A popular pizzeria in Chattanooga, Tennessee is facing massive backlash after declining to cater a same-sex wedding, citing their “personal conviction” that marriage should be between one man and one woman.
As news of the refusal went viral, the pizzeria was inundated with negative comments and reviews by pro-LGBTQ+ commenters in Tennessee and beyond.
Outrage by the Slice
Last month, an Instagram user reached out to Pizzeria Cortile on social media, asking them if they cater same-sex weddings. The pizzeria, one of the most popular in the Chattanooga area, replied that they do not, prompting massive backlash on social media, as well as scores of negative reviews on platforms like Yelp, Facebook, and Google.
“Your homophobia is really sad to see. I hope this impacts your business negatively,” one one-star review stated.
“Bad food, bad people. Don't eat here,” read another.
Some reviews even accused the pizzeria owners of being bad Christians. “Place is owned and managed by bigots,” read one review on Facebook. “Imagine it’s 2024 and you’re still living like it’s 1924. Grow up and remember the Golden Rule.”
The Restaurant Responds
With scores of negative reviews and bad buzz flooding Pizzeria Cortile’s business pages and social media, they put out a message on Facebook, clarifying their position.
“Recently we made the difficult decision not to cater a wedding due to our personal beliefs,” they wrote. “This belief comes from a place of personal conviction, one we know is not shared by everyone, and it is one we hold without judgment 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 concluded asking pizza fans to allow them to “continue showing love to you when you come through our doors.”
Leaving Dough on the Table
Many say that any way you slice it, this is a bad business decision.
As one Reddit comment put it, “it is their choice... but a dumb one… Idk why as a business you would ever take a stance... it only harms the bottom line.. which I thought was the point of opening the business but hey who knows.”
“They probably think that they’ll get a bunch of the Bible Belt support by not supporting same-sex couples, however, it’s a college town and getting pretty progressive year by year,” said another. “Not a smart move fiscally.”
Local independent bookstore The Book & Cover was the permanent home of Pizzeria Cortile’s food truck, but recently canceled their partnership, citing the pizzeria’s anti-LGBTQ stance. “Pizzeria Cortile has recently confirmed that they implement a practice of not catering weddings for same sex couples,” the book store posted on Instagram. “This stance is not in keeping with our values as individuals or as a business.”
“It is clear we treasure and respect the queer members of our community and celebrate the rights and love that they carry,” the book store wrote. “We believe affirming the love and humanity of folks is essential to ensuring that care is felt.”
Reheated Outrage
From bakers to florists to artists, Pizzeria Cortile joins a whole host of businesses who made headlines for refusing service to same-sex couples on their wedding day based on their religious convictions. In each case, vendors stated that providing service to a queer wedding would violate their belief that marriage should only be between men and women.
There are other pizza places in Chattanooga, and critics say LGBTQ+ nearlyweds can simply contract one of them to cater their ceremony. They argue that pizza lovers are free to avoid Pizzeria Cortile altogether.
But many in the LGBTQ+ community say that isn’t the point. They say this is blatant discrimination against their community, and declining to cater a wedding on moral and religious grounds for any other minority group would be blatantly illegal.
Where does the right for Christian business owners to follow their faith end and the LGBTQ+ community’s right to not be discriminated against begin?
109 comments
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Barbara Harris
I grew up during the time when restaurants could refuse service based on a person's race and these places could quote Scripture to support their belief. It was an accepted practice and those that welcomed anyone were the rarity.
Laws then had to be enacted to stop this practice. And yet, here we are decades later, facing a similar situation, and unfortunately the laws the were put into place decades ago are now being ignored. People are being denied service, not because of the health issue of no shoes or shirts (I also grew up during that time frame), but because they are different. We are all different and we should celebrate each other. Unfortunately, some Christians only celebrate those that fit their mold and that is sad.
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Lawrence Pearce
We can say the same thing about gays. To riff off your own words, "Unfortunately, some gays only celebrate those that fit their mold and that is sad."
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James Riggle-Johnson
Lawrence, where do you get off saying that? Do you know any gay people? I know a lot of them. I am one of them and I’ve never been anywhere and seen a gay business say they only serve gay people.
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Nicholas J Page
The company is wrong and it's discrimination against the gay community.I abhor this treatment and I'm heterosexual.
