Guns in Church: Difference between revisions

Imagine this scenario for a bit: You're at a bank, and someone walks in, wielding a sword, gun, axe, or any other matter of established weapon (not a chair leg). The implications are far from good, unless of course, it happens in a video game. Obviously, the hero has just come to withdraw money from his account so he can purchase even bigger swords to walk into banks with.

 

 

In [[Real Life]], however, throughout most of the civilized world, life is ''just'' peaceful enough that this is typically a bad idea. With an individual who normally is expected to carry a weapon (such as a knight, policeman, or soldier), if they have a means to store a weapon that can be easily drawn, this trope then is restricted to them actually ''carrying it'' (For example, a policeman who has a gun in his hand everywhere he goes, leaving his holster empty.)

 

 

 

For when a shootout actually does take place in a church, see [[Bloodstained-Glass Windows]].

 

{{examples|Why do these examples have their weapons out?}}

== [[Film]] ==

* Subverted In the ''K-9'' sequel ''K-9-11'', James Belushi's character gets into a discussion with his boss about the kind of sidearms he carries while on the job, at the same time brandishing each handgun in succession. His boss urges him to put them away several times.

* ''[[30 Rock|Thirty Rock]]'': Pete is justifiably alarmed when Kenneth turns in a gun as well along with his page's badge. For non-fans: they work on a television show, folks.

** When Liz visits a bad neighborhood nicknamed "Little Chechnya", she asks if she just saw a man walking down the street holding a gun. She is told, "Yeah, but don't worry, he's not a cop."

 

== [[Newspaper Comics]] ==

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

** [[Truth in Television]] in actual armed forces; your personal weapon during a deployment does not leave your side. It accompanies you everywhere from the latrine to the chow hall to divine services. The only places you got without your weapon is the shower (if you can get one) or the grave.

*** This is in large part because the enemy is usually not polite enough to let you go fetch your weapon should they happen to attack while you have your pants down.

* Plenty of players in a wide range of RPG games will take for granted that they can carry their swords/bows/guns/staffs of power anywhere without hindrance, including bars, temples and audiences with the king. Just have an NPC ask them to leave their weapons behind, and they'll react with fear, suspicion and outrage. Then they'll usually try to conceal the weapons somehow, or develop elaborate tactics to reach their weapons just in case the pacifistic church where no one is allowed to carry a weapon happens to be full of armed soldiers.

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

** Interestingly enough, many gun shops in the US (which often contain an attached shooting range and offer gunsmith services so you can get your weapon fixed) will have a strict rule concerning concealed or holstered weapons: They STAY that way while you are in the store. If you want to have the gunsmith look at the weapon, or if you want to use the shooting range, you walk in with the weapon out where they can see it. And unloaded, until you actually ''step in'' to the shooting range.

*** This way you pulling the weapon out won't be misconstrued as you drawing a gun to rob the place or shoot someone. And yes, there ''have'' been cases where a guy walked into a gun store (with customers in there) [[Too Dumb to Live|and tried to rob it]]. One had to ''[[What an Idiot!|walk past a police car]]'' to get to the gun shop...

** Depends highly on the state. Usually concealed carry states forbid bars and schools. The federal government also doesn't like it in most federal institutions, so Courthouses and such are off limits. The VA actively sends police officers to check on every admitted patient. Federal lands are a mixed bag, as hunting in national parks and national forests is a big debate.

*** A law was recently passed that applies all states' concealed carry licenses (or rather, the 49 for which such licenses exist) to be applicable in national parks. Since rifles and hunting-suitable large-caliber handguns are basically impossible to conceal, they can still only go through a national park while unloaded and locked away.

* There are some places in [[Eagle Land|the States]] where guns are allowed in ''bars''.

* Despite being under Norwegian sovereignty, [[wikipedia:Svalbard|Svalbard]] allows everyone to carry rifles openly (although there are some rules on how to carry them in populated areas). Why? Because of [[Everything Is Worse With Bears|Polar Bears.]]

*** Note also, that if they are going out of the settlement, they are not ''allowed'' to carry a rifle, but instead ''required'' to do so.

* Averted in the UK, where handguns aren't allowed, at all. So when a French cop working in St Pancras station for the international customs office (they have French cops on the British side and vice-versa) forgot to take her gun out of her holster when she walked across to the non-international section of the station to buy lunch, she got in ''serious'' trouble.

* Swords served a dual purpose in Medieval Europe, especially during Crusades: In addition to weapons, they were also a makeshift crucifix. It was not that uncommon for a knight to enter a place of worship and use it as such, or in some other peaceful, humble way.

* In communities in the Canadian Arctic it isn't impossible to see someone walking into the local store with a slung rifle to pick up something before they head out on to the land, although it's generally considered to be rude. On the other hand, seeing people driving down the street on an ATV or a snowmobile carrying a rifle or shotgun is extremely common. It actually became a security issue when G8 Finance Ministers were meeting in Iqaluit and southern security personnel had to be briefed in advance to make sure that they didn't shoot an elder puttering along down the street heading out to his cabin.

{{reflist}}

[[Category:This Index Means Trouble]]

[[Category:Stupidity Tropes]]

[[Category:Weapons and Wielding Tropes]]