Pastors on both sides of the religious freedom debate took their fight to the State Capitol Wednesday.

The Georgia Baptist Convention is pushing for the measure aimed at preventing state government from interfering with someone's religious beliefs without a compelling reason to do so.

"We're here today because we want to sound an alarm; there is a war that is going on… it is a war on religious liberty," says Don Hattaway, president of the GBC which had 100 pastors in attendance at the Capitol.

But Rev. Timothy McDonald of First Iconium Baptist Church in Atlanta says the bill will lead to discrimination. He was surrounded by a group of other pastors and clergy who oppose the measure.

"HB 29 is not about religious freedom; it is not about religious liberty," he says. "It is about the right to discriminate… against gays, against women, against children, against African Americans."

Bill sponsor Rep. Sam Teasley (R-Marietta) says it mirrors a federal legislation passed by Congress in 1993. That law was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1997 but only applies to the federal government.

He denies it would allow businesses to discriminate against customers, employees, or anyone who seeks employment.

"This is not a blank check or to use a Monopoly term this is not a "get out of a jail free" card," says Teasley.

The bill was first proposed last year but died due to strong opposition from the business community including Delta and Home Depot.

Hattaway calls it the new civil rights fight of this generation.

"I don't know where this battle will take us, but there are many of us who are willing to pay whatever price is necessary to win this war," he says.