I see your points, but I have something to add to the reasons behind snake handling.
Every minister generally wants to fill pews in church on Sunday.
With this in mind, people often have a gruesome side that makes them want to slow down to look at car accidents. This impulse is probably related to the same reasons why people like horror movies.
So . . . snake handling may be a gimmick to fill pews with people who secretly want to see if someone gets bitten and/or dies.
I ran this idea by an Evangelical Christian friend of mine, and his answer is that it’s such people who need church the most.