Poll: Concealed Weapons among Plain Anabaptists?

[Mayberry]

I've found the responses to this topic of concealed weapons among plain Anabaptist people in a church setting both interesting and discouraging. I surveyed the 10 choices offered by the poll and was saddened at the lack of an option of some sort of NONE.

I entered the conservative Anabaptist world about 20 years ago, and non-resistance was one of the "scriptural" attractions. Now I see a poll concerning carrying a gun to church?

My answer is simple enough. If I should find myself in a local congregation where a member (or members) carry a gun to church, I'm out the door. I'm not looking back, and I'm not going back.

Sorry folks. It's as simple as that.

[Mountain Merle]

I've found the responses to this topic of concealed weapons among plain Anabaptist people in a church setting both interesting and discouraging. I surveyed the 10 choices offered by the poll and was saddened at the lack of an option of some sort of NONE.

I entered the conservative Anabaptist world about 20 years ago, and non-resistance was one of the "scriptural" attractions. Now I see a poll concerning carrying a gun to church?

My answer is simple enough. If I should find myself in a local congregation where a member (or members) carry a gun to church, I'm out the door. I'm not looking back, and I'm not going back.

Sorry folks. It's as simple as that.

Mayberry, you are not alone in your feelings. I've been in the conservative Anabaptist world for all of my 64 years and if it's true that there are concealed weapons being carried into our churches, I'm not only saddened, I'm horrified.

[Ernie]

I've found the responses to this topic of concealed weapons among plain Anabaptist people in a church setting both interesting and discouraging. I surveyed the 10 choices offered by the poll and was saddened at the lack of an option of some sort of NONE.

I entered the conservative Anabaptist world about 20 years ago, and non-resistance was one of the "scriptural" attractions. Now I see a poll concerning carrying a gun to church?

My answer is simple enough. If I should find myself in a local congregation where a member (or members) carry a gun to church, I'm out the door. I'm not looking back, and I'm not going back.

Sorry folks. It's as simple as that.

I'm sure the majority of plain congregations do not have concealed guns at church. And based on what I learned in this thread, some carry them with them all the time in the same way that I carry my phone, and they would never use them on people.

But yes, if I was part of a congregation in which a member would use a gun on people. Either he would need to leave the church or I would.

[Ernie]

Regarding the poll, there are two constituencies that are presently showing "0" that I have heard have members with concealed weapons. There are two other constituencies that are showing "0" that I have not heard of them carrying concealed weapons, but it would not surprise me if there were a few. And then there is one constituency that I would not expect to have any members carrying concealed guns, but I listed it hear just in case.

I did not list any ultra-conservative or intermediate conservative constituencies because I don't expect any of their members to be carrying concealed guns to church.

There are hundreds of unaffiliated congregations that I don't expect any of their members to be carrying concealed guns to church as well. A 10 point poll can only capture so much information.

[Josh]

You could add a poll option for Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, although I strongly suspect the number carrying is "0", other than people who are planning to leave the church.

[twinpines]

Regarding the poll, there are two constituencies that are presently showing "0" that I have heard have members with concealed weapons. There are two other constituencies that are showing "0" that I have not heard of them carrying concealed weapons, but it would not surprise me if there were a few. And then there is one constituency that I would not expect to have any members carrying concealed guns, but I listed it hear just in case.

I did not list any ultra-conservative or intermediate conservative constituencies because I don't expect any of their members to be carrying concealed guns to church.

There are hundreds of unaffiliated congregations that I don't expect any of their members to be carrying concealed guns to church as well. A 10 point poll can only capture so much information.

Just curious what are the two that you did not expect to be carrying concealed guns?

[Ernie]

There is one that would really surprise me if guns were being carried to church and that is Southeastern/South Atlantic. My impression is that they have a better historical teaching program then some groups but I may be naive.

Up until a few weeks ago, I would have been surprised if any of the constituencies in the poll would have had guns in church.
And of course in those constituencies that have some guns being carried, it could be an anomaly in one congregation or two, and not all across the conference or fellowship.

[twinpines]

There is one that would really surprise me if guns were being carried to church and that is Southeastern/South Atlantic. My impression is that they have a better historical teaching program then some groups but I may be naive.

Up until a few weeks ago, I would have been surprised if any of the constituencies in the poll would have had guns in church.
And of course in those constituencies that have some guns being carried, it could be an anomaly in one congregation or two, and not all across the conference or fellowship.

Some of it could be personal situations that are unique. Most conservative mennonites live in very low crime rural communities with at least decent police response times. Now let's say that one lives in a place with homocides rates well above inner city detroit and police response rates of two hours and you have a wife and several young daughters. The view point could be very different if mennonites lived in that situation.

[Josh]

Some of it could be personal situations that are unique. Most conservative mennonites live in very low crime rural communities with at least decent police response times. Now let's say that one lives in a place with homocides rates well above inner city detroit and police response rates of two hours and you have a wife and several young daughters. The view point could be very different if mennonites lived in that situation.

A lot of Mennonites live quite close to dangerous areas with high crime, including Cleveland (#2 for robberies in the entire country and #3 for rape), Tulsa (#4 for burglaries), and plenty more live overseas in places that are even more dangerous. (Pablo Yoder wrote a book which detailed him getting repeated robbed when he lived in Central America.)

Now let's say that one lives in a place with homocides rates well above inner city detroit and police response rates of two hours and you have a wife

Detroit is #3 for murders, with the only contenders for the #1 and #2 spots being St. Louis and Baltimore, and yet there is a conservative Mennonite church right in Baltimore (complete with one of their members posting here on MennoNet).

If we're willing to consider smaller-sized cities, York, PA is worse than Detroit, yet there's also a conservative Mennonite church there. (In fact, there's two, if you count the C. M. C. York & Adams Cos. church that meets there once a month.)

Moving right along, there's Dayton, Ohio, which has a notable German Baptist presence right on its outskirts including a breakaway group of Old Brethren who farm within the city limits near Drexel.

[RZehr]

Protestant reformer, Heinrich Bullinger in his 1531 book, “Against the Anabaptists”, writes:

Then there are some Anabaptist’s whom one may call the separated from the world. These are very spiritual Anabaptist’s with whom the common Anabaptists still have many similarities. These do not want to have anything in common or like the world., because it is written: “Ye shall not conform to the world.” For this reason, like another monastic order, they make rules about clothing - what they should be made of, in what form and pattern, and how long, wide, or large they should be. Herewith they reject all costly clothing and jewelry - calling all those heathen who use these worldly things...Also they shun all (gay) weddings, parties, revelry, singing and musical instruments.
In addition they reject all oaths and also that one should carry any weapons or arms anywhere.