Little Rock, AR – Should you be able to carry a gun to church? It’s a question state lawmakers will be taking up next week when they debate a bill that’s kicked up a little controversy. The bill being discussed would let churches decide on their own to post a sign to ban guns inside, but opponents say it should not even be an option. Grant Exton is a gun owner and president of the state’s Concealed Carry Association. He’s been working with lawmakers on a bill that would allow people licensed to carry a concealed handgun to take their guns to church. Exton says the proposed law’s less about guns and more about property rights.
“Businesses, homes here in Arkansas are able to make the decision on whether they want to have people carrying on their premise, and we’re just trying to give that right to churches as well.” It’s also about personal protection. Exton cites the 2007 shooting that killed one person and injured four others in a Colorado church, where a gun-carrying church security worker stopped the shooter.
“We really believe God provides and protects his own and that it wouldn’t be in the best interest of what the church stands for to have people armed and packing on Sunday morning.” This weekend marks 23 years since Reverend Phillips was shot. The bill goes before a house committee on Tuesday.
So how long before we see metal detectors at the church entrance?
On private property, it should be the property owner’s discretion.
If you are going to church and its the kind of church where a side arm is fashionable, why not just wear it in a hip holster, and avoid the whole ccw issue?
Americans and guns, snicker.
Who would have thought a whole nation could be insecure about the size of their penises.
Property Owners have no right to infringe constitutional rights. A permit to carry a concealed weapon attaches to the Constitutional Right to bear arms. What if Mexico invades the church right during the sermon? How could the militia respond if the weapons were locked outside in the car trunk==if that was even allowed on private property?
etc.
#1,
Because the CCW advocates want to take away peoples property rights. In michigan, we are allowed to ban CCW on our property, and the gun nuts want to take that right away from us.
Thankfully, there are enough businesses that have the “no guns!” signs that people generally are not packing heat.
The Bible and the Gun. This is how the West was won.
#4, as clever as you believe your post to be, it’s the same reason why private groups aren’t bound by the first amendment.
Guns, God, and Guts, right?
#7–SL==oh crap!!! I forgot that.
Nevermind.
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition! *eye-roll*
#4: “What if Mexico invades the church right during the sermon? How could the militia respond if the weapons were locked outside in the car trunk==if that was even allowed on private property?”
Are the odds of that happening so high that it makes carrying a gun in a church feasible? Just curious.
#9, you were making a funny and I just felt the urge to be a buzzkill. 😛
Wait a minute. Private Entities can interfere in Constitutional Rights? Seems to me there were a few cases last year about an employer’s right to ban guns in the trunks of cars in the parking lot. I thought the court ruled the employers legitimate concern could not go that far?
I actually forget but in the end, it is the Government thru the police power that enforces trespass laws of private land owners==don’t know where or how that line gets drawn for interfering with Constitutional Rights.
It might be (usually is) more fuzzy than a black/white, yes/no answer?
In the case of concealed weapons–it ought to be as the whole purpose is personal protection==which continues going to, in, and leaving church.
#11–Oven==yes its VERY FEASIBLE. Thinking of the Mexicans as a bunch of siesta snoozing jumping beans is false bigotry. They are in fact as fast as Peppe LaPeu and we should all be armed to prevent their ReConquista efforts.
Live Bean Free or Die!!!!!!!!
I’ve seen bigots, evil-doers, hypocrites…basically your “bad” type of people attending churches. Guns isn’t the most dangerous thing they’ve brought to church. Therefore I’m all for it! *roll eyes*
evil-doers = animal killing for fun, domestic violence, theft and vandalism, trouble-maker, gambling and making family suffer (kids have no food to eat for example.), and so on.
#14, hahahaha
Arkansas’ CCW law specifically bans carry in a church. The property owner, in this case the church, has no say in it.
Should the change that is proposed pass (and I couldn’t care less and I’m an Arkansan)then the property owner will have option of marking their property as a no CCW building.
Open carry of a handgun is specifically banned in Arkansas.