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Timothy Holland Sr
I agree this is not Godly at all
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Lionheart
What is Godly? What does Godly look like? I hope that doesn’t involve drowning most everyone on earth, or killing children.
🦁❤️
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Lawrence Pearce
Why not give your same sex wedding demands to Muslim owned businesses instead of Christians? Asking for a Muslim friend. Are the LBGTS guilty of being Islamophobics?
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Michael Hunt
Do you have examples of Muslim owned businesses turning away members of the LGBTQ community?
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Rev. Zander Vorin
I think the point was, Muslims would give business thet Christians wouldn't, unless the couple is Islamophobic and won't deal with Muslims. There was nothing about Muslim owned businesses turning away LGBTQ services in Lawrence's post.
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Lawrence Pearce
Vote with your dollars. Do you live in Chattanooga?
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Reverend Paula Copp
As a member of the gay community, I personally wouldn’t bother to spend money in an establishment which chooses to believe that I am less than human because of who I love, but if you aren’t legally allowed to discriminate against a specific religion, then it should be illegal to discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community.
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Lawrence Pearce
The same is true for anyone. Who would trust the food served by someone that might want to spit in your food? Or add something that makes you suffer from food poisoning?
Why not ask a Muslim business to cater same sex weddings? Islamophobic?
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Thunder
I hope they keep the government and courts out of it this time and let people vote with their dollars.
Better not to waste time and money supporting people who've been brainwashed to hate you, when there are other businesses who would gladly welcome the patrons.
Forcing people to pretend they're not bigots just makes it harder to avoid supporting the one's who are.
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Lawrence Pearce
The only hatred I see here seems to be coming from the gay ministers. Why not vote with your dollars instead of letting hatred take over your mind and body?
When a person lives in an attitude of hatred, they only harm themselves, as proven by neuroscientists.
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Michael Hunt
Denying service to someone because of their sexual preferences is hate. We should all hate hate and stand up against it, should we not? Would you call someone intolerant for not tolerating Nazis in their community?
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James Riggle-Johnson
Who they choose to cater to is up to them, but it’s up to others to decide whether to support that business moving forward. Some Christians may cry about religious persecution, but it’s simply a bad business decision. If you choose not to serve one group of people, then you run the risk of nobody else doing business with you.
I love Pizzeria Cortile's response, saying it’s their “personal convictions”, but they hold no “personal judgment” of the couple. Their convictions are judgments of the couple's lifestyles. Why don’t they see that?
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Lawrence Pearce
Maybe they had a bad experience with a different same sex couple? You know some can be "drama queens!" LOL
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Michael Hunt
So, hypothetically, if having a bad experience with one same-sex couple means you can deny service to all same-sex couples, then having a "bad experience" with one black person would allow someone to deny service to all black patrons or one "bad experience" with a Christian would allow them to deny service to all Christians. I think we can both agree that's a bad argument.
I get that you're trying to be funny and humorous but you're actually just defending negative stereotypes.
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Lady Mutt Cat
I didn’t realize that businesses had religion. What the individuals working there or owning it should be irrelevant. A business has to follow the laws. These folks didn’t try to get the individuals to cater their wedding. They tried to contract with a business to do so. This business should be treated the same way as if it decided to stop paying taxes or to refuse service to black people.
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Rev. BH
Here we go again.
If you want to convey your religious convictions okay by me. Tell me all about 'em. But if you want to run a bu$ine$$, have customers and make money, keep them to yourself. Common sense.
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Lawrence Pearce
Why don't same sex couples demand catering, flowers and photos of their weddings from Muslim owned businesses instead of Christians? It would be an interesting test and comparison of their reactions. Funny how LBGTS never patronize Islamic businesses isn't it?
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Rev. BH
"Funny how LBGTS never patronize Islamic businesses isn't it?"
Now there's a assertion that needs substantiation.
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John Eubanks
As if Islamic pizzerias and photo studios and bakeries are on every corner. Hell I don't know of one within 300 miles of where I live.
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Rev Ned
Christofascism is on the rise.
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Theresa C. Marquess
Just another one of these nuisance subjects. Here we go again...
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Lawrence Pearce
One gay person made one phone call to a small business and then that one gay person is now trying to destroy that small business.
Don't you know that karma is real? What you do to others will rebound onto yourself multiplied up to one hundred times more, as every farmer knows while planting grains.
Why not live and let live? Vote with your dollars if you like, but don't destroy small businesses in your local community because it's bad karma. The hatred you send out is like a god who multiplies your own actions of hatred and destruction against you and you'll wonder what happened.
