What to say to an open carry visitor at church?

[Cypher]

I haven't been to church for a few years and not much of a church kinda guy however I'm not an atheist either.

That being said, the above quotes are pretty funny! LOL!

I approve

If there is any confusion on anyone's part my quote above was meant as a joke

 

[Cypher]

I’m curious how many of you that have a better plan on how to run the church I attend

Number one, have a church of 20,000 some odd members (because clearly if you’re doing it better, you’re drawing more people)

But what I really want to know is how many of you attend church regularly and if you do attend church how many of you open carry in church?

And if not why not?

 

[XD40scinNC]

It's polite but not very welcoming. I would leave and not darken your doors again. If you spoke to me AFTER the service, I would likely be more receptive but to be greeted that way, I would definitely not feel welcome. Remember, Christ didn't chase off those with whom he disagreed. He welcomed the chance to share the Word with them.

But Christians today in no way resemble the teachings of their deity.

 

[Ringo]

But Christians today in no way resemble the teachings of their deity.

Very sad but true. Jesus Himself asks.."When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? Just like NavyLCDR said.."Jesus, in person, would not be welcome in many churches today for many reasons. He would just make too many people uncomfortable".

 

[jfisch]

I’m curious how many of you that have a better plan on how to run the church I attend

Number one, have a church of 20,000 some odd members (because clearly if you’re doing it better, you’re drawing more people)

But what I really want to know is how many of you attend church regularly and if you do attend church how many of you open carry in church?

And if not why not?

Just because you can get 20,000 people to show up in one building doesn't mean the lure being used is truth.
I could probably get 20,000 people to gather together using one of several methods.
Jesus didn't care about numbers because if he did he sure wouldn't have left 99 to go find that 1.
When it comes to Christians I often find the quality is far superior to quantity and right now quantity isn't the issue.

 

[Ringo]

just like the argument that times have changed since the Constitution was written, times have changed since the Bible was written too.... so we can say....

"So we can say"..Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

 

[Cypher]

Just because you can get 20,000 people to show up in one building doesn't mean the lure being used is truth.
I could probably get 20,000 people to gather together using one of several methods.

No one questioning me on the truth of my doctrine I’m being told that my church isn’t welcoming enough because we won’t change our policy to accommodate the few; really the none because I am unaware of anyone ever actually showing up Open Carry at our church.

My point is that unwelcoming churches or churches that make people feel uncomfortable don’t have a congregation that big and if a church does have a congregation that big then it’s self evident that the church is welcoming and tries to make people comfortable

 

[K7lvo]

Get angry at me because I'm a Muslim man weighing in on this, but...responding to the title of your thread...why not just say "hello?" Why do you feel the need to reduce your population by telling a man to cover it up? Does that eight of an inch of fabric really make you feel better? People who only allow CC remind me of 1 year olds playing peekaboo...they think that covering your face makes you disappear.

Okay, let's carry your logic a bit further. Why wear clothes at all? You're only covering "it" with an eight of an inch of fabric...

 

[K7lvo]

But Christians today in no way resemble the teachings of their deity.

Holy stereotype, Batman! The brush doesn't get any broader than that!

 

[tricolordad]

LOL!!!! You just made my day with your reference to children playing peekaboo.. to describe the self deceiving "If I can't see it then it doesn't exist and I'm safe." perspective of the open carry phobic folks.

The power of observation lol

 

[XD40scinNC]

Holy stereotype, Batman! The brush doesn't get any broader than that!

Well there is a lot to white wash, requiring the broad brush. The actions of christians make that apparent.

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
- Mahatma Gandhi

 

[tricolordad]

Okay, let's carry your logic a bit further. Why wear clothes at all? You're only covering "it" with an eight of an inch of fabric...

This is why.

Funny Pictures at WalMart

Imagine having to see some of these creatures without the shreds of weird ass clothes they wear...

 

[Chris Rakes]

if you told me that, i would turn and shake your dust from my shoes and say a prayer that you learn scripter.

and Jesus said 'let him who does not have a sword, sell his cloak and buy one"

you can't conceal a sword

 

[Ringo]

Well there is a lot to white wash, requiring the broad brush. The actions of christians make that apparent.

