Concealed carry at church?

[gearchecker]

I haven't yet carried at church. My pastor has given me permission to do so. There are 4 others that I'm aware of that always carry there. One being the head deacon. He's responsible for accounting the offerings so he's always armed to protect the church assets and the other ushers that need to be exposed to the money.
It's just never been an issue for me to carry there. If a couple of the current members that carry left, then I probably would carry. My wife has no problem with me carring at church.
One of the guys doesn't even attempt to hide the fact that he carries. He makes no specific attempt to conceal, since it's his perogitive. I've known him to carry semi-open under his suit coat on numerous occasions. He carries openly at the monthly church picnics too.

I guess it's all on how the church handles it from the beginning.
It's never been an issue, so it's pretty much an accepted practice.
Also, living in Idaho doesn't hurt either.

This is a good thread. Very thought provoking.
Gearchecker

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

I only have one life...and I usually have loved ones with me...

...so in that vein, unless it is a court house or airport, my philosophy is "What no one knows won't hurt them."

 

[jcjhl69]

I attend a large Church with 500 or so attending each service (I'm guessing). With all that "collections" each Sunday, it would be silly on their part to post no CCW, along with unsafe IMO. I usually carry my 442 anyway (the wife doesn't know it though!).

Oh she knows dont let her fool you into thinking otherwise. LOL I have recently started carring to Church as well due to some not to nice people in the area we are in.

 

[27145]

"Infidels" cannot carry in a mosque. Here is an incident that occured in 1972. RMP is NYC Police jargon for a squad car, 10-13 is a radio call for "Officer needs assistance (usually a dire emergency). This incident also involved some players of today like Congressman Charlie Rangel and Farrakhan.

A lot different than a Church or Synagogue.

POLICE NY Phil Cardillo Harlem Mosque

 

[Bicky Robby]

I have been in a church that got robbed at gun point. Two deacons stopped the robbers because they were carrying.

Churches are "ripe for the pickens" when they post signs like this because the bad guys will know they have no armed opposition.

More and more, sadly, churches and other houses of worship are becoming targets of violence by sicko's looking to make a statement.

 

[jtpur]

When I was in uniform patrol I wanted to hit midnight mass instead of taking a dinner break.......I walked into Church with my uniform on and of course I had my gun and gun belt on as my patrol car was parked in the Church lot. I signed out for a meal and gave my location.. as I entered one of the Church ladies said I could not come in with my gun. I told her I was on duty taking a meal break but wanted to spend it at Midnight services. She said, God does not like guns....I said I know, but he loves cops. I then entered Church, took communion and not anothe word was ever said.

 

[Will Carry]

I carry a pocket 380 on Sunday morning.

 

[walnutred]

A 3" M37 is the firearm that I consider my Sunday sidearm. Most of the time I carry a pocket 380 because of the convenience. However with the 3" J-frame I have 2-3 times the effective range over the P3AT simply because I shoot that much better with it. I regularly practice at between 50' and 75' with this M37 and I sit where I do because it gives me a clear 45' FOF to the Sanctuary entrance and lets me cover the main isle way.

It sounds really bad to put my thought processes in writing like this. However I figure if I'm going to be prepared enough to go to church armed I should think through the next steps. Mainly where are threats likely to come from and what are my fields of fire. I chose to blame my Army training for some of my thought processes. Fortunately I really don't believe I'll ever have to test my planning.

 

[handlebar]

Unless the place is considered a "place of Nuisance" - in Florida speak that means no carry allowed- I carry-church included. Just keep it concealed and there should be no problem.

 

[4011]

Why would anyone think an officer in uniform should lay his weapon aside. He would the first target if the stuff hit the fan. The few times I attended church in uniform I dang sure had my old 686 loaded to the top. We now have a uniformed officer hired to stand around in the hall. I've known him for years. He asked do you have any idea how many people are carring in here. I say him, him her, him and me. The church dosen't want to know who we are as they would be liable if something happened. We some twenty on any given Sunday. I know about where they set just like I know where the fire extinguishers are.

 

[Faulkner]

it must be terrible to not feel safe in church. without getting all religious, what greater safety than God's house?

very, very sad.

robert w.

Yes, I carry in church. And I've had older folks in our church tell me (to paraphrase) they feel safely worshipping at church because they know rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would do us harm.

 

[Kanewpadle]

it must be terrible to not feel safe in church. without getting all religious, what greater safety than God's house?

very, very sad.

robert w.

So do you feel safe in church?

 

[photoman]

Sometimes visit the funural home sans gunbelt also....

Su Amigo,
Dave

You come to my funeral, you better be wearin' one of them fancy rigs brother.

 

[photoman]

it must be terrible to not feel safe in church. without getting all religious, what greater safety than God's house?

very, very sad.

robert w.

Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, permits lethal violence in church. Whether or not you should resist that violence, with a gun or otherwise, is between you and Him.

To answer your question directly, I feel safer with a gun, no matter where I am.

 

[gbrady]

My Sister and Brother In-law live in the Okla City area and their Church was the one that sponsored the CC class and provided the transportation to the range for the members . No one asks if the members are carrying.

 

[twomoons]

i carry all the time.concealed.different guns for different occasions.in our church of 2000,we have divoorce counseling,i lead a alcohol drug rehab program,just about all the services available in the secular world are available at our church.there a divorced,or going through divorce people at our church.there are people unwinding from drugs and alcohol.three are people who have lost jobs,or kids who got kicked out of school.all kinds of people with the same stress as in the non church world.so thier is always the propensity for a person to snap at church,take hostages,kill as many people as they can,whatever the reason.no one can predict when a criminal or mentally ill person will snap.so i and all the elders and all the cops carry.
period.besides,its ccw,no is supposed to know.but i pitty anyone if they walking and pulled a gun

 

[Kanewpadle]

absolutely 100%. if i was allowed to carry it would stay in the car.

for me, attending Mass is a deeply satisifying experience of love and trust.

robert w.

To each their own I guess.

 

[thndrchiken]

Living in the PRNJ it's a non issue for me, but when attending church services in other states during trips and I am legal to carry, I carry, it's concealed so what others don't need to know I don't tell.

 

[4330Inroute]

When I was in uniform patrol I wanted to hit midnight mass instead of taking a dinner break.......I walked into Church with my uniform on and of course I had my gun and gun belt on as my patrol car was parked in the Church lot. I signed out for a meal and gave my location.. as I entered one of the Church ladies said I could not come in with my gun. I told her I was on duty taking a meal break but wanted to spend it at Midnight services. She said, God does not like guns....I said I know, but he loves cops. I then entered Church, took communion and not anothe word was ever said.

I had a similar incident. A woman complained to the priest after Sunday Mass about my being in uniform and armed. He told her 'Be thankful that there are men like him willing to stand between you and Satan's children.' My mother in law was standing near him and overheard the conversation.

 

[Bombsaway]

Why is it that every time this subject is brought up on any gun forum, it degrades into an argument about whether or not God exists? And why are non-believers so threatened and offended by someone else's faith?

And as someone who grew up in the 60's and 70's, you cannot deny the impact that forbidding religious expression from schools and other government buildings has had on society. Bringing a gun into a school or a church and going on a murderous rampage was unheard of then because people were taught right and wrong based on Biblical principles. The far left has been very successful in throwing all that out, only to reap the horrible rewards decades later. But do they take any responsibility for it? No.

One SHOULD feel safe in a church, but as we have seen, houses of worship are no safer or immune from violence than any other place.