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Theresa C. Marquess
Lawrence dear, How did you get that out of my comment? Are you sure you are even answering my comments? I am a heterosexual retired business owner. I have seen a great deal in my lifetime. Perhaps more than you. You never know. Everyone of every persuasion was welcome in my business, as well as my home. I turned away no one. WHY? Because I am a LIVE AND LET LIVE PERSON. I do believe in KARMA and try my level best to treat everyone equally. It's best to say, "Live and be well" to all who you encounter. From childhood, I was taught "Do as you will, but harm none." My Grandmother always told me that if I didn't it would come back to me three fold. I always obeyed my Grandmother. I also never lie. If you do it will come back to you and bite you on the a_ _, ahem, butt. Lawrence, to you may I say, "May you live and be well..."
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Mark Stephen Edwards
You are correct; it is a nuisance subject. However, one man's nuisance is another's obsession.
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Theresa C. Marquess
Very true, Mark. It is a terrible shame that we can't all co-exist like the brothers and sisters that we are.
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Lawrence Pearce
Jesus claimed that there are TWO different types of humans.
See his parables, "Wheat versus Weeds" Mt 13.36-43 and "Fish in the Nets." Matthew chapter 13.47-51
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James Mounts
I am so glad you all refuse to patronize this establishment. Nothing ruins my appetite quicker than having to eat surrounded by a bunch of mental cases.
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David M Hines
You’re free to serve whoever you like, and to make your views public. It’s a free country.
Which means other people are free to make THEIR views public.
Isn’t freedom a good thing? Especially freedom for everybody.
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Timothy Holland Sr
This is so not Godly🙌🏿🌎
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Mark Stephen Edwards
What's god got to do with it?
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Colleen McAllister
God has everything to do with it. The whole issue is a moral one. This is not based on legal or health issues. It is based on beliefs.
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Lady Mutt Cat
Their bigoted god. Not a nice or inclusive god at all.
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Timothy Holland Sr
This is so not Godly🙌🏿🌎
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Lawrence Pearce
Why don't same sex couples demand catering and photos of their weddings by local Muslim businesses instead of Christians? We all know why. It's obvious to the world that LBGTS are Islamophobic while pretending to be the victims.
Stop clutching your pearls and start demanding Muslims cater and photograph all same sex weddings. You're not Islamophobic are you?
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Mark Stephen Edwards
How much business have restaurants lost because they do not allow shirtless, shoeless potential patrons? Some restaurants allow pet dogs, but not humans, lacking attire.
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Lawrence Pearce
Restaurants are closing and going out of business because of Biden's food inflation. If they actually thought that inviting naked people wearing nothing but thongs would double their income, they would do it.
It's the business owners decision, but I'd like to see same sex couples ask Muslim businesses to cater their weddings, just to see what happens. Or are LBGTS actually Islamophobes? Asking for a Muslim friend.
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Michael Hunt
Provide us with some evidence that LGBTQ couples are not asking Muslim businesses to provide wedding services. Maybe the reason that so many of these stories are about Christians and not Muslims is that it is only Christian businesses denying service to the LGBTQ community. I have found no examples of Muslims in the US denying service to others because of their beliefs or sexuality and have actually found anecdotal evidence to suggest that Muslims would not deny service to someone just because they share different beliefs.
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Rev. Mike Eggleston
Most "Indian" restuarants in the UK are run by Bangladeshis, who are Muslim. I don't know of any that refuse to serve alcohol. I have heard of a Mosque that declined to accept a grant from the National Lottery because the money comes from gambling.
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September Artrea Calhoun
Michael, while I understand what you are attempting to get across. I must say I find it despicable that the use of “black people” should be used in this debate. I am BLACK and last I checked I was still regarded at three-fifths of a human in these United States of America. WE BLACKS are in a community all of our own. To liken the LGBTQ+ community, to the struggles of the Black Race is UNACCEPTABLE. I live in the south and the truth is most business owners reserve the right to refuse service to whomever they choose. My sister was married to a white man, and they went to a restaurant in Tennessee that refused to wait on them. Most people that read the Bible take things out of context and use them for their on motives. Perhaps We all should re-read the Bible and learn about WHO was restricted from homosexual behavior. This law was given to a specific group of people, period. The Bible in America has been and continues to be used for political, and religious gain. And then there are the outliners who are mainly far-right-white-conservatives(who btw are not the outliers anymore)In the future Michael, could you refrain using black people in your argument of LGBTQ+ if you are going to pick a race to talk about talk about your own-but then again I think you did mention “Christians”
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Michael Hunt
Respectfully, I did not mention "black people" in this particular thread, nor was I ever trying to liken the struggles of the Black Race with those of the LGBTQ community. My sincere apologies for causing that appearance. I fully recognize that the two communities, while both have experienced and continue to experience discrimination, have very different histories which are not comparable.
