Ky. Church: Praise the Lord, Pack Your Heat

Brings issue to local church council

(NEWSER) - A Kentucky pastor has nullified a vote by his church to ban interracial couples , he says. “As far as I'm concerned and the church is concerned, this case will be closed as of tomorrow,” said Stacy Stepp on Saturday, after raising the issue with a council of local church leaders. The group ruled that the vote had no weight because parishioners hadn’t followed proper voting rules, ABC News reports. Stepp opposed the vote in the first place, he told the Lexington Herald-Leader . More»

Scottsdale Gun Club offers unusual St. Nick pics

(NEWSER) - Colt peacemaker on Earth, good ammo to men. That's apparently the holiday wish for all at Arizona's Scottsdale Gun Club, which is giving members and their kids a chance to pose with a "nervous-looking Santa" and the weapon of their choice, reports the Telegraph . "Get your holiday picture with Santa and his machine guns!" gushes the club's website ... because nothing says Christmas quite like an AK-47. The photo backdrop includes a Garwood Minigun, which can fire 6,000 rounds a minute. Fill up that toy bag, Santa . N ow. More»

Poll finds record low support for gun control

(NEWSER) - In a record high, 43% of American women say there is a gun in their household. That number was 36% last year, the Los Angeles Times reports. Even more men—52%—reported a gun in their home or on their property; in 2010, 45% did so. But, the Times notes, the gender gap rears its head when it comes to who is the owner: Of the Gallup poll respondents, 46% of men say they own a gun, compared to 23% of women. More»

Man convicted for carrying gun without permit

(NEWSER) - The Supreme Court has opted not to hear a case on the right to carry a gun outside the home, Reuters reports. Maryland’s top court upheld a state law requiring a permit to carry a handgun outside of home; the federal justices’ refusal of the case means the state’s decision stands. In 2008, justices ruled that the Second Amendment allowed the use of guns at home for lawful purposes. More»

Civil liberties groups want plaque removed from hallway

(NEWSER) - Dispatches from the church-and-state front:

• Ten Commandments: Civil liberties groups have sued the school board in Giles County, Virginia, demanding that a Ten Commandments plaque be removed from a high school hallway. The board says it's simply part of a display of historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence, but the federal lawsuit by the ACLU and others calls that a "sham" excuse and says the plaque is up "with the primary aim of advancing religion," reports the Roanoke Times .