Attorney General says guns in church is ok, provided church is ok with it
By JR Hoeft | Monday, April 11th, 2011 | PolicyVirginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has provided an advisory opinion to Del. Mark Cole regarding whether citizens are allowed to carry firearms for self-protection into places of worship.
Apparently this is a hot topic for legislators because this was the third such request for an opinion.
“It is the opinion of the attorney general, based on a thorough review of existing law and relevant prior court decisions, that carrying a weapon for self-defense legally constitutes a “good and sufficient reason” under the statute. This opinion assumes that the citizen is lawfully able to carry a weapon, and if carrying concealed, has the appropriate permit to do so. “
Of course, the AG goes on to say:
“…while the Constitution of Virginia protects the right to bear arms, it also recognizes the importance of property rights. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious entities – like any other owner of private property – can restrict or ban the carrying of weapons onto their premises.”
I must admit, there have been times while I have been at my former church where the thought of having a weapon handy was not such a bad idea.
The bottom-line is that the AG sided with freedom again – it is the private owner who decides what can and cannot be permitted on their own property.
Kudos on another practical – and well-founded – legal opinion by Virginia’s Attorney General that favors freedom over the nanny-state.
For more, check out the Washington Examiner.
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Conservative to the core; liberal with his opinion! J.R. has been involved in politics for over a decade and has worked on several campaigns in Hampton Roads. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Chesapeake and the Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. He is also the director of “Blogs United” in Virginia. E-mail J.R.. Follow J.R. on Twitter.
Comments
6 Responses to "Attorney General says guns in church is ok, provided church is ok with it"
Why is this even an issue? Don’t people understand that a church is NOT a government-owned and operated building? If church members cannot run their church (the building) the way they want to run it, what is the point of having the building?
Lots of things are dangerous: cars, firecrackers, certain chemicals, raving lunatics…. If church members don’t think some particular thing or person belongs in their building, that is for them to decide. Why do they someybody else decide for them?
Kudos on another practical – and well-founded – legal opinion by Virginia’s Attorney General that favors freedom over the nanny-state.
Exactly. The unspoken element here is that some private organizations want someone else to take the heat for their own positions. “It’s not up to us, the attorney general said it’s illegal.” In this instance the attorney general wisely and appropriately distanced himself, the matter being one of otherwise-legal conduct and taking place on private property: “It’s none of my business.”
Suffice it to say I don’t want to attend a church where people are armed. Nor to I especially want to go into a bar where a bunch of drunks are armed.
But, it is indeed up to the particular church to decide what it is they want to preach to the congregation. If they want to have target practice as part of their religious instruction, well…….not my cup of tea.
Citizen Tom,
This is an issue because Virginia Law states that you cannot carry in a place of worship without good and sufficient reason. “good and sufficient” aren’t defined, and so for a long time us gun owners were left wondering, does self-defense count as good and sufficient reason, or does their have to be an overt or written threat? The AG’s opinion immensely helps clarify this issue.
You know, sometime, AG Cuccinelli is going to issue one of these entirely reasonable opinions, and some Lefty’s head is going to explode.
I can only hope that I’ll be there to see it.
Okay, so you’ve got the right to concealed carry in church, unless the church specifically bans firearms.
Now, the real question is, what is wrong with you that you think you need to be packing in church?
I’m pro 2nd Amendment. But I’m anti-paranoia.
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