I believe that you are thinking of my other comment about having a bad experience with one person in a community shouldn't condemn the whole community. I was just trying to show that it's just as absurd to deny someone service based on their sexual preferences, race, or religion just because you had one negative experience with a member of that community.
I do appreciate your suggestion that I stick to speaking about my own race in these instances. I fear that using white people could undersell the point since we're not a group that has experienced any meaningful discrimination and part of my goal is to emphasize groups that have been discriminated against or, in the case of "Christians", a group that feels they are being discriminated against. That said, your suggestion is one I will take to heart and use in future.
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Lawrence Pearce
Would the gays who called the pizzeria now call a Muslim business and ask the very same question of them? Let us know what the Muslims say along with their business name, since it seems to be a new way for gays to "clutch pearls" while pretending to be outraged and full of hatred for everyone other than themselves.
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James Riggle-Johnson
Yes, the Supreme Court has decided it’s okay to discriminate against same-sex couples, but it’s a bad business decision. When other people find out they discriminate then they have the right not to do business with them in the future. And when they go out of business they will blame it on religious persecution.
Also, when society decides that 7% of the population isn’t worthy then how long before it becomes 16% or 50% of the population? How long before we have white-only businesses again? You like to pretend it’s the “GAYS” as you put it, that is causing the hatred, but we are the ones being hated. Have you ever been physically assaulted for holding hands in public? I have and I’m tired of it. I don’t hate everyone else; I just don’t want to be treated differently than everyone else.
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Julia Bruce
Supreme Court has decided it’s okay to discriminate against same-sex couples,...please cite the location for this ruling. I want to go read it in it's entirety.
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James Riggle-Johnson
SCOTUS Rulings:
303 Creative v. Elenis
Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Comm.
Basically, a business cannot be forced to provide services to same-sex couples if it violates their sincerely held religious beliefs. And the first one listed, 303 Creative v. Elenis, was a preemptive ruling. 303 Creative had not been asked to design a website for any same-sex couple. They would likely win if the pizza place were taken to court. In this case, their other customers decide it is wrong and refuse to give them business. Hit them where it hurts. Money can change more than the law can.
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Kenneth Charles Busi
And here in lies the difference between wanting to be accepted and forcing your beliefs on others by bullying.
Scripture tells us to worship God in all we do, and the owners of the establishment choose their Godly values over culture and money. If you want others to respect your views, you must respect the views of others. Find another provider, there are many who will serve your needs.
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Richard Mutch
What we really see here is that the queer community is saying: do as we Demand or else we will destroy your business. The real bad guys have been identified by their Threat demand: do as we Demand or else we will destroy your business. Thank you for bringing your True selves out of the closet.
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William Thomas Gould
There is a difference in catering a private event and serving a walk up or individual order. A business should have a right to choose what business they do. Let’s flip the switch what if a gay couple own a business and they was ask to cater an Anita Gay event and they refuse do you think they should be forced to cater that event?
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CJC
This problem happens when holier than thou's feel the need to cite their religiosity. It's so much better to say, "we're booked up that day". You only lose a little bit of profit. But no, you have to dance with the devil on citing your religious beliefs which comes around and bites you in the **** with bad press and boycotts. When I had a store, my business was to make a profit, not share my beliefs and decrease my profit.
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Julia Bruce
As a business owner I have the right to choose not to do business with a customer. Hence..."no shirt, no shoes, no service".... This is legal and the business owners decision. The left are violent in the attack of people who step out of line. This is what makes people who are looking at this situation take the side of the business owner. And when someone disagrees with any left wing agenda you know they will be attacked in the most repulsive manner. This is what the general public find disgusting.
