A pizza shop is facing a slew of criticism after sending a message to a customer admitting they won’t cater to same-sex weddings.
Pizzeria Cortile owners Justin and Amanda Jo Bennett sparked controversy after a photo of a direct message from their restaurant’s Instagram was shared online.
The message asked them to confirm a rumor claiming they would refuse services to same-sex couples was true, to which they responded it was.
The couple has since posted a statement on Facebook defending their ‘difficult’ decision, saying it is based on ‘personal beliefs‘.
The image quickly gained the public’s attention, and many began criticizing the restaurant for their ‘discrimination.’
One commenter, garnering over 250 likes, said: ‘There aren’t two reasonable sides here. Nobody asked you to be gay. Or promote any kind of message. They asked for pizza.’
The owners further responded to the backlash in a post on Facebook which said: ‘This belief comes from a place of personal conviction, one we know is not shared by everyone, and it is one we hold without judgement toward others. This decision was not intended to harm or hurt anyone, and we are sorry for the pain this has caused for people who have been a part of our community.’
The statement further added that they ‘recognize and hear’ the feedback they received after their decision.
The owners of Pizzeria Cortile, Justin and Amanda Jo Bennett, posted a statement on Facebook claiming their recent ‘difficult’ decision to refuse their services to a same-sex wedding was based on ‘personal beliefs’
The controversy sparked after a photo of a direct message on Instagram was shared on social media, where the restaurant stated they don’t cater to same-sex weddings. The image quickly gained the public’s attention, and many began criticizing the restaurant for their ‘discrimination’
‘We hope with time we can find an opportunity to extend grace and listen to one another, and to remember that while we may not always agree, we can still treat each other with dignity and love.
‘We are thankful for the relationships we have built with you over the years, and we hope you will give us the chance to continue showing love to you when you come through our doors.’
The pizzeria’s Facebook page, however, has since been flooded with messages criticizing their stance.
‘I prefer my pizza without a side of homophobia,’ wrote one.
‘Imagine refusing money because of homophobia… in this economy is insane to me,’ said another.
Many vowed to boycott the restaurant, and some old familiar patrons expressed sadness but vowed the same.
The screenshot of the direct message with the company has been widely shared across their page, under posts and in mentions.
‘I’ve been a supporter since the beginning. Since you first started building the Local Slice food truck down the street from my parents. I was rooting for you,’ it said.
‘I bought a gift card during the pandemic when you couldn’t open the restaurant but were asking for support from the community to keep your business afloat. I was super excited about Laney’s. I consider you all friends. I am genuinely and deeply saddened by this.’
‘You can try to wrap this up in a pretty bow by using words like “our personal beliefs”, but what you are doing is discriminating against others. It is bigotry, plain and simple. Very very disappointed in y’all,’ wrote another commenter.
Others saw a different side and pondered if the criticism would be the same if it had been a different religion.
Another commenter, who claimed to know the family, said: ‘This family is such a kind and sweet family. If you are bad mouthing them, you don’t truly know them. It saddens me that Christians get so attacked. Liberals want to shout love everyone and everyone needs to have their own beliefs but they mean everyone except Christians
‘Would you just chalk it up to “well, that’s their religion” and go on your way and still frequent there with distant understanding? Please look into your hearts. They have never been hateful towards anyone, nor refused to serve anyone,’ they wrote.
‘They simply feel that they are compromising their own faith & hypocritical for profiting from it. While we may or may not agree, we could try to be as understanding as we would for others such as Muslims or even Amish folk. Let’s just be good humans.’
Another commenter, who claimed to know the family, said: ‘This family is such a kind and sweet family.
‘If you are bad mouthing them, you don’t truly know them. It saddens me that Christians get so attacked. Liberals want to shout love everyone and everyone needs to have their own beliefs but they mean everyone except Christians.
‘In case you were unaware, if you own your own business you have the right to do as you please.
‘I can promise you they won’t miss your business bc they will still get the business of their family and friends who truly know them and know their hearts. We love you guys and we still support you! Ignore all the hatefulness.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to Pizzeria Cortile for comment.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .