There is was a minister in West Virginia who was profiled in the Washington Post Magazine for his snake-handling skills.

Mark Randall “Mack” Wolford was known all over Appalachia as a daring man of conviction. He believed that the Bible mandates that Christians handle serpents to test their faith in God — and that, if they are bitten, they trust in God alone to heal them.

Well, I also think God trusts you not to be a damn fool.

He died.  And you know how.  Snake bit ’em.

Wanna make this story even more West Virginia?  His father was a snake handler who died of a snake bite in 1983.  Apparently, it’s genetic that they don’t believe that Saint Mark was speaking metaphorically when he said, “they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them…”

Hey, at least they didn’t drink poison.

Lesson: Quit testing God.  He’s got better things to do.

Thanks to Carl for the heads up.