Jul 14 2008
Church cancels gun giveaway for teens
[9News]
After one of its organizers suffered an injury, a church was forced to cancel a gun giveaway at a weekend youth event. The Windsor Hills Baptist Church planned the giveaway as a way to draw new participants to the church’s annual youth conference.
The gun in question: an AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle.
Windsor Hills cancelled the giveaway Friday evening after announcing that Pastor Emeritus Jim Vineyard, who was running the event, had suffered a foot injury and would be unable to attend. A video posted on the church’s Web site contains a shooting competition from the 2007 conference, which also included a gun giveaway.
Church leaders defended the decision to hold the event.
“I don’t want people thinking. ‘My goodness, we’re putting a weapon in the hand of somebody that doesn’t respect it who are then going to go out and kill,’” said Bob Ross, the youth pastor at Windsor Hills. “That’s not at all what we’re trying to do.”
Read about it here.
[From me]
Maybe I’m missing something here. Is it a good idea for a “Church” to give away a gun? What message does this send to those who don’t attend church?
What do you think?
14 responses so far
1. I want an AR-15
2. I don’t see a problem with giving away a gun. Hunters and gun enthusiasts are followers of Christ too.
Michael’s last blog post..Jude Chapter 1: Be Weary of False Teachings
What in the “sam hill” is a church giving away a gun for? If people want to have guns that is their right. But a church giving one away? And an assault rifle to boot? Let me think what that will do to hunting? Sorry I can’t go with this one. I think this is irresponsibility on the part of the church and the youth pastor.
Bill(cycleguy)’s last blog post..Quantity vs. Quality
Michael,
If someone wants a gun that is fine. But with all of the school shooting & the church shootings do we want to give guns to people who may have no business with them? Not me.
I think the pastor really shot himself in the foot.
Bob Cleveland’s last blog post..Sow the Seeds, See the Harvest
That, my friends, happened right cheer in the great state of Oklahoma!
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!
Rick Boyne’s last blog post..Direct Affront to God
I honestly thought this was a joke until I read the article. Giving away a gun!!!??? An assault rifle!!!??? Words fail me. If we have to “bribe” people to attend church, we have already lost the battle. And with an assault rifle? Do these people not read the news? I can’t think of anything crazier and outrageous (although I am sure there is someone out there already working on it).
Just think if this was in Kansas and the name Westboro was attached to the story…
Folks, this is just wrong…on every level I can imagine…I can’t think of a single reason for it, none that are right…none that are pleasing to God!
Rick said it best…praise the Lord and pass the ammunition! Then, wonder why there’s a school shooting or robbery or family violence case just down the road…
M. Steve Heartsill’s last blog post..No Fishing Allowed
To me this was totally inappropriate for a Youth event. I have, however, seen churches that hosted a Men’s Event where hunting equipment, including guns, were given away. I had a Deacon who won a pair of Black Labs at one of these last year.
HOLY COW! That’s down the street from my house! And that’s not a “gun.” That’s an assault rifle!!!!!!!!!!
Look, I’m a card carrying member of the NRA but’s nuts!
davidbmc’s last blog post..Character First: Availability
I’ll add, for those who care, this church is known as a very very very fundamentalist church. They have a history of turning people away at the door if they are not dressed right.
davidbmc’s last blog post..What the Heck?????
UPDATE!!!!
According to our local news tonight the giveaway is back on. The following is posted at the WHBC Youth Conference Website:
Although the shooting competition that was to take place during the Youth Conference had been canceled, due to false statements* made by the Oklahoma City TV Channel 5 (KOCO) and subsequently reported also by media outlets across the country, a shotgun was donated last Saturday so that the competition could go on as planned.
Uh…good? Well, at least it’s a shotgun.
davidbmc’s last blog post..What the Heck?????
Well at first I was impressed and worried. Shocked to learn it isn’t in a Texas Church! Makes you wonder how they are getting them free and why they aren’t using something better suited for hunting. There is some good huntin in OK. I do agree with the possible lack of wisdom of giving it to teens. I knew how to use a gun properly as a child, but that didn’t mean I got to share it with my friends.
A fundamentalist church? hummm…sooo interesting.
guns have been around since well before the beginning of this nation an yet school shootings are a relatively contemporary thing. let’s not blame guns or their availability for school shootings. let’s blame a society that has lost God. if guns are causing school shootings, then my pen is to blame for misspelled words.
Michael’s last blog post..Jude Chapter 1: Be Weary of False Teachings
It is ALWAYS my pen’s or the keyboard’s fault for misspelled words! My head and fingers are not involved!