Law Allows Guns in Church
By: Alex Hale
Updated: July 7, 2010
The law states that anyone with a valid concealed weapons permit can now take their gun into any house of worship. And while some twin cities pastors say it shouldn't affect their church, others are in shock and wondering why the law is even necessary. Bishop Michael Douglass of New Generations Church Bishop Douglass reacts to the new law that's going to force him to decide-- whether it's okay for the members of his church to carry a handgun into the House of the Lord. "When people come to church it should be a safe haven. It should be a place where white, black, Hispanic can come together and worship God in the beauty of holiness and not have to worry about whether or not I’m gonna get shot." Bishop Douglass says you never know what could happen when a gun is involved. He worries what might happen if the gun was left unattended-- and children got their hands on it. Douglass says church is a place where people should come together and worship, not fear. "It furthermore proves that we are living in the last days, anytime a pastor has to worry if he'll be gunned down in the pull pit or parishioners have to worry if they will be safe walking to cars." But across town, Dr. Whit Holmes, Pastor of Parkview Baptist Church says he doesn't think the law will affect his congregation-- he thinks it could actually help in times of trouble. "A lot of rural churches were concerned about if something happened the response time of emergencies, responders, it takes a long time." In the end, the new law states that pastors make the final decision whether parishioners can carry a weapon into church. In order to carry a weapon in church, the state does require license holders to take an additional 8 hours of tactical training. Churches on school property are not included in the law. 
