Carry in church vs. church culture

[Texas]

What exactly is the problem? Are you planning on shooting churchgoers?
Are you planning to suddenly pull out your weapon in the middle of the sermon and yell out:"I HAVE A GUN!!!". Probably not. You are not a criminal. You're not going to hurt anyone. So what is the big deal about bringing gun into a church. Keep it well concealed and don't tell anyone you're packing and you should be OK....I promise.

[Cocked _and_Locked]

...So what is the big deal about bringing gun into a church. Keep it well concealed and don't tell anyone you're packing and you should be OK....I promise.

No kiddin'. But you see the problem comes up when paranoid people constantly in fear for their lives start getting preoccupied with guns. Then it just gets weirder and wilder with every new scenario.

[FN1910]

No kiddin'. But you see the problem comes up when paranoid people constantly in fear for their lives start getting preoccupied with guns. Then it just gets weirder and wilder with every new scenario.

I don't want to jump off the deep end here but I am pretty sure I understand what you are saying. I have had too many LEO tell me to behave myself and don't worry about it to get too wound up in whether it is legal to have a concealed weapon in church or not. Either SC has some of the loosest gun laws and LEO in the nation or someone is doing something strange. I have never known of anyone to be charged for just having a gun in their posession. It has always been the result of something else that led to it and I know a lot of people that have carried a pistol on their person all their life without any kind of permit.

[TokenGimp]

@ FN1910, You hit the nail on the head. If you don't act foolish you should be fine. I know the same folks w/o that permission slip and they have never had an issue. Church is no exception. They haven't been bothered either as they stay away from places you know not to go. Yes, I realize that where not to go has changed and is changing everyday. Pretty soon due to new technology and screening it won't matter because everywhere we go will be under scrutiny anyway thanks to big bro.

[G50AE]

What exactly is the problem? Are you planning on shooting churchgoers?

And they were bringing rimfire shooters to him that he might let them shoot in a lane at his range, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the rimfire shooters come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs at the rifle range of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not practice at the rifle range of God like these rimfire shooters shall not become a member of it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

[G50AE]

I get asked by may pastor..."You ARE armed...right?"

"Yes John, always."

"Good. Can you please sit close to the Sunday School doors?"

"Don't I always?"

"Yes."

"John, we've had this conversation before...now get to preachin' and teachin'!"

One more reason why I like the church we attend.

Yeah, except that it was mentioned on another thread that you have had several run-ins with Arizona law enforcement. Not sure why your preacher, if you even go to church, would want you carrying in his church.

[brolin1911a1]

Right - this needs to be my approach. Also, I want folks to know think through whether a Christian has the right (absolutely) to bear arms and what our responsibility is to protect ourselves and those we care for.

You might do a bit of research on the previously mentioned Luke 22:36 and how strong was Jesus' admonition. We, today, don't see much of a message in "sell his cloak to buy one." But in Jesus' time and culture, one's cloak was an expensive, tediously handmade survival necessity. Exodus 22:26 and Deuteronomy 24:13 make this plain. Yet Jesus injunction to his disciples was to sacrifice their means of keeping warm and sheltered at night if that was what it took to buy the means of self defense.

[brolin1911a1]

Right - this needs to be my approach. Also, I want folks to know think through whether a Christian has the right (absolutely) to bear arms and what our responsibility is to protect ourselves and those we care for.

You might do a bit of research on the previously mentioned Luke 22:36 and how strong was Jesus' admonition. We, today, don't see much of a message in "sell his cloak to buy one." But in Jesus' time and culture, one's cloak was an expensive, tediously handmade survival necessity. Exodus 22:26 and Deuteronomy 24:13 make this plain. Yet Jesus injunction to his disciples was to sacrifice their means of keeping warm and sheltered at night if that was what it took to buy the means of self defense.

[TokenGimp]

Charl van Wyk - Shooting Back

Charles Van Wyk in his book Shooting back discusses the stigma that comes with a guy who had carried and needed to use his weapon in church. The result was he saved many other lives.

He then validated his actions through scripture. My daughter gave me the book a few years ago, but it's still available at Amazon.

Always a time and place to defend, sometimes the place is church.