Snakes and religion

A couple of you on my weirdos post mentioned that snakes are viewed as incredibly evil in your church. I'm now interested in how many snake owners here are religious or if you know anyone whos incredibly religious who love snakes? I think it would be awesome for a religious person to love snakes but rare? If you are religious how do you tell other people who react in the snakes are evil because it says so in the bible people? What is everyones take on religious people against snakes? If you're not religious are you completely against religion or open to it but on the fense etc? Another thing if your religious what kind are you? Someone that interprets the bible in a certain way or something different?

I know this is a touchy subject so I just want to say now please don't try to offend anyone. If we keep it clean I think we could get some pretty interesting posts. Voice your opinion but DO NOT do it in a insulting manner. For some reason I think there will be some kind of patern in the answers but if there isn't that would be great. Thanks!

I am a 100% Bible believing Christian - cover to cover. I am what you would consider a "Bapsbyterian", a cross between a Baptist and a Presbyterian. For those that are into theology, I am a "Dispensational Predestinationist", or a Calvinist. I don't believe in evolution, and I believe the universe was created in 6, 24 hour days.

My favorite animals are snakes. As far as the curse of the serpent in Genesis, I do believe that once they had legs, possibly wings. The animal was cursed, but just at that moment and for all of it's offspring. The enmity that God put between "Man and you" was directed at Satan himself, not the serpent in which he was inhabiting. Where scripture states "You will bruise his heel, and he will bruise (or crush) your head", it is not speaking of enmity between man and snakes, but the prophesy of Christ being bruised by His sacrifice (He rose from the dead, so it was an insignificant wound), and Satan being bruised on his head (a major wound)- sin being atoned for - a major blow to the fallen angels who work in man's flesh to cause sin.

God also declared all animals "clean"... In other words, under the new covenant of the New Testament, it is no longer sin for Jews to eat pork or shrimp or oysters and such. This would include snakes, whether they are now okay to eat or are ceremoniously clean makes no difference.

(Jewish people will take exception to this, of course, and I mean no malice toward them or anyone else, including evolutionists. We all live according to our beliefs.)

Snakes are awesome, and are on equal ground, spiritually, as dogs, cats, birds, bats, whales, lynxs, etc... I don't believe in the "handling" of venemous snakes for religious practice, or for my practice for that matter.

Just a quick reminder that Herpcenter Network rules prohibit the discussion of religion due to the obvious potential for things to get out of hand.

If the discussion stays on how various religions view snakes or other herps we will allow this discussion to continue.
If at any time this discussion turns to one religion versus another, or any thing of that sort, the thread will be immediately terminated and deleted.

I am of a somewhat eclectic, spiritual path, encompassing teachings from a number of different sources. From Native American, Pagan as well as Christianity and other sources. I believe that nature and all the things in it, with the exception of humans, are neither good nor evil, they just are what they are. They have no choice but to behave in the way that they were created. Humans on the other hand are freely capable of making choices and decisions. In other words we chose to be good or evil.

What I find interesting is that, in the cross section of the world's religious teachings, snakes are both vilified and deified. Some religions fear and shun them while others hold them most holy and sacred.

Originally Posted by Merlin

I believe that nature and all the things in it, with the exception of humans, are neither good nor evil, they just are what they are. They have no choice but to behave in the way that they were created.

Very well put !


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I'm a devout, committed Christian and I don't have any problem with any of the animals that were created. Most people with a level head on their shoulders wouldn't believe a snake or any other animal is evil Christian or otherwise.

The only reason it was a snake used in the Bible was because they were the most clever of all animals. or so it says.

I'm surprised and happy about the first few answers. My experience with religion and joe in this area has been poor. Many religious people here are…uneducated. It’s one thing to BELIEVE in something it’s another thing to be told and not think about it. And if you have a bunch of uneducated people in a room and someone says snakes are evil and see it’s in the bible they believe it without thinking logically, “It was possessed…that doesn’t mean all of them are evil”. If you tell them they just get angry…I think since contraception has been invented the smart ones have been using it and the others are breeding. My nan will not go in a room if Joe is there. Not because she’s afraid but because she thinks it’s evil because of ‘her religion’ even though I don’t believe it’s part of her religion and I’m sure the rest of you will agree. She want's him dead. She also won’t sleep in a room with a furbee!

Remember, you can't put everyone in the same box, whether Christian, Atheist, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, or what have you. I have many friends who do not live like I do, but we get along splendidly. Education is great, isn't it?

Education is great and It can open some minds and close others. I just found out the other day that snakes use one lung? I try to be open minded. If I refer to a group as acting a certain way I always know there's exceptions but I'm usually to lazy to slip all those words into the conversation lol. If you saw a snake bite a human doesn't mean all snakes bite humans.

Yep...

More people are bit by dogs than any other pet, but they don't get a bad rap

Bottom line - snakes are fantastic creatures, which is why some fear them and others worship them.

The love of reptiles has been the catalyst that allows me to continue to meet others outside my normal scope of friends. It was the same with motorcycles when I rode for a few years.