Reply #39: The state ISN'T "forcing" anything. [View All]

[Dimensio0]

I've been lurking for awhile, but I have to respond to this because people are clearly spouting off without doing research (and, in so doing, looking as knee-jerk an reactionary as a typical FReeper, even if their opinions differ).

The proposed law would not force any church to allow guns on the premises. The proposed law would remove a state-mandated prohibition of carrying deadly weapons on church property. A church could still, as a private establishment, ban weapons on the premesis if the leadership of the church so desired.

It would be one thing if the article didn't mention it, but if you look at the linked FR page (which people are obviously doing because they're looking at the FReeper responses) you would see the article copied verbatin wherein it is stated "Bearden said private-property owners, including church congregations, would retain the right to keep guns off their lands."

Kentucky used to have a similar provision; the citizen concealed carry permit law had a number of locations where a CCDW permit did not allow the carrying of concealed deadly weapons. Churches and other places of worship were on that list. The list was later amended to allow people who had received explicit permission from the establishment to carry on the property before it was finally amended to completely remove churches from the list. Thus far, nothing terrible has happened as a result. Churches and other houses of worship may still disallow firearms and other weapons, but it becomes their decision rather than a mandate handed down by the state, just as it is with any other private establishment.

I don't really see how this is a bad thing. Why is it preferrable for the state to mandate the weapons policies of the churches when other private establishments are free to make their own policies? Should that decision not be left up to the individual churches? If not, why not and what other specific church policies should the state be deciding?

You may not like the idea of guns in churches, but I think that it is a dangerous policy -- on seperation grounds -- for the state to set weapons policies specifically for houses of worship when they allow citizen carry elsewhere. I don't see how putting that decision into the hands of the church is a bad thing.