More stories are cropping up in the news about homosexual couples being denied service from Christian business owners. If you’ve not read about the photographer in New Mexico, florist in Washington, or baker in Colorado, you can do so here. Big names have shared their thoughts on the issue in light of the religious freedom bill vetoed in Arizona.

By now I should be used to reading these stories. Despite that fact I am genuinely shocked by the response of one homosexual couple when they were turned down by a baker in Indiana.

The story goes like this. The couple wanted to celebrate their relationship in April and called 111 Cakery to order a cake for their occasion. They were told by the owner that they could not get a cake because doing so would violate his religious convictions.

At this point we should be hearing about the couple getting mad, hiring a lawyer, alerting the press, and suing the baker. And though a social media firestorm happened over the weekend as a result of the incident, the couple’s response is beautifully shocking. They said:

“We found someone that will do it for us so we’re going to focus on the good.”

What!?

Don’t they know they are ruining the emotionally scarring narrative being orchestrated by liberals and LGBT activists? Don’t they know they are supposed to be deeply offended to the place of brokenness and sue the bakery out of business in order to show how tolerance they are? Don’t they know they are supposed to make many press appearances in order to slam the bakery owners’ religious convictions and complain about how bigoted, discriminatory, and homophobic they are?

And yet this couple did exactly what they should have done, they simply walked away and found another baker to bake them a cake. This might be the most accurate picture of true tolerance I’ve come across from homosexuals in a while.

And I am willing to bet you’ve not heard of this story. Want to know why? Simply put, this story doesn’t help the cause of liberal and LGBT activists. This story doesn’t advance the narrative being fabricated by homosexuals to make them appear the victims of hate filled, angry Christians.

The owners of the bakery told the local news:

“As artists, we have to find inspiration to create something special for our clients. When asked to do a cake for an occasion or with a theme that’s in opposition with our faith? It’s just hard for us. We struggle with that…There is zero hate here. This causes us to do a lot of soul searching. Why are we doing what we do? We want to show the love of Christ. We want to be right with our God, but we also want to show kindness and respect to other people.”

And I have a feeling they conveyed their lack of hate to the couple in their refusal to bake them a cake. The reality is that Christians – real Christians, not those Westboro Baptist folks – don’t hate anyone. We don’t hold animosity for others because we recognize that all people are created by God and in need of the saving grace of Jesus. If we go around hating everyone it will be hard to show the love of Christ.

However, Christians also understand that to live according to our religious convictions is imperative to living a life that is pleasing to God. As the owners of the bakery said, “We want to be right with our God.” The only way to do that is to live daily, in church, in public, in business, according to our religious convictions.

I’m proud to share this story because, while the mainstream media won’t do it because it harms their efforts to advance the false narrative being created by activists, this is what a truly free, truly tolerance society looks like.

This is a great example of a private business doing business according to the beliefs of the owners and people understanding that. It needs to be stated that most businesses are private. They are privately owned, not owned by the government or the public, and do indeed have the right to refuse service to anyone for just about any reason. And certainly Christian business owners have the right to refuse to provide service that would result in violating their religious convictions.

Some have argued about whether or not Christians should refuse to serve homosexuals. That’s not the proper argument to be having in light of stories like this one. This isn’t about whether or not Christians “should” provide service. This is about whether or not the government can force Christians to violate their faith under threat of legal action. It’s a big difference; and critical to the discussion.

Listen, don’t be so naïve to think homosexuals are the only ones being denied service. There is a growing trend of stories about Christians being denied service, among other things, for being Christians.

I wrote not long ago about ADF president Alan Sears being denied service by a photographer for being a conservative Christians. I also wrote about New Mexico governor Susana Martinez being denied service by a hairstylist for her traditional marriage position.

Another incident surfaced recently about a man claiming he was denied a job for being a Christians.

Here’s the bottom line: without practicing true tolerance (as exemplified above) it is impossible for religious freedom and homosexual “civil rights” to coexist peacefully.

Consider the weight of the statement and understand that if religious freedom is to exist at all it must exist in public. The much touted “freedom of worship” that President Obama is fond of talking about is a hollow shell compared to freedom of religion. One gives the freedom to live daily in private and public according to one’s religious convictions. The other allows freedom only within the four walls of the church.

If Christians want the right to refuse service in order to live by their convictions, they must also agree that homosexuals, atheists, and others may refuse service to them based on similar principles. If everyone agrees to those terms peace is indeed possible. But neither group can have it both ways. Homosexuals can’t demand tolerance and acceptance while denying the same to others, neither can Christians.

As a Christian, and a pastor, I can say unashamedly that I support the right of private businesses to refuse service to anyone in order to live by their convictions. I would not want to force anyone to violate their convictions in order to serve me. If this means some printer doesn’t want to print my religious t-shirts and flyers, so be it. If this means some photographer doesn’t want to photograph my faith themed event, so be it. If a baker doesn’t want to bake cakes and a florist doesn’t want to provide flowers for the wedding of my daughter, no problem.

Tolerance is a two-way street that doesn’t exist unless both parties agree to abide by its principles equally. I applaud this couple for simply going to another baker to get their cake and allowing the Christian baker to live by his convictions. They have painted a picture of true tolerance the world desperately needs.