Bill to allow guns in Mississippi churches
Churches in Mississippi could soon be allowing some members of its congregation to bring guns inside under a bill headed to Gov. Phil Bryant.
According to The Clarion-Ledger, House Bill 786, otherwise known as The Mississippi Church Protection Act, passed with a 85-35 vote on April 5. The bill is written to “allow[s] armed security in churches, concealed carry without a permit and to provide for attempts to nullify federal regulations and executive orders that would limit gun rights.”
The bill is intended to allow the governing body of a church to designate members to form a security program, thus allowing authorized members to carry firearm to protect the congregation.
Under Section 1 of the bill, such security program members would be immune from civil liability for actions taken “during the reasonable exercise of and within the course and scope of the member's official duties as a member of the security program.” That is, those defending the church would not be held liable for injuries caused while defending the church.
Section 1 expanded to state that authorized members shall be required to obtain a concealed firearms permit, along with the training that corresponds.
The bill follows several incidences of church shootings across the United States, such as the Ohio shooting in March in which a pastor was shot and killed in his office.
According to an April 6 broadcast NPR’s ‘All Things Considered,’ not all Mississippians support the bill. Susie Reynolds, a Mississippi church member, told ‘All Things Considered’ she found the bill unnecessary on the basis of her religious beliefs.
“Our sanctuary is this holy ground. This is holy ground - Christ. So that is who we put our faith in, not in man saying this is a safety measure for us,” Reynolds said.
Listen to the entire NPR audio file below in the media player and read the article on their website.
Others in the segment did not share that sentiment.
“... I feel safer knowing that if there should be a threat come on my territory that – you know, that I know how to take care of that,” said Melissa Sullivan, another church attendee from Mississippi.
According to WLBT, the bill does not force anyone to carry a gun to church. “The Church Protection Act would not require a church to designate folks to conceal carry. Instead, it would be an option,” the news organization wrote.
During a two hour debate over the bill, Sen. Hillman Frazier spoke out against the bill. Frazier wielded a sword and described the story in the Bible of a disciple cutting off a servant's ear to illustrate his point. He suggested weapons are not needed when there is a “Father in Heaven to protect [his] people.”
William Perkins, editor of The Baptist Record , spoke to the Clarion-Ledger saying “[a] sign on a door will never stop a mass murderer," but “[a] trained, licensed gun owner might be able to do so. Any reasonable person would have to wonder if the outcome would have been different at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, S.C., if there had been at least one trained, licensed gun owner present. If Rep. Gipson’s proposal will make churches safer from attack — as counter-intuitive as that may seem to non-gun owners — then it should be considered by lawmakers.”
According to handgunlaw.us, anyone can concealed carry a weapon without a permit. It also states “state or local governmental entities may prohibit concealed carry by enhanced permit holders into areas posted with no weapons signage if the place is not one of the 13 enumerated places above.”
According to the organization, an enhanced carry permit allows an individual to open carry in any area of municipal buildings, city parks or RV parks.
Anyone who wishes to obtain a permit for carry may apply here.
HubCity TV
HubCity TV reporter Julius Kizzee gauged the Hattiesburg community’s opinion of the new bill below.
Hattiesburg residents have mixed feelings about the new bill being passed, but all seem to have a firm opinion on one side of the fence or the other. Some are okay with the bill being passed, while others are not so happy with the state legislators’ decision.
How do you feel about trained armed guards in the churches of America? Do you conceal carry? How do you feel about conceal carry in churches?
Feel free to comment your thoughts below. The HubCity TV team would love to hear your thoughts and concerns.
