I attended Bible College with the son of one of the members from that church. We went down over spring breadk, and believe me, I was not willing to join their practice. But, it was interesting to see the trance-like state they worked themselves into.
The pastor stood in the middle of a plywood "pen", where they dumped rattlers (at least most of them were rattling). They ranged from 2 to 4-4.5 ft in length. He passed them out. He has been bitten numerous times, but I assume has built up the necessary antibodies. Nobody got bit, while we were there. The snakes were taken from a refrigerator, and placed in the pen. I think it was to keep them from being too active... but they still writhed, when held!
Another friend, with us, passed out, when one was waved in her face! They thought she had been "slain in the Spirit"!
