The Kentucky Baptist Convention wants to “point people to Christ” by giving away guns at Second Amendment Celebrations hosted across the state.
In the words of spokesman Chuck McAlister the strategy is “outreach to rednecks,” and 1,000 people are expected to attend the next event. To lure the nonreligious into the fold, the churches are offering a handgun, shotgun, or long gun as door prizes. Winners attend church for a photo-op with their new gun, but they must pass a background check before collecting their prize.
“The number of unchurched men who will show up will be in direct proportion to the number of guns you give away,” McAlister told The Courier-Journal. “And I can almost tell you the number of men who would show up based on the make or model. There is a huge interest among unchurched men in the state of Kentucky regarding guns and gun rights that is even more of a draw than a toaster or money would be.”
At one event in February, McAlister reportedly took the stage surrounded by guns and discussed politics, saying gun violence is “not the gun, it’s the man behind the gun,” and “criminals don’t care about a bunch of rules.” God did not come up for the first 30 minutes. After polling the audience about who had a gun, McAlister said, “We’ve got an army right here!”
