Carrying at Church

[troglodyte]

Quite frankly I have given up trying to do some kind of contortion to avoid a hug. I just hug, they may or may not bump into my gun or my mags. I've only had one person even pretend to notice. Of course most folks that I'm hugging on already know or have figured it out a long time ago.

Of course our congregation runs about 7% of our members have their CHLs...that I know of. Not all carry but it makes for a pretty relaxed atmosphere concerning getting outed.

[longtooth]

troglodyte,
I am all the way across the state from you but I suspect you go to a medium to small country church. I do here. About 10% of our folks carry on a given Sunday. Run 50-60. Very close nit family here too. Several will bump & never have a problem w/ it.

[troglodyte]

troglodyte,
I am all the way across the state from you but I suspect you go to a medium to small country church. I do here. About 10% of our folks carry on a given Sunday. Run 50-60. Very close nit family here too. Several will bump & never have a problem w/ it.

Actually we are 1000 +/- most Sundays. I have been very active in spreading the CHL "gospel", not that I can take credit for all...but a good many.

[longtooth]

Good job.

[maximus2161]

I dont believe that Jesus will condemn me for carrying a gun in church. What because we go to church we are supposed to just stand there and be killed if some lunatic comes in to church to murder as many people as they can because its church? The church I go to ALL the pastoral staff took their CHL class from me. The church my family is now visiting I see no issues carrying there either. No 30.06 signs posted.

[Venus Pax]

I think the don't bring a weapon in church notion stems from a misunderstanding of scripture. The Bible references in several areas about a willingness to give up one's life for Christ. I guess some people feel like a CHLer has found a technicality with regard to martyrdom.
The thing with martyrdom is that you can be attacked and/or killed because of your faith in Christ whether you have a weapon or not. Also, I don't think that most of the church shootings we see in the US are motivated by a primary hatred of Christ and/or Christians, but because the person is simply an equal-opportunity hater. KWIM?

Also, people frequently take the peace scriptures out of context. They forget that Jesus opened up a can on the money-changers in the temple. This is the same Jesus that proved on the cross that He values a human being significantly more than a building.

Anyway, it's a subject of disagreement between myself and a few family members; I think we have agreed to disagree.

[bdickens]

Martyrdom is also a conscious choice.

[Embalmo]

Always makes me think of the parable where the shooter with a rifle walks into the church and yells, "Anyone not willing to take a bullet for Jesus better get out!" Naturally, half the congregation runs out and the would-be shooters yells, "Okay, Pastor, I got the hypocrites out, you can go on with the sermon."

In my church, he would get to, "Anyone not wil..." before being taken out from multiple card carrying shooters.

Embalmo

[The Annoyed Man]

I keep getting into conversations with acquaintances at church who ask me about CHL, and tell me that someone - who always remains nameless - told them to come talk to me about CHL because I'm the "expert" about it. I still don't know who that nameless person is, but apparently they don't object to CHL.

If I'm the "expert," they'll be soon disappointed. But I do have opinions, and when they ask me, I always tell them to go ahead and get one; that having one doesn't mean they have to carry if they aren't comfortable with it, but at least they'll have the option to do so legally if they want to, and it isn't that hard to get. These conversations invariably end up with the person asking me, "are you carrying right now?" Most times, I just smile and say, "that's the beauty of concealed carry... you'll never know." And then I wink at them and say I've got to go.

[TXlaw1]

I keep getting into conversations with acquaintances at church who ask me about CHL, and tell me that someone - who always remains nameless - told them to come talk to me about CHL because I'm the "expert" about it. I still don't know who that nameless person is, but apparently they don't object to CHL.

If I'm the "expert," they'll be soon disappointed. But I do have opinions, and when they ask me, I always tell them to go ahead and get one; that having one doesn't mean they have to carry if they aren't comfortable with it, but at least they'll have the option to do so legally if they want to, and it isn't that hard to get. These conversations invariably end up with the person asking me, "are you carrying right now?" Most times, I just smile and say, "that's the beauty of concealed carry... you'll never know." And then I wink at them and say I've got to go.

You are an evangelist for the CHL. Well done TAM. And I like your answer when asked if you are carrying.