Concealed carry at church

Rolltide51

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I was wondering what members felt about concealed carry at churches. If this has been discussed before
i apologize.
 

B1GTide

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I'm part of our (trained) security team at our church, and we have zero issue with members legally carrying.

Maybe at some point in the past attacking members at a church wouldn't have happened, but it's the reality now, and I'm not going to allow it if I can do anything to stop it.
I agree, but I won't carry a gun in church. I would rather be a victim than sacrifice that time thinking or worrying about the need for one.

I get the thought process. The harsh reality is that violence is a plague in America. Other countries own and carry guns without our violence. Something is broken here. I have no idea what.
 

crimsonaudio

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I agree, but I won't carry a gun in church. I would rather be a victim than sacrifice that time thinking or worrying about the need for one.
IMO, church is no different than anywhere else. I just so happen to live in the suburbs of one of the most violent cities in the US and refuse to passively allow my family to be harmed by anyone, whether it be in a place of worship, a restaurant, or any other public place.

Not a sense of fear, simply pragmatism in a area of great violence.
 
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B1GTide

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IMO, church is no different than anywhere else. I just so happen to live in the suburbs of one of the most violent cities in the US and refuse to passively allow my family to be harmed by anyone, whether it be in a place of worship, a restaurant, or any other public place.

Not a sense of fear, simply pragmatism in a area of great violence.
I get it. I really do. I cannot even bring my guns to my NJ home, and I felt exposed for a long time when I first moved here. I don't anymore, but I carry when in Columbus. Too dangerous a city not to.
 
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crimsonaudio

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I get it. I really do. I cannot even bring my guns to my NJ home, and I felt exposed for a long time when I first moved here. I don't anymore, but I carry when in Columbus. Too dangerous a city not to.
Aye, Memphis is a whole other animal.

But in reality, NJ isn't that different. It's likely just a matter of time, sadly...
 
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B1GTide

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Aye, Memphis is a whole other animal.

But in reality, NJ isn't that different. It's likely just a matter of time, sadly...
NJ is a very different state than most realize. Most of the state is farm land or rolling countryside. Our home is in the rolling hills near the PA border in northwest NJ. Very conservative, and no crime whatsoever. People here don't even lock their homes when they go shopping.

But when we want to go to the movies or shopping, we have to go toward the city. There, there be monsters. That is when I miss my ability to carry.
 
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TIDE-HSV

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For several years, I had valid reason to fear for my personal safety. I renewed my license and updated my ordnance. So, I became a habitual carrier and brushed up on where I could carry legally. When CA and I met in Germantown, TN, a couple of years ago, I was armed, as I knew he was. Circumstances have changed for me and the anxiety over it has eased off. With those changes, I find that I'm not as OCD about carrying. Probably not the best reaction, but it's a human one...
 
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TIDE-HSV

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NJ is a very different state than most realize. Most of the state is farm land or rolling countryside. Our home is in the rolling hills near the PA border in northwest NJ. Very conservative, and no crime whatsoever. People here don't even lock their homes when they go shopping.

But when we want to go to the movies or shopping, we have to go toward the city. There, there be monsters. That is when I miss my ability to carry.
Also, a lotta difference between Bergen County and Atlantic City...
 
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rolltide_21

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I'm part of our (trained) security team at our church, and we have zero issue with members legally carrying.

Maybe at some point in the past attacking members at a church wouldn't have happened, but it's the reality now, and I'm not going to allow it if I can do anything to stop it.
Excellent post. I was going to post this. Our security team goes through hours of training. We don’t discourage our members for carrying. But in the event they’ve been instructed to stay out of the way of our security.
 
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B1GTide

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Excellent post. I was going to post this. Our security team goes through hours of training. We don’t discourage our members for carrying. But in the event they’ve been instructed to stay out of the way of our security.
I wonder if that sort of thing is happening around here. My churches in Ohio and NJ do not have security teams, but they are very small churches.
 

rolltide_21

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I wonder if that sort of thing is happening around here. My churches in Ohio and NJ do not have security teams, but they are very small churches.
It also seems to vary based on fellowship. In the one I worship/work (I'm a minister) it seems we've had disproportionately more of these events than others including the latest one in December (in Texas) where a trained security team did exactly what it should do. Again, the disproportionate comment is my observation as I have no statistical data to prove it. There were four or five last year in north AL in small rural congregations which went unnoticed by the media. Almost all of them are from relationships turned violent. The situation in Texas was caused by a man who was mentally ill. We tell our people if you've had a serious conflict with another person let the head of our security know. It will be kept in confidence, and it has.
 
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Jon

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It also seems to vary based on fellowship. In the one I worship/work (I'm a minister) it seems we've had disproportionately more of these events than others including the latest one in December (in Texas) where a trained security team did exactly what it should do. Again, the disproportionate comment is my observation as I have no statistical data to prove it. There were four or five last year in North AL in small rural congregations which went unnoticed by the media. Almost all of them are from relationships turned violent. The situation in Texas was caused by a man who was mentally ill. We tell our people if you've had a serious conflict with another person let the head of our security know. It will be kept in confidence, and it has.

please don't take offense to this as I am genuinely curious but it seems to me that most Christian faiths (and I am assuming that you are due to the use of Minister and not Imam or Rabbi as well as the fact that you are in North Alabama) and Christians I've known seem to talk about gods plan. Every time someone I know dies it's "god called them home" or "don't be sad it is all a part of gods plan". Now, if that is indeed the case, why the security? If you genuinely believe in god and believe that he has a plan that includes when you are to die why try to stop it?

This is coming from a truly confused atheist that has never understood what appears to be a massive contradiction here. This is not an attempt to demean your, or anyone elses faith
 

rolltide_21

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please don't take offense to this as I am genuinely curious but it seems to me that most Christian faiths (and I am assuming that you are due to the use of Minister and not Imam or Rabbi as well as the fact that you are in North Alabama) and Christians I've known seem to talk about gods plan. Every time someone I know dies it's "god called them home" or "don't be sad it is all a part of gods plan". Now, if that is indeed the case, why the security? If you genuinely believe in god and believe that he has a plan that includes when you are to die why try to stop it?

This is coming from a truly confused atheist that has never understood what appears to be a massive contradiction here. This is not an attempt to demean your, or anyone elses faith
No offense taken. I’ll log on in a bit and try to give a coherent answer. Didn’t want In my non-reply for you to think I was avoiding the issue. Btw- these are valid questions, imo.
 

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