For the record this proposed change comes from a robbery that took place a couple of years ago immediately after church where the offering was stolen. The minister was a CCW permit holder but couldn’t have his gun with him at church.
I say go ahead and ban guns in church.
Congregate those pesky true believers in one place, remove the right for them to protect themselves…
It will just make it that much easier for de’m Atheist Gun Lov’n anarchist to eliminate the bunch once and for all!
I have a concealed carry permit here in NC. I think it’s foolish for most businesses to, arguably, arbitrarily prohibit the carrying of concealed pistols within their establishment. I think it’s mostly done out of fear and ignorance.
However, I do believe that it is still their RIGHT as property owners to establish certain reasonable expectations of behavior within their own property. Allowing or prohibiting pistols on their property does fall into that category. I disagree with their decision, but it is their right. I also believe that it is my right to attempt to enlighten these property owners with respect to my personal rights and the rights of everyone present.
And bobbo, I certainly hope you’re being sarcastic. It is EVERY business owner’s right to set their own rules of behavior when it comes to conducting business.
I say carry it in, and if no one notices…
The only thing a property owner can do is ask you to leave. You can’t go to jail. (That’s not counting this instance, where the law prohibits carrying into a church.)
I wouldn’t really feel safe walking into a church unless I had a gun with me. Those people have a history of stoning people to death for acts as trivial as working on the Sabbath, so it’s a risky place to go without protection.
.
.
Happiness is a warm gun
Happiness is a warm gun, momma
When I hold you in my arms
And when I feel my finger on your trigger
I know nobody can do me no harm
Because happiness is a warm gun, momma
–The Beatles,
#19–Macguy==explain your position. Why does a property owners right supercede a gun owners right?
Doesn’t Ah Yea show an immediate “danger” to making guns illegal in a certain group forming activity?
As part of your explication–how exactly is a person with a CCW infringing in anyway with the property owners “rights?” Most often the property owner will never even know==what kind of right to control what you can’t tell is this?
I have a CCW and I was going to ask the pastor at our church but she moved on to a new one and I don’t go anymore. In Ohio it is up to the minister/head of the individual church as to whether they will let you carry or not.
For private property they can post a sign and if you disobey it is now against the law.
I carry everywhere except where it isn’t allowed.
I’m sure the people at the Lubby’s (sp?) in Texas 17 years ago wish they had been allowed to carry in there while eating.
If you have to bring a gun to church, then either you are crazy, or the people you attend church with are crazy, or all of you are crazy.
I can see #17 play out in one possible way: Man robs offering, pastor enters into gun battle to save the money from the evil doer, 3 collateral members of congregation die as a result of the evil doer being a poor shot. That sounds like a justified action by the pastor: endanger everyone to save the money from the evil doer.
It would only be fair if everyone had a gun, or no one had a gun (maybe buy a few hours of private security [stationed outside] to protect Bobbo from his Beaners). I would never live in the US if everyone had a gun because easily 20% of the population is crazy.
Just one more reason not to go to church
# 24 father time said, “It would only be fair if everyone had a gun, or no one had a gun ”
So, I take it you are for, by default, criminals carry and law abiding don’t. Got it.
#26 Paddy-O,
So you are saying criminals are not carrying guns now?
I am for NO ONE carrying guns, or EVERYONE carrying guns (caps used to indicate an absolute sense of the word, no to yell).
By no one, I mean the law abiding, the criminals, the police, the domestic military. No one. As a start, put metal detectors in every doorway of every government and commercial establishment. You can pussyfoot around disarmament, or you can do it like you mean it.
By every one, I mean the criminals (already carry guns) and everyone else should be armed. Even kids, from, say 13 or so.
#27 Cool. Since disarming everyone is impossible (never been accomplished in any society to date). Better start pushing for everyone being armed.
#22,
Because you are on my property with my permission. If I do not give you permission to be there, you are committing a crime.
Guns have always provided a more emphatic way to say, “You kids get off my lawn!”