Chris Pratt addresses outrage over ties with anti-LGBTQ church; says he’s “not a religious person”

Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt responded to social media outrage he has previously been facing over religious beliefs and cleared rumours about his alleged ties with an anti-LGBTQ Church.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Jurassic World trilogy star told Men’s Health in a new cover story that he’s not nearly as religious as people think and strongly criticized organized religion for its history of well-documented sins. “Religion has been oppressive as fuck for a long time,” he said. “I didn’t know that I would kind of become the face of religion when really I’m not a religious person.”

“I think there’s a distinction between being religious — adhering to the customs created by man, oftentimes appropriating the awe reserved for who I believe is a very real God — and using it to control people, to take money from people, to abuse children, to steal land, to justify hatred. Whatever it is. The evil that’s in the heart of every single man has glommed onto the back of religion and come along for the ride.”

When asked about reports that he attended Hillsong Church, a megachurch known for its anti-LGBTQ views, “I never went to Hillsong,” he said. “I’ve never actually been to Hillsong. I don’t know anyone from that church.” As the report shares, Pratt’s public association with religion seemed to stem from one of his “nine rules” that he cited when accepting an award in 2018 at the MTV Movie & TV Awards. “God is real,” he said. “God loves you, God wants the best for you. Believe that; I do.”

Chris Pratt told Men’s Health, “Maybe it was hubris for me to stand up on the stage and say the things that I said. I’m not sure I touched anybody.” Previously, backlash against the actor intensified due to his alleged involvement with the Church, which has long been condemned for its anti-LGBTQ views. In 2019, Elliot Page seemingly slammed Pratt on social media after the actor talked about religion during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Page took to Twitter that time and wrote, “If you are a famous actor and you belong to an organization that hates a certain group of people, don’t be surprised if someone simply wonders why it’s not addressed. Being anti LGBTQ is wrong, there aren’t two sides. The damage it causes is severe. Full stop. Sending love to all.” Pratt issued a response at the time, which read, "It has recently been suggested that I belong to a church which 'hates a certain group of people' and is 'infamously anti-LGBTQ.' Nothing could be further from the truth.”

“I am a man who believes that everyone is entitled to love who they want free from the judgment of their fellow man." The report further shared that the actor wept after getting backlash for praising his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger for giving birth to a “healthy” girl. “A bunch of articles came out and said, ‘That’s so cringeworthy. I can’t believe Chris Pratt would thank her for a healthy daughter when his first child was born premature. That’s such a dig at his ex-wife,'” he said.

“And I’m like, That is fucked up. My son’s gonna read that one day. He’s nine. And it’s etched in digital stone. It really fucking bothered me, dude. I cried about it. I was like, I hate that these blessings in my life are—to the people close to me—a real burden.”

Meanwhile, Chris Pratt's upcoming Amazon series The Terminal List premieres on July 1, and he reprises his role as Marvel's Peter 'Star-Lord' Quill in Thor: Love and Thunder, which hits theaters on July 8.

Also Read: Chris Pratt to voice Garfield in the new animated feature film

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