Religion/ Spirituality

Bite me once shame on you ... the new pastor in the "Snake Salvation" church will NOT accept medical treatment today if he's bitten by the rattlesnake that killed his father exactly one week ago.

Cody Coots tells TMZ ... he will indeed handle the deadly snake during the afternoon Kentucky service. What's more, he says there will be NO anti-venom meds on hand in case the snake attacks again.

And ... if he's bitten and paramedics rush to the church, he'll send them away ... just like his dad Jamie Coots did.

It's not often someone asks such an enlightened question that it absolutely STUMPS the Dalai Lama ... but it happened yesterday -- when he was asked if he would bless TMZ!!

His Holiness -- or "Mr. Lama" as our photog put it -- was doing his thing at Georgetown University on Thursday when our guy politely asked if he would bless our office.

What ensues is 7 very awkward seconds in which one of two things happened -- either Mr. Lama didn't quite understand the question (a lost in translation sort of thing) ... OR, he couldn't figure out how to say "No."

Confessed serial killer Miranda Barbour is giving Satan a bad name -- so says the high priest for the Church of Satan who says she's just too wicked.

TMZ broke the story ... Barbour confessed to committing between 22 and 100 murders ... saying she was compelled to kill by the devil after joining a cult in Alaska.

High Priest Peter H. Gilmore tells TMZ ... the official Church of Satan has never had any involvement with Barbour ... and would NEVER accept her as a member.

Gilmore tells TMZ ... true Satanists don't believe in murder (not even sacrifices) ... and if Barbour is truly a killer she should get the death penalty.

Gilmore says his church is not a cult but a legally recognized atheist organization ... adding Barbour is simply using Satan as justification for her crimes.

Terrell Suggs doesn't JUST have a Jewish star tattoo inked on his arm ... he also SPEAKS a little Hebrew -- and yesterday, the former NFL Defensive MVP proved it on camera.

Fun Fact -- Terrell kinda sorta considers himself to be Jewish ... hence the tattoo and the Jewish star chain he rocks around town.

So, when the former Super Bowl champ and 6-time Pro Bowler arrived at LAX yesterday, we had to ask if he considered himself the greatest Jewish football player of all time.

Think about it ... sure, there are some great Jewish NFLers (Sid Luckman, Harris Barton, Lyle Alzado) ... but Sizzle's resume has to put him toward the top, right?

The rattler that took a deadly bite out of "Snake Salvation" pastor Jamie Coots will not be killed ... in fact, the family will deploy the snake during next Saturday's service ... TMZ has learned.

Coots was bitten Saturday while he was preaching to his congregation and died after refusing medical help ... believing he was protected from the venom by God's power.

Jamie's son Cody tells us, the family still believes in God's protective power against snake venom -- despite his father's death -- telling us his dad felt it was much better to die from a snakebite than a stroke or car accident ... in fact, for him a snakebite was "God's way."

Cody -- who will take over as pastor -- says, "It was God saying, this is how you wanted it, and it's your time to go ... If he didn't plan [to die this way] he would have stayed alive."

As we reported ... even though using snakes during religious services is illegal in Kentucky, the police chief told us he would NOT enforce the law.

"Snake Salvation" pastor Jamie Coots was breaking the law when he was bit by a deadly rattlesnake during church services ... but the police chief tells TMZ ... he's doing the Christian thing by turning the other cheek.

Middlesboro Police Chief Jeffrey Sharpe concedes a Kentucky law makes it illegal to handle or display reptiles in religious services. But Sharpe says he doesn't care what the law says ... as far as he's concerned the government doesn't have any business meddling in religious affairs.

Sharpe says he will NOT enforce the law ... period.

The Satan-worshipping woman who just admitted to more than 22 murders actually suggested it could be several times more than that number ... confessing it's "less than 100" ... and her murderous alter ego was named "Super Miranda."

Miranda Barbour is in a Pennsylvania jail after allegedly murdering a man she located in a sex ad on Craigslist. She dropped a bombshell in an interview with Francis Scarcella of the The Daily Item ... something that was not in his article.

