Snake preacher riled up reptiles believing God would save him – however he was improper
A foolhardy preacher diced with death one too many times by provoking rattle snakes to prove his connection with God.
Jamie Coots thought he had some devine power after surviving eight bites in 20 years. His outrageous practices – which even featured on the National Geographic channel – involved dancing around on stage with his congregation while parading the deadly creatures.
They saw it as evidence that they could always count on God for protection and that their faith would keep them safe – until one day, things went horribly wrong.
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In the middle of a service, Coots was holding a handful of rattle snakes when he threw them down onto the stage to aggravate them in a bid to show how far he could push things without fear.
(Image: Final Affliction)
But when he picked them up again, one of the angry serpents bit him on the back of the hand. He left the stage to go to the bathroom but returned and continued as if nothing had happened, despite turning pale and sweating profusely.
Members of his congregation called 911 but he told them he was going to go home, lie on his couch and pray. He refused medical treatment and told them he was doing fine.
But when paramedics went to check on him a short time later, they found the controversial character dead.
The year before his death in 2014, Coots was caught transporting three rattlesnakes and two copperheads through Knoxville, Tennessee.
(Image: Final Affliction)
In 1995, 28-year-old Melinda Brown, of Parrottsville, Tennessee, died after being bitten by a timber rattlesnake at Coots’ church.
Today, the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name church in Middlesboro, Kentucky is still alive and uses snakes – including the one that killed Coots, after his son, Cody took over the reigns.
Their religious conviction is based on a passage in Mark’s gospel which reads: “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.”
A video about the incident was posted on the Final Affliction channel earlier this week attracted over 25,000 views and hundreds of comments.
(Image: Final Affliction)
One said: “I’ll never understand what handling snakes that are poisonous have to do with a ‘religion.'”
Another added: “Provoking a venomous snake what could possibly go wrong?”
One wrote: “Crazy part is by constantly handling those venomous snakes your slapping God in the face showing him how little you value the life he gave you in the first place.”
While one added: “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes I guess.”
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