CHL in Church?

[longhorn_92]

[11]: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
[12]: He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
[13]: He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep.
[14]: I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me,
[15]: as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

I am not the shepherd, but I am a shepherd. Like Longtooth, I shepherd the flock of my congregation. It would not be appropriate for me not to do everything in my power to prevent the wolf from snatching any from my flock. Even if it costs me my life. Yes, I carry.

I am an Associate Minister and I carry!

[The Annoyed Man]

Interestingly, just Sunday night I had a conversation with our new executive pastor, who was already a friend of mine before joining the pastorate. He brought up the subject of guns in church in the context of protection from crazed attackers. He's been a friend of mine long enough that I felt comfortable telling him that I have a CHL, and that every time he's seem me for the past 8 months I've been armed. He was not only not surprised, but he told me that quite a number of members are "packing heat" as he put it. I was fairly surprised. I personally know of only one other guy who carries there, but given the size of the church (about 1200), I expected that there would be around 10-15 CHL holders in the congregation. My friend's implication was that it was decidedly a higher number than that. I know that some of them are LEOs, but not all.

I told him that I didn't expect him to tell me who the others were, but that I would like to find out who the others are as a safety precaution. I would love the chance to network with them. If we all know one another, we're not likely to shoot one another responding to an actual attack event in the church.

[longtooth]

Our church is a small country church. 60-70 on Sunday morning. There will be a solid half dozen there. Men & women.

[bryang]

Yes....absolutely! ...and every where else that I go, unless it is 3006 posted and if it is posted, I will take my business else where.

-geo

[srothstein]

As far as Saturday goes, http://www.yeshiva.org.il/ask/Eng/?id=13" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thank you for posting this. I love being Jewish with rabbi's like that. I now have documentation that my carrying a pistol is necessary for the observation of my religion. The Chief Rabbi of Israel said so. Now I can get the liberals and ACLU to help me because it becomes a First Amendment issue, instead of a Second Amendment issue they can ignore.

[jimlongley]

Yes, and Yes, and I was even carrying when I was baptized last year.

What'd you dunk?

.32NAA Guardian

[Smokewagon]

Another church carrier here.

[LarryH]

. . . . and yet another . . . .

[chewy555]

I need to start going back to church, and when I do, it will be with my weapon on.

[M9FAN]

Absolutely.

Being able to defend yourself is always appropriate!

[paadams]

I need to start going back to church, and when I do, it will be with my weapon on.

I haven't been in quite some time either, but if I did go, I'd be armed.

[CompVest]

I thought a handgun was just part of Sunday go to meeting clothes! Thank you God for having a house of love and acceptance.

Hey, this makes a 1000 posts for me.

[iratollah]

As far as Saturday goes, http://www.yeshiva.org.il/ask/Eng/?id=13" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I think the Rabbi said yes also.

A most excellent link, thanks for sharing it! I now feel much better about carrying in shul, not only on Shabbat but for the High Holidays as well. It's a mitzvah!! Of course between two rabbis there will be three opinions. Another rabbi (maybe from a JPFO link?) said it's okay to carry on Saturday, but it's not okay to holster the gun, so you have to put on the holster with the gun already in it. I don't think that's very safe.

I do know of a couple of Texas rabbis who carry. At least two of the rabbis at my shul don't seemed too thrilled about gun proliferation and I don't want to ask their opinions on carrying in shul lest they get any wrong ideas. However the one whom I believed was the most strongly opposed also wrote my daughter a very lovely note congratulating her on her medal at Camp Perry this year.

We have a large congregation so I have no idea how many may be packing and I don't think it's good manners to ask someone if they're packing. One other regular attendee always carries so there's at least two of us. He said that this week he was carrying SOB and the folks sitting behind him, who he didn't know, kept asking him to cover up his Glock as it kept peeking out from under his suit jacket everytime he'd stand up. Said those folks seemed entirely unconcerned that he was carrying, they just didn't want him exposing himself that way.

I guess a CHL forum isn't the right place to survey for folks that are opposed to carrying in church or shul.

[camjr]

Every Sunday. I usually only carry the 5 shot 642, knowing that any low life perpetrating harm would be vastly outgunned in our congregation...

[slowpoke]

I always carry in church