One must remember that to be a Christian, a true follower of Jesus, as Jesus Himself declared, one must be "BORN AGAIN". No whitewashing there. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven". 90% of those proclaiming to be Christian today are APOSTATE (seeker friendly warm & fuzzy) and have absolutely ZERO knowledge of what it is to be "BORN AGAIN". “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it". What's really pathetic here is that Jesus is speaking to those proclaiming to be His followers and not the world. Anyone with half a brain knows that it's the actions of the APOSTATE church walking the BROAD ROAD that requires whitewashing with a "Broad Brush".

 

[m.ritz]

well personally, I'd say "WELCOME!!" but that's just me. ;-)

 

[Bikenut]

I’m curious how many of you that have a better plan on how to run the church I attend

Number one, have a church of 20,000 some odd members (because clearly if you’re doing it better, you’re drawing more people)

But what I really want to know is how many of you attend church regularly and if you do attend church how many of you open carry in church?

And if not why not?

I don't have a better plan for how to run the church you attend... never said I did nor did I say I wanted to present one... what I have been questioning is the wisdom of the security plan you have since targeting only open carriers for special attention by security leaves all the concealed carriers ... unattended.. yet both the open carrier and the concealed carrier share one common thing. They both have guns in your church.

Now the following are general comments and are not directed at any individual.

I no longer attend any church because entirely too many of today's churches, and especially the main stream ones, do not follow God but follow a doctrine of presenting a "popular" stance and a lively entertaining service so they can get the highest attendance and that equates to the largest collection. And those churches can fool themselves into thinking they are reaching a multitude because of their attendance numbers yet if that church isn't God based and following God then that church is not serving God and the only thing they are reaching is ... attendance numbers.

Not to mention that too many churches require folks to adhere to a set of criteria... like "fitting in" with what the congregation considers "appropriate", and "acceptable" before folks are welcomed.

Personally I don't give a damn if a church wants to operate as nothing more than a "good ole boy's club" or as Sunday morning entertainment masquerading as a place to worship God because if the focus, the entire focus, of a church isn't upon God then I won't be there anyway. How does a person tell if the focus of a church is on God and not on man's prejudices? Very simple...

Does that church welcome bums, prostitutes, drug addicts, open carriers, and all of humanity? Or does that church put conditions on who is "allowed" to walk through the doors.

Because God does not turn away anyone... but churches do.

And the quote below says it all................

NavyLCDR

Jesus, in person, would not be welcome in many churches today for many reasons. He would just make too many people uncomfortable.

 

[Ringo]

Does that church welcome bums, prostitutes, drug addicts, open carriers, and all of humanity? Or does that church put conditions on who is "allowed" to walk through the doors.

Because God does not turn away anyone... but churches do.

.

Yes, bums, prostitutes, drug addicts, and all of humanity are welcome to walk through the door. (Open carry/optional) They're even welcome to come back and become part of the family of God under the "condition" that they choose to REPENT. You're wrong when you say "God does not turn away anyone". God turns away everyone who does NOT ACCEPT Christ and will NOT REPENT.

 

[Cypher]

To be perfectly honest after reading this thread I think most of the people responding would be the very ones that I would consider disruptors if they showed up at my church. Nothing that I’ve read in this thread has given me reason to believe any thing other than that you open carry just to stir the pot (and to be clear I’m not talking about open carriers in general I’m talking about the group in this thread specifically) and if you did show up at my church open carrying you’d be doing it just to prove you can.

Church policy is dictated by a church council and the Pastor as they believe they are directed by God. I (me personally) have input but not the final say. Be that as it may, nothing that I’ve read here has inclined me to walk into the next Church Council meeting and suggest we rethink our response to open carry in our church. If anything I’m more likely to walk in there and suggest that we make it policy that should it ever happen we make sure that TWO people approach him (preferably one a cop) and explain the policy and as soon as he starts disrupting the service to tell us what Jesus would do he be taken into custody and trespassed off the property.

As I said earlier I consider most of you to be disruptors. Conversations with disruptors are pointless because they keep circling around to “the disruptor wants to do what the disruptor wants to do’ and they never get anywhere except for the disruptor keeps getting more wound up because he isn’t getting his way.

