In the King James Version of Mark, chapter 16, verse 18, it is stated that, “They will take serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will do them no harm; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover." This reading has been observed under many different shades of light. This speculation has led to many different ideas about the seriousness of translating the word of the Lord. For over a century, the people of Appalachia have taken this line of the Bible and made it the centerpiece of Christian worship services. How strictly should these Pentecostals take the word Bible? What makes these snake handlers so different from other Christians? What can snake handlers do so that their cult practices do not receive such a bad reputation from the outside? I believe that if the serpent handing Holiness Pentecostals can create a centralized authority for their ways of worship that shows their behavior as welcoming and friendly, they will be able to better educate the public about what their mission is about, and become a stronger person and more respected group. Appalachians have been scrutinized by several outside sources as inbred, ignorant, savage, violent, drunk, crazy, and the list goes on and on. However, one of the negative stereotypes that tend to stand out more prominently than others is that people in Appalachia are crazy, snake-handling, Christian people. In order for the people of the Appalachian Mountains region to find a way to overcome this stereotype and move forward in their quest to no longer be considered “obsolete,” they must first break down and fully understand what they are walking into. The religion of the region is characterized by the people's sense of independence...... middle of paper ......21. Primary research. Network. April 22, 2014. Joining, Karen Randolph. Serpent Symbolism in the Old Testament: A Linguistic, Archaeological, and Literary Study. Haddonfield, NJ: Haddonfield House, 1974. Print. Kimbrough, David L. Taking up Serpents: Snake Handlers of Eastern Kentucky. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1995. Print.La Barre, Weston. They will take the serpents in their hands; Psychology of the Southern Snake Cult. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1962. Print.Moehlman, Conrad Henry. How Jesus Became God; a historical study of the life of Jesus up to the age of Constantine. New York: Philosophical Library, 1960. Print.Pullen, H. W. Modern Christianity, a Civilized Heathenism. Boston: William F. Gill and, 1875. Print.Straw, Richard Alan. and Tyler Blethen Urbana: University of Illinois. The Rise of the High Mountains: The Appalachians in Time and Place. 2004. Print