Howdy Folks!
This same topic came up in the Wisconsin board a few months ago.
So far as I am concerned, as particular to Colorado, what they do in Wisconsin or Virginia, is really irrelevant to what is the state of affairs in Colorado.
The question was raised about OC'ing in a Colorado church by a resident of Colorado who open carries in Colorado. So let's redirect to the question of carrying at church here in Colorado. I assume, in doing so, that the OP isn't planning to attend church in either Wisconsin or Virginia tomorrow so let's take up the question originally raised about OCing at a church in Colorado! What is relevant to his question?
When my wife, my pardner and I all took our CCW class, we got the classroom part at a church. We all had our guns with us, and they had a classroom where the instructor taught the NRA part of the course. We later moved to the range to qualify by shooting a course of fire. But let's again focus on relevance to the OP's question.
The purpose of the above is the church he attends provided classroom space for the CCW class he taught. He is a member of that church. During class, we asked about the whole church shooting cases in Colorado. He told us that the church we were in has some 5,000 members. Of that number, half of them carry to church on Sunday. Now he didn't say whether anybody OC'd, but did state they take their guns to Sunday meeting. Obviously, it would be a real bad idea for a BG to set upon that particular flock because they'll defend with ample firepower.
The attack upon the New Life Church on the north side of Colorado Springs was the end of a chain of events that started over in Arvada. On December 9, 2007, Matthew J. Murray attacked the Youth With A Mission training center in Arvada. Around 12:30 a.m. MST, following a Christmas banquet that had taken place earlier that night, a man knocked on the door of the Youth With a Mission center. The man asked personnel in the facility if he could stay at the center overnight. When he was refused, the man opened fire, killing Tiffany Johnson, the center's director of hospitality, and staff member Philip Crouse. Dan Griebenow, 24, was critically wounded with a bullet in his neck, and Charlie Blanch, 22, suffered bullet wounds to the leg. He then started his trip down toward Colorado Springs.
It has long been questioned why he drove some 70 miles to target a specific church - New Life Church - while bypassing many others along the way. What the general public never knew was that the shooter stopped at another church in Highlands Ranch and was prowling the parking lot in his vehicle. Several members of the congregation there, having assumed responsibility for securing their church, spotted the vehicle and regarded it with suspicion. The shooter was stopped, perhaps considering whether to start an incident there while several members of the volunteer security team converged on his vehicle from several directions. He spotted them and took off. His next stop was New Life Church in Colorado Springs.
On Sunday, December 9, 2007, at about 1 p.m. Murray, armed with a semi-automatic rifle and two pistols, entered the foyer of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs and fatally shot two and wounded three others before himself being shot and wounded by Jeanne Assam, a former sworn Colorado police officer and a church member acting as security. Murray then took his own life.
At about 1 p.m. MST, 30 minutes after the 11 a.m. service had ended at New Life Church, Murray opened fire in the church parking lot shooting the Works family and Judy Purcell, 40. Murray then entered the building's main foyer where he shot Larry Bourbonnais, 59, hitting him in the forearm. At this point, Assam opened fire on Murray with her personally owned concealed weapon. Police say that after suffering multiple hits from Assam's gun, Murray fatally shot himself.
Assam later stated that "God guided me and protected me [and I] did not think for a minute to run away."
The pastor of the church stated that Assam shot Murray before he entered 50 feet (15 m) inside the building, after she encountered him in the hallway, and that Assam probably saved "over 100 lives."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Life_Church_shooting
According to information from our CCW instructor, who is a deputy with Adams County Sheriff's Office, and another friend who makes holsters who is a church going man in Highlands Ranch, church attacks are on the rise. More are happening with each passing year. As a result, more churches are tolerant of members carrying to church. Some even encourage their members to carry to Sunday meeting.
But the question is... what about OC? Most folks who carry to church conceal with permit. But should a member be denied carry who does not have a permit? I'd think they'd be accorded the same right of self defense as a concealed carrier. If I were at a church when an attack took place, would I really care if those who defended my life carried openly or concealed? I wouldn't think so. I think it would be plenty enough that they were armed and prepared to confront a threat. If I were a pastor, I'd think those folks carrying sidearms come to church to worship, and are prepared to stop a threat regardless of open carry or CCW holders.
I believe that this sort of issue will vary from one church to another. One church will welcome the OC'er, while another will fuss about it if not concealed. Some may even state they don't want guns to be brought to church at all. The pastor usually doesn't have the final word on these matters. They often answer to a board that runs the church. The board may (or may not) reflect the opinion of a given congregation. The question becomes complex because most churches are incorporated, therefore able to set policy as they see fit.
Now I ain't a church going kind of guy. I believe there is more pure divine presence in a mountain wilderness, under a cathedral of stars, than in any church I've ever attended. Acts 17:24-25
That's my pure opinion, and I ain't really up for a debate on that as it would be irrelevant to the topic at hand. But I will say that an individual OC'er must decide for himself/herself.... do you want to attend a specific church that does not honor your right to carry as you see fit? Speaking for myself, should I decide to attend church, I would treat the church business just the same as any other business. If they don't support my right to lawful self defense, I'll take my business elsewhere.
Churches are a dime a dozen. There are almost as many churches here as there are taverns in the metro area. Certainly more churches than 7-11s.
I'll do business with the business that respects my 2a rights. That includes church business. I'll go where the focus is on spirituality, not whether I am carrying a handgun!
Blessings,
M-Taliesin