CCW in Places of Worship or Faith Based

[Gun Master]

I regularly attend a place of worship and have been disturbed by news articles whereby people have been shot in a place they (and I) considered safe.

I do not CC there, but have thought about it. I plan to discuss this with those in authority and others.

Is it legal to CC there, and what are your opinions?

I'm mainly interested in federal laws, but plan to check out state and local laws too. Maybe you can share your knowledge regarding federal laws, but also your state and local laws.

 

[Red Wind]

Florida has no restrictions against carry in houses of worship. I
regularly carry at Mass. So do many of my fellow parishioners.

Some states disallow carry. Others require permission from leaders of the house of worship.

 

[Chevelle SS]

There are several members of my church that carry here in Michigan.

 

[gbran]

It will be up to the state laws and the church itself. Many states prohibit church carry. Believe it or not, here in CA it is not illegal.

 

[Tirod]

Your state law is most likely the governing statute. One issue is the State dictating what can or can't happen in a place of worship. In MO IIRC the lead religious figure decides whether or not carry is allowed. That determination changes from one church to the other.

The internet can supply the direct legal statute applicable, the church leaders their policy. Be prepared for the possibility they don't see the issue in the same light you do.

 

[Sistema1927]

I am a pastor, and I carry everywhere, including the pulpit.

 

[ACP]

I don't know why churches would be any different, unless they have a "no weapons allowed" sign on the front door.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Virginia says you have to have "good and sufficient reason." Violation is only a Class 4 misdemeanor. In the past, one Attorney General said his opinion was that carrying for self defense satisfied "good answer sufficient reason".

 

[leeroy71]

In Ohio it is per pastor discretion like restaurants. Two Sundays ago a pastor in cinnicinati was shot and killed in his office before service. I am the associate pastor of my church and I carry every service. I pray I never ever have to use a weapon against anyone, let alone during a church service.
It is unfortunate that not even a house of worship is a safe place. The world we live in is getting worse all the time.

 

[Mike J]

It depends on state law where you are. In Georgia it is legal if the church allows it.

 

[Win73]

I carry in church. And at least three or four others also carry in the small church I attend. Mass shootings are as likely to occur in church as anywhere else.

 

[old lady new shooter]

In Los Angeles County, where regular people are not issued concealed carry permits, it is legal to be armed in a house of worship if you have permission from the relevant person/board in charge, usually the leader of the congregation but possibly in some cases a board of directors, depending on the charter documents.

edit: Just to be clear, you have to transport it to the house of worship unloaded in a locked case, and load it and put it on after you get there.

 

[Flintknapper]

In Texas (unless posted) CC or OC is not disallowed.

In my church we have quite a few members who CC each time we meet.

We politely ask people not to Open Carry in the Sanctuary, this decision based on feedback from the membership.

 

[CajunBass]

I've never asked anybody if I can, and they've never asked me if I do.

 

[TJx]

The one I started going to recently has armed security (concealed).
I carry when I go.
A local PD officer is always there.
The main pastor is a gun owner but I don't think is packing at pulpit.
It sounds like I go to church in a war zone but it actually is in a nice area, it's a KY thing.

 

[Mousegun]

I don't know why churches would be any different, unless they have a "no weapons allowed" sign on the front door.

If that were the case, wouldn't you be perfectly safe ???????????

 

[Bo]

Have you ever heard the saying,"shoot'em all, let God sort em out"? Well, I'm not ready to be sorted out yet!

 

[hso]

Since you don't say what your state is no one can point you to the relevant state law on whether carry is permitted in your church.

If the church is posted against carry you generally may not be permitted to carry in the church. It it is not posted you have to check if your state prohibits carry in churches.

In TN it would have to be posted as prohibiting carry.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

My church is about to host an active shooter response seminar for the congregation and my Pastor just asked me to recommend a concealed carry handgun

 

[Trunk Monkey]

This is not going to end well

 

[Mainsail]

I do not CC there, but have thought about it. I plan to discuss this with those in authority and others.

The first thing I thought of was; where do you live?!?!!? That's been covered so I pulled this part out of your question to comment.

IF it is legal to carry in a church in your state, and IF there is not a posted policy against carry, then carry. IF there is no requirement to ask permission or notify 'those in authority' why on earth would you do so? Would you ask permission to carry an umbrella? Would you discuss with those in authority what sort of Bible cover was allowed?

There are a myriad of reasons why you should never ask permission to do anything lawful, lawful gun carry included. Here's a couple:
- Stranger poking around cars in the parking lot. "Hey, go get Joe, he's got a gun."
- IF those in authority are militant anti-gun folks, you will now be marked; subtly or openly.
- The HUGE reason is that whenever you ask permission to do something that is otherwise not forbidden is that the person or people you're asking may have never considered the issue. When you demand permission to do something lawful, the people you're demanding give you that permission will almost always take the easy way out and simply declare, "No". It's the easiest answer and allows the person you've just made uncomfortable to quickly get back into their comfort zone. By asking permission you're putting the askees on the spot, and NO is much faster and easier than researching YES.
- In all likelihood they don't want to know. Knowing removes their deniability ("Hey, we had no idea he was carrying a gun").

 

[Skribs]

I think one of the pastors at my church was asked about this and he kinda chuckled. We have a few cops and live in a military town. If someone brought a gun into my church they'd maybe get one or two shots off before they learned a new way of being holy in church.

Okay, that was a bad pun, and I apologize.

 

[Red Wind]

Okay, that was a bad pun, and I apologize.

I've seen much worse and you're forgiven. Hopefully, the OP will return and inform us of his state of residence. As has been said, the laws vary through all 50 states on gun rights, including whether signs have the force of law.

 

[FL-NC]

IMO, it should be the decision of the pastor or whatever authority that specific place of worship adheres to.

 

[DeepSouth]

I generally carry at church, it is legal as far as I know. Only my family knows I carry there but I suspect no one would care, and some/most (including my pastor) would appreciate that I do if they knew.

My opinion on the matter personally is that should be a group (church members) decision But if the issue is unaddressed, as it is at my church, then do whatever you want as long its legal and don't ask/don't tell. If I was attending a church that openly didn't want people to carry then I wouldn't, no big deal.

I will admit, I feel somewhat conflicted about carrying at church for some more theological reasons, but I doubt that's relevant at all so I'll keep it to myself. I only bring it up to point out that their could be people that feel strongly against the idea for reasons other than they don't like guns, we should remember and respect that.