirit is given to them. The book Them That Believe by Ralph Hood and Paul Williamson states that “serpent-handling churches accept these words of the resurrected Jesus as imperatives for true believers and view the practice of four of these signs as unconditional mandates; the practice of drinking deadly substances is considered conditional because of the prefaced word if ”(2). When the snake handlers pick up snakes they are tempting god. In Deuteronomy 6:16 Moses writes, “Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah”. The disciple Luke writes of a journey taken by the apostle Paul to Malta in Acts 28:3. When Paul gathered wood and made a fire, a viper came to him in strikes him. The viper venom did no harm to Paul because God was with him. Snake handlers choose to pick up snakes while the snake in the book of Acts came to Paul. One should not give Satan a chance because in Ephesians 4:27 it is written, “Neither give place to the devil” because “the thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). The devil is the enemy of the believers of Jesus Christ, and is also the one that brings illness, lies, and danger to destroy and kill anyone who is a threat to him.