So, let me end with this; we appreciate that you may or may not choose to worship with us someday however our church policy does forbid the open display of firearms in the building. If you find that you can’t abide by that policy then we invite you to worship in a church that more closely meets your needs.

Good day

And if you haven’t got it yet please let me be explicitly clear, I can’t speak for the rest of my church or the security team but the fact that you are armed is irrelevant to me except in as far as when I see you walk through the doors of my church I assume (and again nothing I’ve read here has changed my outlook) that you are doing so with the specific intent of causing a scene and disrupting the church and that is what I’m going to act on

 

[Bikenut]

Yes, bums, prostitutes, drug addicts, and all of humanity are welcome to walk through the door. (Open carry/optional) They're even welcome to come back and become part of the family of God under the "condition" that they choose to REPENT. You're wrong when you say "God does not turn away anyone". God turns away everyone who does NOT ACCEPT Christ and will NOT REPENT.

Does God turn away anyone, including bums, prostitutes, drug addicts, poor people who don't have much to put in the collection basket, people who don't get involved in church functions, open carriers or concealed carriers, fornicators, adulterers, rich people, good honest people, and even murderers, who repent and accept Christ? Do churches turn away those bums, prostitutes, drug addicts, poor people who don't have much to put in the collection basket, people who don't get involved in church functions, open carriers or concealed carriers, fornicators, adulterers, and murderers, denying them the opportunity to be led to God?

My point is quite simple... God does not turn away anyone but churches do. And the reason churches turn people away is the congregation allows their personal prejudices against their fellow man to influence what policies that discriminate against their fellow man their church will have. And that is not following God...

 

[Bikenut]

To be perfectly honest after reading this thread I think most of the people responding would be the very ones that I would consider disruptors if they showed up at my church. Nothing that I’ve read in this thread has given me reason to believe any thing other than that you open carry just to stir the pot (and to be clear I’m not talking about open carriers in general I’m talking about the group in this thread specifically) and if you did show up at my church open carrying you’d be doing it just to prove you can.

Church policy is dictated by a church council and the Pastor as they believe they are directed by God. I (me personally) have input but not the final say. Be that as it may, nothing that I’ve read here has inclined me to walk into the next Church Council meeting and suggest we rethink our response to open carry in our church. If anything I’m more likely to walk in there and suggest that we make it policy that should it ever happen we make sure that TWO people approach him (preferably one a cop) and explain the policy and as soon as he starts disrupting the service to tell us what Jesus would do he be taken into custody and trespassed off the property.

As I said earlier I consider most of you to be disruptors. Conversations with disruptors are pointless because they keep circling around to “the disruptor wants to do what the disruptor wants to do’ and they never get anywhere except for the disruptor keeps getting more wound up because he isn’t getting his way.

So, let me end with this; we appreciate that you may or may not choose to worship with us someday however our church policy does forbid the open display of firearms in the building. If you find that you can’t abide by that policy then we invite you to worship in a church that more closely meets your needs.

Good day

And if you haven’t got it yet please let me be explicitly clear, I can’t speak for the rest of my church or the security team but the fact that you are armed is irrelevant to me except in as far as when I see you walk through the doors of my church I assume (and again nothing I’ve read here has changed my outlook) that you are doing so with the specific intent of causing a scene and disrupting the church and that is what I’m going to act on

So it isn't about the gun but is all about your church's prejudice against those who carry a gun in plain sight. And your personal judgement that those who open carry MUST be doing it just to cause a scene and disrupt the church. Never mind if the person has no such intentions... doesn't matter... you have already judged them.

Not to mention the hypocrisy that it isn't even about "security" since no effort is made to target those who carry concealed... and let me again point out that both the open carrier and the concealed carrier share a common factor. They both have guns in your church. And targeting the LEGAL open carrier for special security attention will not stop the criminal/nut case who is ILLEGALLY carrying concealed from shooting up the place. So... where exactly is the "security"?

But then... it is your church... and y'all can do what you wish. Believe it or not I respect that.

Be that as it may.... I sincerely and honestly hope people who come to your church find God. And when I talk with Him tonight before going to sleep I will ask that He please look upon your congregation and find those of His children who are ready to walk with Him.