This is a sad story because obviously this man had a deep faith in what he believed and those beliefs got him killed. The same snake beliefs has killed many people as well so when will they all wise up?
Reality show snake-handling preacher dies -- of snakebite
A Kentucky pastor who starred in a reality show about snake-handling in church has died -- of a snakebite. Jamie Coots died Saturday evening after refusing to be treated, Middleborough police said.
On "Snake Salvation," the ardent Pentecostal believer said that he believed that a passage in the Bible suggests poisonous snakebites will not harm believers as long as they are anointed by God. The practice is illegal in most states, but still goes on, primarily in the rural South.
The National Geographic show featured Coots and cast handling all kinds of poisonous snakes -- copperheads, rattlers, cottonmouths.The channel's website shows a picture of Coots, goateed, wearing a fedora. "Even after losing half of his finger to a snake bite and seeing others die from bites during services," Coots "still believes he must take up serpents and follow the Holiness faith," the website says.
On Sunday, National Geographic Channels spokeswoman Stephanie Montgomery sent CNN this statement: "In following Pastor Coots for our series Snake Salvation, we were constantly struck by his devout religious convictions despite the health and legal peril he often faced.
"Those risks were always worth it to him and his congregants as a means to demonstrate their unwavering faith. We were honored to be allowed such unique access to Pastor Jamie and his congregation during the course of our show, and give context to his method of worship. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."
I doubt his son will go near snakes after this or at least I hope not.
Coots had been arrested before for having poisonous snakes and in 2013, the state of Tennessee tried to save his life for him. via Raw Story:
A Kentucky pastor says that the state of Tennessee was wrong to confiscate five poisonous snakes that were intended for worship services and he wants them back.
Pastor Gregory Coots, who goes by the name Jamie, told WYMT that he was on his way back from purchasing the snakes in Alabama when the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency took possession of the three rattlesnakes and two copperheads at a traffic stop.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife busted the pastor in 2008 for illegally trading venomous snakes. The more than 100 snakes confiscated at the time included “42 copperheads, 11 timber rattlesnakes, three cottonmouth water moccasins, a western diamondback rattlesnake, two cobras and a puff adder,” according to The Associated Press.
Coots was placed on probation after the 2008 arrest, but he now claims to have a permit for the deadly reptiles.
The great series Justified had a snake handling ministry featured in season 4 and guess where the show takes place? You guessed it, Kentucky and Billy St. Cyr, the snake pastor met the same fate as Coots.
