Newsmaker: Guns in Churches

ATLANTA - Do guns have a place in a house of worship? A new Georgia law passed this year says they do not, but a federal lawsuit filed against the state of Georgia is trying to overturn that law.

The suit was filed by the gun rights group, GeorgiaCarry.org, and a Baptist minister and his church in Thomaston, Georgia.

Georgia is one of only four states with an outright ban on guns in churches and other places of worship. Arkansas, Mississippi and North Dakota also have similar laws.

For many religious conservatives, gun rights and faith are two core tenants of their political beliefs.

But what is the politics of gun control if it means allowing guns inside places of worship?

John Monroe, an attorney for GeorgiaCarry.org, and Rev. Timothy McDonald of the First Iconium Baptist Church debated the issue at the FOX 5 studios Thursday.

There is a lawsuit to overturn Georgia's law banning guns in churches. Both sides now how 30 days to file new briefs, then another two weeks to respond. Its expected the judge could rule on the case by the end of the year.

Here's a look at some of the other places where guns are off limits in Georgia:

• Jails and prisons
• Nuclear power plants
• Schools
• State mental health facilities
• Polling places.

Licensed owners are allowed to carry guns in:

• State parks
• On mass transit
• Outside airports
• Sporting events
• Political rallies
• Inside bars where the owner says it's OK