Pizzeria Cortile, a restaurant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, drew backlash but also praise this week after confirming that they refused a request to cater for a so-called same-sex wedding.

One social media user messaged the Instagram account for Pizzeria Cortile to confirm rumors “spreading in the community” that they “refused to cater a same-sex wedding,” after which the restaurant said that they indeed do not cater such events. The screenshot of the interaction went viral on social media, prompting the owners of Pizzeria Cortile to respond in a statement.

“We made the difficult decision not to cater a wedding due to our personal beliefs,” wrote owners Justin and Amanda Bennett. “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.”

The statement added that “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.”

Several hundred social media users accused Pizzeria Cortile of bigotry, as well as threatened to boycott the business, while many lauded the decision. One commenter who claimed to know the family defended their character and observed that “liberals want to shout ‘love everyone’ and ‘everyone needs to have their own beliefs’ but they mean everyone except Christians.”

Other commenters noted that the Supreme Court already ruled six years ago on behalf of Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colorado, who refused to make a cake celebrating a so-called same-sex marriage over his Christian convictions on sexual ethics.

“You are free to make your own choices, but so are they,” another user asserted. “Who are you to force someone else to share your beliefs but then expect them not to do the same?”