Churches buying back guns for $50 to keep them off the streets; worth it 'if one life is saved'

[SecularMotion]

Guns aren't something you would normally see in church, but they're the very thing churches in Alabama are wanting to see more of.

Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church and other churches in the Northwest Huntsville area are doing their bit to help reduce gun crime by offering gun owners $50 for their weapons, Al.com reports.

The money to buy the guns back has been raised by members of Union Chapel and other donations.

The promise of $50 was obviously a good enough reason for some to part with their guns as the campaign has already yielded a crop.

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/churches.buying.back.guns.for.50.to.keep.them.off.the.streets.worth.it.if.one.life.is.saved.says.pastor/38653.htm

[Travis_0004]

1. They need more of theses

Last time they had one locally I received 150 bucks for a rusted out gun that wouldnt have fired anyway.

I used the money towards a Remington 870 shotgun.

[Packerowner740]

4. Isn't that immoral

You are taking advantage of what they are trying to accomplish.

[Travis_0004]

5. I dont think so

I never promised I would use the money for a specific purpose. The agreement was that I hand over the gun and they give me the cash. What happens after the fact is none of their business. If there wasnt a gun buyback I would have taken a welding torch to it then threw it away but if somebody is willing to give me 20 times more than its worth, why not sell it to them?

[petronius]

2. The value of programs like this is that they may provide the incentive

for a household that has been left (by inheritance, for example) with an unwanted firearm to get rid of something that isn't stored or cared for properly. That might increase safety in the individual household, especially if there are children around.

However, 'buybacks' won't have any impact on crime or public safety in general - they don't disarm criminals or meaningfully diminish the pool of weapons available to the criminally-minded...

[ManiacJoe]

9. Two excellent points.

[Packerowner740]

3. How can they buy them "back"

If they never owned them in the first place?

[oneshooter]

6. Can't be legal. The churches are NOT licensed to purchase firearms, no BC at all. n/t

[Eleanors38]

7. Must be a loop hole. Really. Heard about those.

[Jenoch]

11. Are you well informed on the gun laws of Alabama

to make that statement?

"The guns will be checked by police to see if they were stolen or used in crime, before being handed on to the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives."

That procedure appears to make this event legal, even f it doesn't do much to reduce gun crime.

[ileus]

8. If the church would turn around and resale them they could be on to something.

[NYC_SKP]

10. PRAISE THE LORD!!!

.

And pass the ammunition!