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January 30, 2013
Deaths from Church Attacks Rise 36% in 2012
(UPDATED) Carl Chinn says guns were used in nearly 60 percent of all "deadly force incidents" at churches since 1999.
Update (Feb. 5): Our sister blog Managing Your Church has a lengthy interview with Carl Chinn, in which he explains his findings as well as possible solutions churches can pursue.
Update (Feb. 1): ABP has a nice look at how churches are balancing security with ministry post-Sandy Hook.
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Amid national debate over gun control reform, new data from church violence researcher Carl Chinn shows that 75 deaths from attacks at faith-based organizations occurred in 2012—a 36 percent increase over the previous year.
Chinn's tally of 135 "deadly force incidents" (DFIs) in 2012 brings the total number of DFIs to 638 since Chinn first began recording them in 1999. Guns were used in 389 (58%) of incidents.
According to Chinn's website, the data "includes abductions, attacks, suspicious deaths, suicides and deadly force intervention/protection." Attacks prompted by domestic violence spillover, personal conflict, and robbery account for over half of all reported DFIs.
CT previously spotlighted the surge in church violence and noted how the increasing number of church shootings has prompted pastors to rethink security at church services.
Comments
God demand that the innocent be protected. To be in line with God's desires, designated members of congregations should carry firearms at church. Also the ungodly church support of unilateral disarmement of the innocent (so-called "gun control") should be stopped. There is no Christian duty to expose the innocent to risk by attacking the God-given right to and duty of self-defense.
Posted By: Donald C Kosloff | February 8, 2013 10:38 AM
When "designated" people carried a gun at Grace Connection Church in St. Pete FL last year, they decided to play with the gun, and the pastors daughter -- standing in another room -- was killed when a bullet went through the wall. Human beings are just too stupid to have guns. In 200 years, the defeat of the gun lobby will be considered as great a victory as the defeat of the Nazis.
Posted By: danallison | February 9, 2013 9:16 AM
Strange to read that people like Mr, Kosloff thinks that gun-control is the same as disarming everyone.
Do people like him realize that their are limits to Constitutional Rights?
For example, the 1st Amendment "gives" us freedom of religion, but one cannot violate restrictions on drugs even one belongs to a church/religion that sees certain drugs as "sacrament". We don't allow parents to beat their children... to death in the name of religion
Free Speech? One cannot lie under oath in court, commit slander or libel, or falsely yell "fire!" in a crowded public place.
There are limits on almost all our rights. And that is all anyone on the "gun control" is asking for,.
Posted By: Ninure da Hippie | February 9, 2013 12:46 PM
Yes Mr. Hippie,
It is always interesting to see how passionate you are about limiting the rights of others. But when we wanted to put limits in place on abortions, you guys when through the roof, when we wanted to put limits in place to be a pastor/bishop boy your side went ballistic with name calling etc. It is always that way, if we don't agree with you out comes the name calling, just like the Nazis. Gun registration was required and when Hitler came to power, he just sent his brown shirts around to collect them and all and that was end. Your side always starts with just limit one thing, because you know (and we know too) that when we give you and inch, you will take it all, eventually you will take it all. So no thanks, yes human being are stupid, especially if you think the bad guys are going to stop shooting just because you pass more gun control. The bad guys are hoping you'll pass more gun control laws, that way we'll be even more defenseless, just the Germans were to oppose Hitle
Posted By: Dave | February 10, 2013 11:31 PM
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