From South Carolina-
I received two environmental messages within the last month from unexpected sources - churches. One was troubling; the other was uplifting. Both were about pastors who felt uneasy about snakes.
According to a friend in South Carolina, "The pastor kicked off his Sunday sermon on 'fear' by talking about how scared he is of snakes. Among other things, he said, 'People have told me that snakes are good because they eat rats and mice, but I still take the shovel to them when I see them.'"
My friend expressed his disappointment with the comments that condoned snake-killing behavior.
Ecologists do not typically trust in divine intervention to address environmental issues.
But the coincidence of my receiving another message at the same time was uncanny. Particularly since it provided a more appropriate response from a minister who is also afraid of snakes.
The following are excerpts from an article written by David Meginniss of Christ Episcopal Church, Tuscaloosa, Ala., and reprinted with his permission.
"I've never approved of snake handling. First, it's dubious theology. Just because God says we can do it (handling snakes) does not mean we should do it. But the real objection I have to snake handling is that I don't like them. I know they're beneficial to the environment, but I still don't like them and don't want to handle them. So I was not real pleased when my wife found a snake in one of her blueberry bushes and wanted me to get rid of it. I told her it would probably slither off on its own. 'No,' she said, 'I think it's stuck.'
More here-
http://www.aikenstandard.com/FeatureColumns/0704-ecoviews
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