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Michael Hunt
So you can legally deny service to a person of color? I'm pretty sure that's illegal. There are reasons you can deny someone service but to deny someone based on their sexual preferences is illegal discrimination. The left aren't violent in their attacks, no one is being killed here, but they are persistent when a group is actively discriminating against another group simply for being who they are. The same people calling the left "violent" today would have been calling Martin Luther King "violent" in the '60s.
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Robert Page Matthews
BINGO!!! You beat me to it.
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Rev Samantha Counihan
a personal belief you hold without judgement ? lolz thats still judging, and when at work religious beliefs needs to not interfere with the job, and seeing that its tennessee the molester state, tennessee allows pedos to marry 10 year olds, would that pizzaria cater to pedo and victim wedding ? yes, but not to something harmless like same sex ?
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James Trenton Smith
Same sex marriage is not harmless.
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Michael Hunt
What harms does same-sex marriage do then?
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James Trenton Smith
The worst kind, Sir. The Bible teaches that if we love our brother we will tell him the truth.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 New King James Version 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
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Michael Hunt
And by what proof do you have to claim that is the truth? How do you know that the Bible was not inspired by Satan as a means of corrupting the true God's children? How do you know that God actually considers homosexuality a sin? How do we know that God is not a flying spaghetti monster with noodley appendages?
The only claims of "harm" to come against homosexuals is that which will occur during your version of the afterlife. Since we cannot actually know what happens once we die, all of our beliefs are just guesses. You are guessing that they will eventually deny themselves access to your believed afterlife. If they do not share that belief with you, how is it hurting them or anyone else?
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James Trenton Smith
I know what the Holy Spirit has revealed. I know what Gods word says in black and white...Its all there brother, there is no grey. The scriptures are clear. And we have free will to choose Everlasting Life or iniquity and death. I truly do love you brother...this is why I tell you the truth.
Romans 1:27 ►
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
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Michael Hunt
You're telling me what you believe is the truth. You have no evidence to support the claim it is the truth besides 1 book full of stories, many of which have proven to be impossible. The Bible is not God's word, it's man's word that is supposed to be divinely inspired.
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James Trenton Smith
Comment removed by user.
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Robert Page Matthews
Marry a ten year old??? What planet are you living on? 😳
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Lawrence Pearce
The most recent polls show only 7 percent of all Americans claim to be gay, so that means the Pizzeria can still serve 93 percent of Americans. So I have a question for you...
If you owned a food business, would you prefer to cater food for 93 percent of Americans or for only 7 percent?
It's their choice as a private business, so why do gays spew so much HATRED? I thought they said they were all about "love." Is this another sign of their internal hate and hypocrisy?
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Michael Hunt
I'd prefer to cater to 100% of Americans. Why would I hate one group so much as to deny them my services?
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Robert Page Matthews
If a HAMAS jihadist came in wearing a shirts saying 'Kill All Jews and Gay People' would you want to serve them? 😏🙄
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Michael Hunt
No, because they are spreading a hateful message in my business. Depending on what the business is though and what their other actions are, I might still begrudgingly serve them as long as they are not making a scene. If they are bothering other customers and disrupting my business, I wouldn't.
Again though, one group is denying someone service because of who they are, I would be denying service because the person is spreading hate.
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Lady Mutt Cat
You’re presuming that all straight people would shop there. I’m straight. I hate bigots. Most straight people do. No way would I shop at this bigoted store.
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Rev. Mike Eggleston
I'm the same. I refuse to spend my money with businessed that express such hatred for certain sections of the community.
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Martin L Stigleman
"why do gays spew so much HATRED? I thought they said they were all about "love." Is this another sign of their internal hate and hypocrisy?" Try reading the article again and then look at REALITY.
1) Are you saying that LGBTQ+ are spreading hate because they encourage people not to shop at a business that discriminates against them? You think it is horrible of THEM to let everyone know that they were denied service because of wo they love? 2) LGBTQ+ have NEVER said they were "all about Love"...That was THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. LGBTQ+ said they are about LOVING WHO THEY WANT TO LOVE. 3) "THEIR internal hat and hypocrisy"?! How about, instead looking at the faith that spreads hate against them. A faith that can't even agree on their own scriptures to follow. Leviticus 18 was quoted as the command against homosexuality, but that isn't always true, is it? According to The Bible, which Christians claim is "The Word of God", Leviticus 18 is a group of commands delivered by Moses that tell the right way to live...or in another version the entire chapter is totally about sexual relations and commands. Leviticus 18:22 is the passage most will claim is that gay is wrong...but in other versions of the Bible it says nothing about human sexual relations but is about what livestock to breed.
