Church--Carry or no carry?

L

LASur5r

Moderator
Recently there was a discussion as to whether or not you carry your CCW in church.

Some said that out of respect they do not. Others said that they do and is has nothing to do with respect.

I was starting to waffle on this subject, until here in soCal there was another murder right in front of a church.

Also wasn't there a mass murder of parishoners inside of a Texas church not that long ago? If I recall correctly, members of the choir came to spend extra time to practice and a lone gunman came into the church and casually shot a lot of the young folks before committing suicide?

What's your opinion?
 
Wise to ask & check with God!...

Why do you want to carry to begin with? I would hate to see innocents taken out by some sicko. Grandmothers, children & mothers. I guess we dads/males fit in too, eh? :D I look at myself as a 'guard dog'. There are also wolves & sheeple. /// As I enter a House of Worship - I am coming to be in God's presence. He is to be praised & acknowledged for Who He Is. I am to be in obedience to begin with - whever I am - to Him. I need to be at peace with Him... justified war & self-defense I have personally embraced as theologically legitimate. /// How I would hate to be sitting in His House & be unable to defend innocents & myself!!! We, as stewards of defense, are to come to grips with these types of stances and apply them to home and community... my personal stance...
 
God is OK with me being able to protect myself and others, no matter where I am, it's the government that has a problem with me protecting myself.
 
Why do you want to carry to begin with? I would hate to see innocents taken out by some sicko. Grandmothers, children & mothers. I guess we dads/males fit in too, eh? I look at myself as a 'guard dog'. There are also wolves & sheeple. /// As I enter a House of Worship - I am coming to be in God's presence. He is to be praised & acknowledged for Who He Is. I am to be in obedience to begin with - whever I am - to Him. I need to be at peace with Him... justified war & self-defense I have personally embraced as theologically legitimate. /// How I would hate to be sitting in His House & be unable to defend innocents & myself!!! We, as stewards of defense, are to come to grips with these types of stances and apply them to home and community... my personal stance
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Very well said.
If you perceive that you are a guard dog and that there are also wolves and sheeple, then respectfully to God and other parishioners (?), you rise to that truth, accept it, prepare for it, and praise God for the revelation and purpose within your walk with God. PBTL. So in that light, respect may indeed have something to do with it even though it sounds bass ackwards to the idea that 'out of respect, one does not carry a weapon into the house of God'...

It's not hard to imagine a day in the probably not too distant future where armed riflemen stand guard in the church. Christians are already (still?) being persecuted around the world and if the prophecies play out as written (and I beleive they will), Christianity will wind up being illegal one day and churches will have to go underground, hello riflemen, PBTL.

Weapons in church are either/or depending on whats in your heart. You can respectfully bring a weapon in, or disrespectfully bring a weapon in. Whats in your heart? :) The weapon is inanimate and is not respectful or disrespectful in and of itself.
 
I'm sheepish to admit this, but I'm already an usher in church, now (and therefore, to a degree, responsible for security in the sanctuary). I would see carrying an arm as a natural extension of that, with agreement with previous comments.

I reckon one should always be right with your concept of God, no matter where you are.
 
Hmmm... where would a Muslim Extremist want to attack Americans to produce the most panic....?
 
"Do unto others what you would have them do unto you."

If I were at church, unarmed, and some madman started killing people, I'd want someone I knew and trusted to jump up and deal with the situation -- and I'd want them to be armed, too.

pax

He who goes unarmed in Paradise had better be sure that is where he is. -- James Thurber
 
Regardless of your religious or ethnic background, with virtually no exceptions, your religion teaches that your life is a gift from God. As such, your life is worth defending. God did not give you this precious gift just to have it taken without warrant.

A Christian sermon given in Philadelphia in 1747 equates failure to defend one’s life with suicide:

He that suffers his life to be taken from him by one that hath no authority for that purpose, when he might preserve it by defense, incurs the guilt of self-murder since God hath enjoined him to seek the continuance of his life, and nature itself teaches every creature to defend itself.

It is immoral and repugnant to the Creator to not defend one’s self, family and community.

A citizen is responsible for his (or her) and his family’s safety. I do not believe that being armed is a right or a privilege, but that it is a duty. Remember, the Founding Fathers of the Republic relied on an armed citizenry to ensure liberty.

We can do no less to ensure the liberty of our children.
 
