LONDON, Ky. — As a woman bitten by a rattlesnake during a church service in London struggled to breathe, hospital employees made derogatory comments about her religious beliefs rather than providing proper care, contributing to her death, a lawsuit charges.
The case arises from the Nov. 5, 2006, death of Linda F. Long, 48, a London homemaker. Police said at the time that Long was handling a yellow timber rattler during a service at East London Holiness Church when the snake bit her on the right cheek.
Snake-handlers believe the practice shows faith and God’s power. The text for the belief is Mark 16:17-18: “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
So how is her lack of faith the Hospital’s fault?!
Except for the fact that the last part of Mark is considered not to be part of the original writings, but added in later.
Stupid is as stupid does. The penalty for stupid is death.
The bibble there says “snakes.” Nothing about poisonous snakes!!!
Anyway–well established you can’t stand around laughing at stupid people while they die. Makes sense when you consider we all have “our issues.”
Its actually kinda scary that people are that stupid
I’m sure rattle snake bites are such a common occurrence in London that any A&E should have experts standing by.
well, obviously, her belief wasn’t strong enough.
Tough but true, well, if you care to believe what the bible sais.
I’d say she wasn’t bright enough, but that’s an altogether different matter from belief š
pj
>>employees made derogatory comments about her religious beliefs
>>rather than providing proper care, contributing to her death, a
>>lawsuit charges.
Gee, sounds like the DU crowd might have been working at Marymount Medical Center.
Imagine if a soldier in Iraq died after being blown up by an IED, while pacifist medics stood around making derogatory comments about George W. Bush and the futility of the war, rather than providing proper medical care.
Assholes.
Why are they complaining? After all if they really believed then she’s in Heaven. They should be thanking the hospital.
7–MM, that is a VERY CLEVER construction you have there. In both cases, the mockers are correct in what they say, and in both cases, they are negligent not to ignore the beliefs of the people they are caring for.
Well done.
If the allegations are true, this isn’t a hospital I’d want to depend on in an emergency. When she allegedly complained that she was having trouble breathing, and asked for oxygen, hospital employees allegedly gave her a portable oscillating fan. Huh???
The plaintiffs still have a long way to go to prove their case that her treatment directly contributed to her death, but some of the personal treatment that they have alleged is pretty appalling for a hospital. The time for snickering is after she has made a full recovery (and hopefully become less enamored of snakes). Even nutjobs deserve professional treatment, just as if they were perfectly sane.
I’m sorry to say I live in the vicinity of London. This isn’t even really being carried by the local media (what there is of it).
That being said, my wife is a nurse (who does not work at Marymount). Being in the medical community she hears all kinds of stories. Mostly horror stories about this hospital’s lack of qualified staff. According to the stories she’s heard, the place is run by a bunch of uncaring, incompetent morons.
Of course, that’s not evidence, but still. I live near London and I wouldn’t go to Marymount if my life depended on it.
“… and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all…”
So do it already.
Poor snake.
#7 – Gee, sounds like the DU crowd might have been working at Marymount Medical Center.
It sounds to me like someone is just a little to sensitive… Especially in the face of evidence that snake handlers are what we in the intelligent community like to call… stupid as a rock.
You make the wild assumption that the trained medical staff acted irresponsibly, and you make this conclusion based on the statements of a family who is not only grief stricken, but demonstratively stupid.
This was Kentucky. It isn’t like these people hadn’t seen morons in their hospital before.
As for your baseless accusation that the DU community has prejudice and blanket contempt, that simply is not true. We have prejudice and blanket contempt for stupidity, and it isn’t our fault that a certain subset of 6 billion religious people on Earth routinely reveal themselves to be stupid…
The God myth defies logic, reason, and common sense, but I don’t care if people believe. I only care if their belief presents a clear and present danger to the rest of the community. In the case of fundy extremists (who are almost always right wing), they do.
#12 – Mostly horror stories about this hospitalās lack of qualified staff. According to the stories sheās heard, the place is run by a bunch of uncaring, incompetent morons.
I’m very willing to accept at face value that this rural hospital is understaffed because thats an issue in many hospitals. I’m also willing to believe that they lack qualified personnel, because aside from our good friend iGlobalWarmer and his 12 wheel pick up truck, who really wants to move to a rural town and get paid less?
But “incompetent morons?” First, they managed to get through medical school… so… I rather doubt they are morons. And I’m surely not going assume they are morons because they live in a rural town. It’s fun to make jokes about hicks, but they are just jokes and probably not a reflection of reality.
