But supporters have donated $440,000 to the eatery via fundraising page

More than $440,000 has been raised for an Indiana pizzeria that said it would refuse to serve gay marriage ceremonies under new religious freedom laws after it was reportedly forced to close its doors.

Kevin O’Connor, who owns Memories Pizza in the small town of Walkerton, told reporters he has temporarily shut the restaurant's doors after he received abusive phone calls and was trolled online.

A contributor from Glenn Beck's The Blaze set up a fundraising page on GoFundMe for the pizzeria, with a goal of helping 'the family stave off the burdensome cost of having the media parked out front, activists tearing them down, and no customers coming in'.

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Shuttered: Memories Pizza in Indiana, whose owners Crystal and Kevin O'Connor (pictured) said they would refuse to cater a gay wedding, has closed its doors after being abused over the phone and online

Family business: The pizza joint had been in operation for nine years before closing today, according to TMZ, although the O'Connors say the move is only temporary while the dust settles

Controversy: The O'Connors made their comments a week after the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was passed, forbidding state or local government from 'substantially 'burdening' a person's right to their beliefs

The news comes a week after Indiana passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which critics say will allow businesses to openly discriminate against gays, and just two days after his daughter told a local news station they would refuse to serve a gay marriage ceremony.

Speaking to ABC57 on Tuesday, Crystal O'Connor said: 'If a gay couple came in and wanted us to provide pizzas for their wedding, we would have to say no.’

The comments sparked fierce debate after they were published, and now TMZ is reporting that the pizzeria has closed its doors until the dust settles.

According to the gossip site, O'Connor also tried to clarify his views, saying he would never refuse to serve gay customers, but as a Christian he disagrees with gay marriage, and so would refuse to serve a same-sex wedding.

However, it is not all bad news for Memories, as supporters have hit back, raising more than $440,000 for the embattled owners via a fundraising page in just one day.

Lawrence Jones, a contributor for the show Dana, hosted by Dana Loesch, organized the page to coincide with a Wednesday phone interview with Crystal O'Connor.

The pizza joint has been in operation for nine years. The interior of the old-fashioned eatery is adorned with crosses and bible quotes.

Just outside the pizzeria, a signs states that the staff begin each morning with a prayer.

'We are a Christian establishment,' Crystal O’Connor confirmed, but pointed out that their business practices are not biased.

‘We're not discriminating against anyone, that's just our belief and anyone has the right to believe in anything,’ insisted O'Connor.

Two thumbs down: The pizzeria's Yelp page was targeted by those who disagreed with the O'Connors' statements, attracting hundreds of one star reviews

Several reviewers invoked Adolf Hitler and the KKK in their eviscerating assessments of the pizzeria

When Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a Republican, signed the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law last week, the O’Connor family in Walkerton applauded his decision.

The measure prohibits state and local government from ‘substantially burdening’ the ability of people — including businesses — to follow their religious beliefs.

Pence said in a statement last Thursday that the bill ensures ‘religious liberty is fully protected under Indiana law.’

Critics of the legislation said it could allow discrimination against gay people, but its supporters claimed the bill merely seeks to prevent the government from compelling people to provide such things as catering or photography for same-sex weddings or other activities they find objectionable on religious grounds.

Crystal O’Connor, of Memories Pizza, dismissed discrimination concerns, saying the law is not targeting gays - it merely helps people that have strong religious beliefs.

She added that as a devout Christian, she does not support same-sex marriage – a conviction shared by her father.

He said: ‘That lifestyle is something they choose. I choose to be heterosexual. They choose to be homosexual. Why should I be beat over the head to go along with something they choose?’

Divisive bill: Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a Republican, signed the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law last week

The pizzeria owners made it clear that if a gay couple came to the restaurant, they would not deny them service - they simply would not cater a same-sex reception.

The story of a small-town pizza joint backing a divisive piece of legislation has sparked backlash online, with people from across the country leaving strongly worded comments on the restaurant’s Facebook account.

Before the comments were broadcast, the eatery had just two reviews on Yelp, but as of today it has nearly 700, with an average of just two stars.

The picture section of the review page has also been swamped with images, some of which contain explicit content, supporting homosexuality and gay rights.

Public outcry: Critics of the legislation said it could allow discrimination against gay people

Demonstrators gather outside the City County Building on March 30 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The group called on the state house to roll back the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act

One five-star review, written from the point of view of 'Adolf. H,' stated: ‘Memories Pizza had been recommended to me by my buddy Herman years ago - and his praise was well deserved.

‘The largely Aryan ownership manages their subhuman staff quite well. No y*** or q****s to speak of and the tomato sauce was pretty decent for canned.’

User Marco V. wrote in his review in part: 'You don't want sinners coming into your business? guess what? We are all sinners.'

The review was accompanied by a meme of Crystal O'Connor with a speech bubble that read: 'Jesus said bigotry is great for sales!'

Many Yelpers mocked Ms O’Connor’s suggestion that anyone would want to order pizza for their wedding reception.

'As a pizza loving lesbian - I would NEVER serve pizza at my wedding. Morons,' fumed Laura D from Long Beach, New York.

Another critic of the Walkerton establishment joked that their discriminatory practices did not go far enough.

A sign reading 'This business serves everyone' is placed in the window of Bernadette's Barbershop in downtown Lafayette, Indiana March 31, 2015. The store is one of several who display such stickers

‘I’m ANGRY and will never order pizza from these people again because they're simply not discriminatory enough! I mean, just "gays"? What about anyone who works on Sundays (Leviticus 23:3)? People who wear makeup (Jeremiah 4:30)? Hungry people (Proverbs 23:2)? Men without beards (Leviticus 19:27)? Tattooed people (Leviticus 19:28)? People who eat shellfish (Leviticus 11:10)? People with messy hair (Leviticus 10:6)? New mothers (Leviticus 12:4-5)? Psychics or mediums (Leviticus 20:27)?’

A small number of people have come to the O’Connors' defense amid an avalanche of negative comments.

Lori Childers wrote on the eatery’s Facebook page: ‘God Bless you for standing up for your rights, its YOUR business and you should run it however you see fit. Sick of LBGT denying me of my God given rights. Go find another store to shop at or hey open your own store.......’

Governor Pence addressed the backlash against the bill in a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece published Monday, writing that he abhors discrimination.

'If I saw a restaurant owner refuse to serve a gay couple, I wouldn’t eat there anymore,' he said.

However, the GOP official noted that the new law reflects not only federal law, but also legislations passed by 30 states.