Religion News Blog is a non-profit service providing academics, religion professionals and other researchers with religion & cult news

Religion news articles about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues

Navigation:

Search

Church Cancels Semiautomatic Assault Rifle Giveaway

Religion News Blog, Amsterdam, Netherlands
July 15, 2008 News Summary
www.religionnewsblog.com

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Tuesday July 15, 2008

Sorry kids, the Windsor Hill Baptist church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA (where else?) won’t be giving away the AR-15 assault rifle it bought for that purpose.
You’ll have to wait till next year.

Church Cancels Semiautomatic Assault Rifle Giveaway

An Oklahoma City church called off plans to give away a semiautomatic assault rifle at a weekend gathering of teenagers, the church’s pastor said.
Plans called for Windsor Hills Baptist to give away the weapon as a way of encouraging attendance at the gathering but plans changed when one the event’s organizers was unable to attend, KOCO 5, Oklahoma City, reported Sunday.
[...]
The church Web site featured a video showing the shooting competition from last year’s conference. A gun was given away last year, but this year organizers decided to highlight the giveaway in promotions for the conference.
[...]
The gun giveaway has been taken down from the Web site, but Ross said the church will give the gun away next year.

- Source: Church Cancels Semiautomatic Assault Rifle Giveaway, UPI, via KFI AM 640, USA (where else?), July 14, 2008 — Summarized by Religion News Blog

A video on the church Web site shows the shooting competition from last year’s conference. A gun giveaway was part of the event last year. This year, organizers included it in their marketing.
“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 Ross. “That’s not at all what we’re trying to do.”
[...]
Friday evening, Ross said the gun giveaway had been canceled. Pastor emeritus Jim Vineyard, who ran the event, injured his foot and wouldn’t be able to attend. The gun giveaway was also removed from the church Web site.
Ross said the church would give the gun away next year instead. He said the church spent $800 buying the gun for the promotion.

- Source: Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway, KOCO, Oklahoma, USA, July 12, 2008 — Summarized by Religion News Blog