Scarcella tells TMZ, he pressed Barbour on the number of people she killed, after she said, "When I hit 22, I stopped counting." As Scarcella pushed her, she blurted out, "It's less than 100." She would not be more specific.

Scarcella says when Barbour was about to kill, she claimed she changed personas, becoming "Super Miranda."

Barbour told Scarcella the knife she used to brutally murder the Craigslist victim had murderous notches ... she said she had used the same knife before ... because it's one of her favorites.

And Barbour told Scarcella ... she only killed bad people -- people who abused children and people who owed money.

And Barbour says she felt satanism controlled what was inside of her.

The pastor who died Saturday from a snake bite violated Kentucky law by displaying and handling the deadly reptile during his church service ... TMZ has learned.

Jamie Coots was bitten by a rattlesnake while preaching to his congregation. He refused medical treatment and died a short time later.

We did some digging ... and found a Kentucky law which says, "Any person who displays, handles or uses any kind of reptile in connection with any religious service or gathering shall be fined not less than $50 nor more than $100."

Kentucky Game Warden Ray Lawson tells TMZ ... Coots had proper permits to transport, hold and sell copperhead and timber rattlesnakes, but he acknowledges the state law prohibiting the use of snakes in religious ceremonies.

Lawson says his dept. has no authority to enforce the state law. He says that's the job of the cops, but they don't enforce it.

The pastor on Nat. Geo's "Snake Salvation" died Saturday night ... after one of the snakes to which he prays bit him.

Pentecostal pastor Jamie Coots suffered the fatal attack while preaching to his Kentucky congregation.

Emergency units raced to the church ... but the reality star had already left and gone home.

The show's website explains the Pastor and his followers believe the Bible says a poisonous snakebite will not harm them as long as they are anointed by God’s power.

EMTs went to Coots' home but he sent them away ... refusing care ... an hour later he was dead.

It's unclear if they were filming during the sermon.

A rep for the show says the "Snake Salvation" finished filming last year ... and they never intended to film a second season.

Jason Biggs better learn the horah ... 'cause his dog turned 13 Thursday -- and his wife threw the cute pooch its own "bark mitzvah" to celebrate.

Like a true yenta ... Jason's wife Jenny Mollen documented the whole ceremony on her Instagram when she and Biggs took the dog -- named Teets -- to a temple to make things official.

The whole fam dined on challah afterward to commemorate the special day.

Gloria Gaynor requested no shirtless men be in her line of sight during her performance at a gay bar Thursday night ... but not because she's homophobic -- her people say the singer is just deeply religious.

The "I Will Survive" singer took a trip to the Abbey in West Hollywood -- a gay mecca -- and performed her new song ... but the gig was delayed when Gaynor insisted managers remove all go-go dancers from the room.

The place is known for it's scantily clad men in speedos ... but Gloria's people say the 64-year-old diva was just protecting her image -- and it had nothing to do with the strong possibility the men were gay.

In fact, the rep says Gloria is an equal opportunity offender ... and makes an effort to never take pics with shirtless men OR provocatively dressed women.

Check out the picture at the Abbey. You could make the argument it's kinda religious ....

A backwoods woman who came to L.A. to become famous had better learn a lesson about Hollywood ... don't talk crap on the Jews.

A woman named Mema from a small Georgia town has loaded up her truck and moved to Beverly ... for a new show called "Hollywood Hillbillies."

Here's what triggered her comment. She spent the day with her "Jewish manager" David Weintraub and watched him do deals on his cell phone and drive around town in his Rolls. She was so impressed, it led her to the conclusion about leaving manual labor to certain types of gentiles.

We're told REELZChannel is actually planning to air the Jewish comment on the show.

A Kabbalah leader -- who hobnobs with the likes of Madonna and Ashton Kutcher -- sexually attacked a woman and then threatened to "f**king kill" her if she told anyone ... according to the woman, who's just filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit.

