Court weighs ban on guns in church

Associated Press

ATLANTA

There’s a legal battle brewing in Georgia over whether licensed gun owners should be allowed to carry firearms to churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship after state lawmakers banned them from doing so last year.

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta heard arguments Thursday on a lawsuit brought by the central Georgia church and gun rights group Georgia-Carry.org claiming that the law violates their constitutionally protected religious freedoms. State lawyers said it was a small price to pay to allow other worshippers to pray without fearing for their safety. The panel of judges roundly criticized the suit after hearing oral arguments but didn’t immediately make a ruling.

Georgia is one of a handful of states with the restrictions.