Before claiming that others are being hypocrites, take a good long look at the hypocracy of your own religion.
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Julia Bruce
Don't get into levitcal law, as you obviously do not understand it.
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Timothy Holland Sr
Kind of reminds us of WHITES ONLY signs everywhere, not much has changed at all🙌🏿🌎
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Todd Leslie Miller
This is something that I struggle with. While I accept that homosexual behavior is against God’s law (Leviticus 18:22), I also feel that I need to love all people no matter their race, color, gender, sexual identity, etc. Would sponsoring a wedding reception for a same sex couple be saying that gay sex is okay in the eyes of God? Or would it merely be a business transaction? Any thoughts on the matter? I’m open to suggestions.
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Lady Mutt Cat
Only against one god’s law. Fortunately, there are a lot of other gods available.
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Todd Leslie Miller
Well, not in my book. Jesus clearly told us “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me”(John 14:6). That’s my belief and I don’t plan on giving it up!
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Lawrence Pearce
"Whatever is not of faith is sin." Romans 14.23 There are ministers who specifically serve gays who want to marry, so let them do their thing while you serve those who you feel better with.
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Todd Leslie Miller
Good reply. Thank you.
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Henry Fana
I am sorry but when God Created us he created Adam then Eve so that Adam wouldn't be alone. He did not create Tom and Bill or Jessica and Alba. Marriage is between Man and Woman in order to produce a child. The only rights you have are the laws given by God. LGBTQ community is Paganism and should not be aloud in this Country. You want pizza open up your own shop. You people want to stand with the world and get judged by God ? I rather stand with God and see the world get Judged..
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James Riggle-Johnson
Personal feelings aside, saying the LGBTQ community does not belong in this country is a lot like Germany deciding Jews didn’t belong in theirs. So, are you saying it would be okay to round us up to be eliminated? Who would be next on your list of unworthy sinful people?
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Michael Hunt
So Christian Nationalism then. Very loving.
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Kevin Singleton
Still showing 4.5 stars on Yelp. Communities don't have rights. Wow.
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Dusty Kaye Toney
You people are hypocrites doesn’t the Bible say it’s a sin the lie with the same person same sex I don’t care who you sleep with. Maybe they didn’t want to cater to them because it’s against the religion. I don’t know how you can argue with that but you probably will even this site is Work wake up people. I’m going to delete site I’m sure you’ll make a lot of people happy. Get your heads on straight. I’m sick of a small population of people and I don’t care what they do who they sleep with dictating policy.
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James Riggle-Johnson
Dusty, the ULC is not an organization for Christians or Bible-only beliefs. It’s an organization of all different types of faiths and beliefs. These articles are meant to invoke opinions from all of them. Have you seen all the different ordinations, certificates, and titles they provide? Also, even small groups deserve freedom, respect, and equal rights.
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Ari Joseph Bertine
It's their right to refuse business to gays because the government has not defined gays as people yet. I mean they were slow to define blacks as people for so long, what do we expect? When we have a government that isn't made of moral contortionists who refuse to believe in science, we can have rights for people who were born different from straight white men.
It is, however, also the right of the rejected people of that business's community to complain about them being jerks. They chose to exercise their legal right to be jerks, so they get to deal with the social consequences.
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Julia Bruce
Please show legal context of where "gay people" are not defined as people. This is erroneous. Has no legal proof.
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Steven Ferrell
What I don’t understand is, why would anyone want to give money to a business that does not support their views?
If I don’t agree with the views or practice of a business, I sure as heck do not want to support that business with my money.It is the alphabet bunch that are supposed to be the tolerant people that are showing how intolerant they are.
They want to force everyone to agree with them and their opinions.Take your money and spend it at a place that supports your views, rather than trying to force everyone to cater to your views.
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Martin L Stigleman
Religious beliefs are a fine thing to have. If you have faith in your religion and follow its tenets, I say "WONDERFUL"!! But a RELIGEON does not apply for a license to open a business...a PERSON does. Yes, they may be financed by a church, and they may be dedicating their business to a church, but the license is from the Government...the same Government that has laws in place against discrimination. By being granted a license to operate a business, they are also agreeing to abide by the anti-discrimination laws that govern the Country. Until Congress revokes the laws that restrict discrimination, ALL businesses should have to cater to everyone or else have their business license revoked!