Jena Scaccetti is suing Yehuda Berg -- co-director of L.A.'s famed Kabbalah Centre -- claiming he was her spiritual advisor and Kabbalah teacher when he groped her and threatened her in October 2012.

According to the lawsuit ... Berg -- a married father of five -- invited Scaccetti to dinner at his mother's apartment, claiming he could help heal her kidney stones.

Scaccetti claims Berg complained to her about his life at the Kabbalah Center and began trashing other teachers at the Centre... even describing his sister-in-law as a "c**t" and a "star-f**ker."

In her lawsuit, Scaccetti claims Berg then plied her with Vicodin and alcohol and started hugging her and touching her legs. She says he asked if her genital region "...was Brazilian or shaved" ... and made the move to seal the deal.

The woman claims in the lawsuit she resisted his advances and Berg got angry, saying he would "f**king beat the whole right side of [her] until [she was] blue" and that he would "f**king kill you."

Scaccetti now wants justice with a dollar sign -- she's suing for $15 mil ... plus another $40 mil in punitive damages.

DMX asked Jesus for a huge favor right before a recent concert in Detroit ... PLEASE DON'T LET ANYONE GET STABBED OR SHOT!!!!

X was doing his customary pre-show prayer with members of his team when he got "real" with his Lord and Savior about their safety in what Forbes calls, "The Most Dangerous City in America."

"We pray that there are no fightings, no stabbings, no shootings, no arrests, no drunk drivings, no altercations or incidents whatsoever," X said.

Hey, doesn't hurt to ask.

For the record, X's prayers were answered that night ... no violent incidents were reported at the show.

Amen.

A self-proclaimed member of Phil Robertson's church is literally making a federal case over Phil's suspension ... he's suing A&E and others because he feels the network is chilling his right to hate homosexuals.

Chris Sevier, who claims to be a lawyer, has previously sued pretty much everyone under the sun, including Bill O'Reilly, CBS, Facebook and Apple.

This time around, Sevier has put together 91 pages of law and religious propaganda, quoting scriptures about the evils of homosexuality. Sevier claims the fact that A&E has indefinitely suspended Phil is going to have a chilling effect on other churchgoers -- himself included -- when it comes to preaching what he believes is the word of God.

As for what that word is ... Sevier thinks it's rooted in sin. He says, if gay marriage is allowed, "citizens in that state should be able to marry their pets" -- he sees no difference.

In addition to suing A&E ... Sevier is suing President Obama, claiming the Prez is in cahoots with A&E to further the pro-gay agenda.

At one point in the rambling lawsuit, which Sevier says will be filed today, he says, "We live in a Christian nation 'Jack.'"

One final thing ... take a look at some of the pictures Sevier sprinkled in the suit. We don't know the rhetorical point he's making, but they're hilarious.

Phil Robertson says he is not without sexual sin, but has put it in check by getting hitched.

Phil got up in front of his bible study group Sunday and said, "Sexual sins are numerous and many. I have a few myself." But his solution was plain ... "If you're a man, find yourself a woman, marry them and keep your sex right there."

Phil -- who sees the world in black and white -- is defiant about the torrent of criticism -- "I will not give or back off my path," adding, "All I did was quote from the scriptures."

Phil gave the Daily Mail access to the study group, and they heard an earful. He said, "Common sense says we are not going to procreate the human race unless we have a man and a woman."

And the strident "Duck Dynasty" star goes on, "If you're a homosexual, He'll take it away. If you're an adulterer, if you're a liar, what's the difference? If you break one sin you may as well break them all ... if we lose our morality, we will lose our country. It will happen."

And in a not-so-subtle way ... Phil calls out A&E, which acted shocked by his comments: "This week I have been asked, 'Is this the first time you have brought up sin? ... Are you kidding? I have been traveling to and fro spreading this message ... I have made hundreds of speeches ..."

And finally, there's this ... Phil railed on people who claim he's an idiot, conceding, "We are a bunch of rednecks from Louisiana, but I am not uneducated. I have a degree from Louisiana Tech."

Check out the video below with Phil's son, Alan, cracking jokes at Sunday's church service about the controversy.