How may of y'all carry to church?

[cowboymd]

Every time I'm there.

[rtschl]

I have carried at church since getting my plastic. But now I am on our security team an we carry as a licensed personal protection officers (Level 4 security guard - concealed). I sometimes work at church alone very late doing IT work. After the pastor in Arlington was murdered in a robbery attempt in March I started to carry as Level 3 (open carry and uniformed) . A week before his murder we had a burglary at our church.

People who think bad things do not happen at church are naive or deluded. The reason I got my plastic was because of the pastor in Maryville, Illinois who was shot and killed two years ago during the morning service. This is only a short drive from where I was born and it woke me up to the need to protect our pastor, staff and church members.

Ron

[Bird10]

Never without it .

[SewTexas]

Hubby has always carried to church, I bought a purse to carry to church after the Co Springs shootings and starting carrying to church...guess I'd always thought it was "safe".

[Smily]

Always! And a Kimber Pepper blaster as well. My church is downtown and we get some crazy people in there that are just really disruptive.

-Smily

[AJ80]

I carry to church every service. Every one who attends the Sunday evening service now knows I carry as of yesterday.

How did that happen?

Before I got to church, a very argumentative person showed up wanting money. I missed all of that, but my pastor and someone else were still discussing the event when I arrived. This other person mentioned that he keeps a gun in his car just incase, then my pastor made a comment about me keeping a gun in my front pocket. The guy that he made the comment to kept mentioning my gun after everyone else had arrived. It's really no big deal since my church is so small and not many people come on Sunday evening. No one thee seemed to mind either.

[couzin]

...a very argumentative person showed up wanting money...

That happen once while my wife was working as church secretary out in Longview. Two ladies showed up, walked in (door was always unlocked after she or reverend arrived during the week), and asked for some assistance paying bills and buying food. My wife told them that there was no petty cash and she couldn't write a check without the rev or an elder's approval. They then started asking for any money she had in her purse or a personal check from her. She didn't have cash and said she wouldn't write a check. They then asked her for a ride back downtown as they had hitched out to our church. My wife, bless her heart - took them back into Longview where they were let out in front of the Walmart. When she told me what had transpired (and after I had calmed down considerably over her letting these two in a car with her), we resolved that she was going to start carrying while on the job in the church AND the door was absolutely going to stay locked from then on unless other folks were there. BIG eye opening experience that one. I didn't know whether to be angry at my wife for being so naive or just grateful God was watching on that day.

[C-dub]

I didn't know whether to be angry at my wife for being so naive or just grateful God was watching on that day.

No kidding! Amen.

[OldCurlyWolf]

Always.

Of course my church doesn't have doors, walls, a roof, etc. It only has a membership of 1 and no invites for others to join. Of course they are perfectly able to form their own like mine and even go to the same places.

[mikeintexas]

I carry every Sunday while sitting in the Choir Loft. Also, Wednesday's, some Monday's...

OK, I'm carrying whenever I'm at Church!

[slowpoke]

The wife and I carry for every Church event .

[The Annoyed Man]

I've considered it, but as of yet, i still leave it in my truck. Im always hoping a parishioner next to me is !

What if he's hoping the same thing about you? If you have a philosophical reason for not carrying in church, then don't do it. But if that is your reason, then don't hope that the guy next to you is in philosophical disagreement with you, because he has no duty to protect you or your family. We don't carry our guns to protect folks we are not related to. We carry them to protect ourselves and our loved ones. If you won't carry in church to protect yourself or your loved ones, you have no right to expect that the guy next to you will do that for you.

There is only one situation in which you can legitimately not carry into church AND hope that the other guy will protect you, and that is if you don't have your own plastic yet and you cannot legally do so. There is absolutely nothing morally or theologically wrong with carrying your pistol into church. Your only concern should be whether or not the church is posted 30.06. But if you're not carrying into church because you think that it is somehow wrong, then it is hypocritical to hope that the guy next to you is armed.

Please don't take this as a personal attack. I just think you need to clarify your thinking about this stuff, particularly if you are new to CHL.

[speedsix]

...well said, TAM...it is a temptation for some to trust others with their safety...I never did that, even on the force...NOONE cares for my butt like I do...same about my family...it's MY job...

[Texas Size 11]

I started this one a week ago and will be carrying to church again tomorrow and the next Sunday and the next Sunday...

[Warhammer]

I always carry in church. In fact, my pastor has specificaly asked me to always carry (not that he needed to). Since I run the A/V equipment for the services, I have a good view of everythng that's going on, including the doorways.