The other day I read a news article about churches in Kentucky that are offering incentives to “unchurched” men in order to bring them into the congregation. Do I even have to make you guess?
From the Courier-Journal of March 1: “In an effort its spokesman has described as ‘outreach to rednecks,’ the Kentucky Baptist Convention is leading ‘Second Amendment Celebrations,’ where churches around the state give away guns as door prizes to lure in nonbelievers in hopes of converting them to Christ.”
Chuck McAlister, the Convention’s “team leader for evangelism” (I kid you not…there’s a video), goes on to say that his goal is to “help people have an encounter with Jesus” and that “the number of unchurched men who will show up will be in direct proportion to the number of guns you give away.” I guess Louisville Sluggers just won’t do the trick with these particular prodigal sons.
A few days later, Wayne LaPierre, the National Rifle Association’s team leader for unrestricted gun violence, told the Conservative Political Action Conference (their motto: “Find someone who’s farther to the right than us…we dare you!”) that “there is no greater freedom than the right to survive and protect our families with all the rifles, shotguns and handguns we want.”
Sounds like Wayne should make a side trip to Louisville to restock, or maybe he can just enter the contest that showed up in my e-mail today. Readers of a blindingly right-wing online “news” service (“we accept your dare, CPAC!”) are being offered a chance to win a “top quality Colt 6920 AR-15 rifle.” To enter, just sign up with the National Association for Gun Rights, and support their “aggressive program designed to mobilize public opposition to anti-gun legislation.” You won’t even have to go to church.