Last year, on vacation with the wife, we stopped in at a "Historic Village/ community".We were checking the village on a self guided tour and finally came to the small church. As we stepped into the entry I saw a closet...but it wasn't for coats. It was a built in gun rack! The order of the day was obvious...protect yourself...to and from church. The closet was set up for long guns. No doubt there were revolvers under the coats.
I think things changed to a more civilized way of life...for a time...and it was forgotten how bad things could be. Now it seems the pendulem is swinging back to the bad times again.
I don't know if its "legal" to carry in church...but I KNOW its not legal for a BG to come in to kill at will. So I guess you just make the decision. Carry or not and live with the results.
Mark
 
I have asked the same question often

And have decided that I would be the person to jump up and try to help if the situation arose...along with about 5-10 other KNOWN Church carriers. I attend a LARGE 2000 person congregation just South of Nashville and I have thought of a number of the same things you all have...
1. Where would someone strike if theyhated Christianity?
2. Is this BUILDING Holy or is GOD holy?
3. I am a Deacon at this Church and I feel I have SOME responsibilty and people look to me for help and protection (not always PHYSICAL)
4. my wife, kids, in-laws and best friends are RIGHT next to me...I would protect them anywhere else...why not here.

I don't always carry while at church, but I see NO problems with it at all...

David
 
Disrespect to God is shown by disobeying the Ten Commandments, & not acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God.

Show me in the Bible the verse that says you shouldn't carry a weapon into church, & I will never do so again.

Until you can.......
 
Unfortunately and inexplicably it is forbidden under michigan's CCW laws unless the head of the church specifically gives permission.
 
Just one thing to keep in mind, my state (DE) has legislation that forbids CCW on public or private school grounds. The law is worded in such a way that it could easily include a church where children are being taught in sunday school.

As for breaking a state/local law in order to carry in church see Romans 13:1 and 1 Peter 2:13.

As for the theology of carrying in a church... Keep in mind that Christ also commanded us to turn the other cheek if struck so that our opponent might strike that one also. There is also a big theological case for passive resistance as well if you look at the example of the early church. There is a time for everything under heaven. Be in constant prayer that God might lead you to recognize the time that is before you.

Is it wrong to carry in church? Not unless your breaking the law or unless you think it is. Frankly I think this falls under "do not cause your brother to stumble in his weakness". If you think its wrong, its wrong. A christian must always be wary of replacing their trust in Jesus Christ with their trust in Samuel Colt. Even carrying a gun may become a stumbling block to your walk with God.

Personally I don't think I will. Its Gods house and I will trust him to defend it (perhaps through my christian brothers who do not feel likewise).
 
Christ also commanded us to turn the other cheek
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There were also commands and examples not to be passive.

And He said to them, "But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. Luke 22:36
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And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. Matthew 21:12
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CCW not allowed in Churches here.

Hence the reason members and such of LEO community encourged to be in uniform--with sidearms

I wouldn't want to bet that some have/do carry inside.
wouldn't want to bet none in vehicles either.
 
Hkmp5sd,

Yes and right after the disciples produce two swords in Luke 22:38, Jesus says "That's plenty!" because he didn't mean it literally. 13 verses later he criticizes Peter for cutting off someones ear with a sword in defense of Christ when they come to take Jesus into custody.

Likewise, when Christ clears the temple courts he does so with a whip of cords not with knife, sword, or spear. No one is killed and the scriptures do not record anyone even being harmed. The modern equivalent might be Jesus clearing the temple with tear gas.

The bible says that there is a time to heal and a time to kill. God rarely praises killing but He recognizes the necessity of killing in self defense. The bible also recognizes the power self defense has when it saved the Israelites from persecution in Esther. However even though King David fought valiantly for God and was called a man after God's own heart, he was not allowed to build Gods temple because of the blood on his hands (1Ch28:3). Biblically, killing is always the last resort in conflict not the first.
 
1Peter2:13-25 makes a good point. Thanks MrAcheson for bringing that to our attention. There's a time and a place for everything. I'd feel just as comfortable in a church full of armed people that I would in a church full of unarmed people.

Was sitting in my reloading room one night musing over 'The Lord provides all ones needs' etc., and looked around at all my guns and stuff and said I hope these aren't needs.:eek: I pray to God I never have to shoot anyone. Its come true so far PTL! Nevertheless, not my will...
 
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