Packing Heat In The House Of The Lord

The very sad events in Texas of last Sunday still have a lot of us quite shaken. A church, the house of the Lord, was violated by violence in such a way that I  personally am still sick to my stomach.

There is no doubt that the incident has fueled the fires of our never-ending debate on guns, who should have them, and how much more they should be regulated. Perhaps we could include discussions about mental health issues and how our own government disregarded the laws of the land in this case.

Meanwhile, thousands of peace-loving God-fearing Americans have had to stop and think, " I am safe in my own place of worship"? I believe we should have the right to choose to be. However, there is something very unsettling to me about the thought of carrying a weapon of deadly force into a place where I bring my soul to find peace and comfort.

In Louisiana, you may bring a weapon into a church. That's the law. It might not be the policy of your particular house of worship but according to the state, you can do that. However, there are very strict regulations in order to earn that right. Among those regulations is the requirement for intense specialized training.

One of those training courses is coming up this month in Livingston Parish. There is also a training program planned for Ouachita Parish in December. Many church leaders and law enforcement leaders are in support of members participating in these classes.

What do you think?

The church we attend has a security detail that is there every Sunday. I would be willing to bet that your church does too. It all seems so spiritually ironic to me.

The bottom line is we have to do something to protect ourselves from those who want to do us harm, those who do harm without being of sound mind, and those who are simply enemies of peace.

I don't have the answer. I will yield to a Higher Power to help me discover the better path.