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Julia Bruce
I am a business owner. No licence says I must do business with every single person or business that comes to me. I have sovereign right to choose with whome I do business. The rules you are citing are out of context.
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Michael Hunt
Can you choose to deny service to someone because of their skin color?
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Scott Smith
To the author...
Please stop proliferating negativity and offense by using the word "queer".
Think of it akin to using the "N" word.
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Michelle Kitz
I've commented on this type of story before. I'm still of two minds on this one. I wouldn't want a business like this to cater my event in this case. However, I think, if a business is going to operate on the basis of their religious beliefs, they should make this clear in their media presence. For example, their website, social media, advertisements, etc. should clearly show they are a Christian business. In that case, we can just avoid them altogether and avoid this kind of thing from the start.
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Julia Bruce
It's not about avoiding them. It's about axe grinding.
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Michael Burton
American are overweight, and food like pizza is one cause. This attitude adds another reason to avoid this tyype of business. Solution, avoid this kind of establishment.
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Lion on the Beach
They will be fine. 1% of the world won't order or eat their. The people who are upset are the same angry, unhappy souls. Crats, Libs and atheists. The most unhappy, miserable people in existence..
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Michael Hunt
As one of the "Crats, Libs and atheists" you speak of, I can tell you that I am not an angry, unhappy soul, nor are the vast majority of "Crats, Libs and atheists" that I know (which are a lot). I do know a lot of angry, unhappy conservatives who throw a tantrum when they have to share spaces with gay people or hear about someone getting help from the government. In reality, it's more likely neither of our assumptions of the other are true and we're just subconsciously looking for reasons to dislike each other.
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Joseph SCott Queen
Want eat their what? I will eat threre next time I am in Chattanooga.
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CJC
Your comment highlighting their word choice shows your misspelling of the correct word. Ha ha ha
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Joseph SCott Queen
I sure think everyone has a right to do what they think is right. I sure wouldn't want to go to a gay party and watch them kiss. I think the pizzeria has a right to turn down the gay marriage. Gay rights don't trump others rights.
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Jack Anthony Wilson
I believe that Christ loves everyone of us. I think that if a gay person wants to be afforded the same rights as heterosexuals, then they must also accept that non-gays also have rights. If someone doesn’t agree with you, then move on and deal with those that do. To try and force your beliefs on others is hypocritical.
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Warren Calvin Wall
What happened to a business' right to refuse service? Remember the "No shirt, no shoes, no service." signs? And yes, I know that it pertained mostly for health. There is nothing that says a business must accept every single job that is requested.
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Robert Page Matthews
This isn't hard to figure out, people. It's their restaurant so they can decline service to anyone they want to. Go somewhere else that is LGBT... friendly. FFS, stop with the perpetual victim BS. 🤨
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Michael Hunt
And what if they live in a town where no one will provide service to an LGBTQ person? Are they just supposed to pick up and move? This, frankly, isn't all that different to the complaints segregationists made about serving people of color.
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Robert Page Matthews
BINGO!!! You beat me to it.
It’s their choice, I don’t agree with it, but it doesn’t leave them free from criticism. They made the bed, they can stew in it.
They made their choice to cater to the 93 percent of Americans who are not gay, so they will probably survive despite all the hatred coming from you.
I'm straight but I still won't spend my money with any business that discriminates against members of the LGBTQ+ community. I know a lot of other straights think the same way.
They are a business. With a business license, parking and traffic concerns, utilities, and all that comes with it. One law that goes along with that is to serve all customers equally. It's the same as if a lunch counter won't serve a minority person.
There was a phrase I saw growing up in every business window. "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone." Back then, if you were asked to leave or denied service, you just went somewhere else. This age of entitlement where people think business owners owe them something is ridiculous.
The anti-discrimination clause of the 14th amendment (in this case) only applies if the business were a wedding-specific business. This is a pizzaria. They have no legal obligation to cater ANY wedding (unless they offer catering services), let alone for a gay wedding.
In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a bakery for the same situation. This is no different, except that a bakery would be more obligated since they cater for special events, and the bakery still won.
Now, to play devils advocate, it's business, and if they have the money, why not make money doing the business he started?
I own a business, and if my worst enemy, my least favorite person on the planet came to me and offered me money for something I'm selling, I'm taking the money.
Life is too short to hate. Make money and be happy instead!