But I don’t walk in their shoes and don’t know the details of what they face. You already noted an understaffing issue and a notable lack of qualified (I read that as more experienced) staff… So I’m sure from the outside, even to someone in the same industry, what they have to do to overcome the challenges of their job might appear incompetent.
We make far too many value judgments about shit we know nothing about. So I’m not buying the incompetent moron line of reasoning without having far more knowledge than I do…
I do, however, have enough knowledge to say that handling snakes for Jesus and speaking in tongues is moronic… and in this case, incompetent.
lol, Angel. Dang, that’s funny š
In a related story, the rattlesnake is still hospitalized as it recovers from the toxic effects of biting an especially fundamentalist, deranged Christian.
(trying to make this joke inoffensive to mainstream sects)
Well, obviously, she died because God took her. Or do I have Christianity all wrong??
#15 – This was Kentucky. It isnāt like these people hadnāt seen morons in their hospital before.
And Iām surely not going assume they are morons because they live in a rural town.
Gee, OFTLO, which is it? Are we morons here in Kentucky or not?
As for your baseless accusation that the DU community has prejudice and blanket contempt, that simply is not true.
Coulda fooled me. Of course, I might just be misreading some superiority complexes, ‘cos I’m just a stupid hick.
One less nutter on the planet.
The human gene pool really needs a good dose of chlorine.
#18, John,
I have been to Kentucky several times and loved every visit. Yes, there are some morons there, but on the whole I would say Kentucky has mostly friendly, warm, hard working, intelligent people. The exact same may be said for Ohio, Indiana, Illinois or Tennessee. I have even told my wife I would have no problem living in Kentucky if the opportunity arose.
As for the woman and her family, she is in a better place. Well, maybe if god didn’t protect her she isn’t. Sheet, that is a tough one to contemplate. Did her god take her or refuse her because of a lack of faith?
[Duplicate comment. – Deleted. – ed.]
To answer that question Mr. Fusion..
I am a theist. Mostly Christian with Buddhist influences. I personally hope that in the afterlife, there will be no morons.
So, I hope this lady was presented to the pearly gates, cured of her apparent mental deficiencies, thinking back to what a moron she used to be.
Of course, that’s just hope.
To answer more seriously. The snake handlers would be split on the subject. The more hard-core of the crowd (yes even in that extremist segment, there are those even more extreme than others) would say that her lack of faith damned her. They would use this as an example to warn people about their lack of faith. There will be much weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The almost normal of that crowd (I can’t say mainstream, but the closest they get) will probably say that her lack of faith killed her, but she was saved nonetheless by her adoption of Christ as savior.
In reality, we’ll never know. At least not while we’re alive. Maybe not even after that if the atheists are right.
#18 – Gee, OFTLO, which is it? Are we morons here in Kentucky or not?
That depends…
Are you a snake handler or a medical professional?
Coulda fooled me. Of course, I might just be misreading some superiority complexes, ācos Iām just a stupid hick.
I don’t know if you are stupid hick. Here, take this simple test:
Are you a snake handler?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
Oh Britney, how the readers of dvorak.org/blog miss your absenses and rejoice when someone can showhorn you into a topic
š
The folks in the Emergency Room are supposed to give medical care to sick or injured people, not an I.Q. test. The competency hearing can occur at a later date. Years ago, if you had asked me if I would ever feel sorry for Tammy Faye Baker, I’d have said “Hell no!” Now after having seen the poor, cancer ravaged woman on television before she died a while back, you wanna know something? I felt sorry for Tammy Faye. And a little ashamed of my younger self.
#25, GetSmart,
I didn’t. She earned my spite the old fashioned way. She reaped the harvests of her and her husband’s conniving, sleazy, despicable, con game. In my opinion, it all looked good on her that her āgodā would allow such a deserving woman to get cancer.
first of all, no one should be calling anyone a moron because of a religious belief. i know many people who go to this church and they are some of the best GOD fearing people you will ever meet. they would literally give you there last dollar.
second of all it is no different what they do than in a church of god church not believing in playing music. or catholics drinking everyday and praying on sunday. that is there belief. and if god wanted us to follow a certain belief (baptist, methodist, penticostal, holliness, catholic) there wouldnt be so many churches. this was a wonderful woman who died of an unfortunate event. people need to be careful saying things they know nothing about. maybe you should read your bible and ask for understanding before you judge someone else.