Open carry in church

[edsollen]

I would venture this may be of interest to some,
I was Master of Ceremonies at the, Cumberland Valley Men of Promise, men's conference held at the Chambersburg First Church of God in Chambersburg PA. Among those present were our very own Pennsyplinker, GNBRotz and Edstephan. A part of the event involves various hobbies being displayed such as guns, some "evil black rifles", motorcycles, RC cars, a micro sprint and many others in the sanctuary, lobby and on stage. The guns were in front along the alter area.
Of course many of us were armed with the aforementioned three being OC. As moderator I CC'd as I did not want to distract from the proceedings.
All in all we had a great time. Have any of you ever participated an such an event? Would your church allow this type of activity in the sanctuary? Your thoughts would be appreciated.

[vavulaka]

I think OC at a church for certain "extracurricular events" such as community gathering, weddings etc. could be fine. (I remember seeing a thread here about a guy OCing at his wedding).
But for me, I wouldn't OC during regular Sunday services. I CC when I'm at church, but I guess it's ultimately up to the church and obviously personal preference.

[PennsyPlinker]

I did not mention it to you, but the only comments I got were "thank you for carrying" and "what model is that?" It was just one more positive aspect of the event.

For the record I CC on Sunday mornings, but OC for Bible study and usually for other events. We have a summer business meeting that is followed by a picnic and trap shooting. In recent years is has also included handguns and rifles as well. And everyone OCs for that, even the guys (and ladies) who usually conceal.

[gnbrotz]

I have yet to open carry at a Sunday morning service, but I really can't explain why. It's VERY well-know that I carry religiously (no pun intended), so I'm not really "hiding" anything. A couple of weeks ago, I attended a viewing at a funeral home - concealed. The granddaughter of the deceased commented, "I'm not used to seeing you without a gun". I replied, "What makes you think I don't have a gun?". My point was made. But even in that situation, when I was not OC, the lack of OC on my part was more 'unusual' than if I had been OC, and I really didn't have any 'secret'.

I do know that just like any other private property, if it ever becomes clear that my firearm is not welcome on a church property, I will not return to that property again.

[Nucking Futs]

I haven't been to church in several years due to rotating work schedule. I am afraid if I step foot in one at this point the roof may fall on me.

[Manxdriver]

I CC for Sunday morning worship, but OC for everything else. It may sound strange but Sunday Morning Worship is the time I carry extra mags. I have come to the conclusion that is the time the evil one will strike because they like lots of victims.
There's a 12 year old kid at my Church that I take hunting, him and his Dad. I've known his family for twenty+ years. Since he was about 7 or 8, he always comes up to me between Worship services and Sunday School and asks, "What are you carrying today".

The Preacher finds it funny! His wife had originally expresseda distaste for it. She's an "Educator" from California. I explained, at length and was surprised she didn't have a clue, where our rights come from (straight from the Hand of God to us, not through government documents) and that if HE gave them to us, wouldn't He expect us to enjoy and employ them? I know if i gave my little girl a bicycle and she didn't ride it, I would be offended deeply.

At one point, it came up in a business meeting that we should put "NO GUN" stickers on the windows at the doors. Of course it was a liberal bed-wetter wearing a neck brace that brought it up. My response was to jump up and very loudly proclaim that if I EVER saw one of those stickers I would NEVER cross that doorway again. I would go somewhere else. That was all it took to get that idea squashed. I'm convinced that America is in the bad shape it's in because we Conservatives, at one point or another, kept silent when we should have jumped to our feet, fists balled for a fight, and made it clear that THIS WILL NOT FLY!

[gbrown221]

Our next Utah class in Indiana is being hosted at a church. It was the pastor of the church that contacted me and indicated he wanted as many parishoners as possible legally armed.

[ray h]

This is an exciting trend.

[vavulaka]

I relative of mine is a pastor in central PA and he keeps a gun at the pulpit. His reasoning is similar to the one above. The evil one can strike anywhere and a place of worship is as much of a target (if not more) than any. Plus, as a pastor odds are you're facing the back of the church; the entry ways - if anyone was going to walk in shooting, you'll be the first to see him and hopefully react faster than the parishioners

[pa350z]

I'm convinced that America is in the bad shape it's in because we Conservatives, at one point or another, kept silent when we should have jumped to our feet, fists balled for a fight, and made it clear that THIS WILL NOT FLY!

+1 Rep!! That one sentence sums it ALL up.