Chris Pratt, best known for his role in the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movies, is having to defend his Christian faith and the church he attends following charges of hatred and intolerance made by those in Hollywood and the entertainment industry at large.
Pratt made the following statement on his Instagram and Facebook stories accounts about the church he attends, Hillsong, stating in part that the church is not hateful but opens its doors to absolutely anyone:
“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 go to a church that opens their doors to absolutely everyone.
Despite what the Bible says about my divorce, my church community was there for me every step of the way, never judging, just gracefully accompanying me on my walk. They helped me tremendously offering their love and support. It is what I have seen them do for others on countless occasions regardless of sexual orientation, race, or gender.
My faith is important to me but no church defines me or my life, and I am not a spokesman for any church or any group of people. My values define who I am. We need less hate in this world, not more. I am a man who believes that everyone is entitled to love who they want free from the judgment of their fellow man.”
Actress Ellen Page, an open lesbian, accused Chris Pratt of not being forth coming in his opinion of his church. In fact, she and other actors are beginning to demand that Pratt denounce Hillsong Church publicly for holding to Christian values.
Hillsong has made news in the past when one of its New York pastors, Carl Lentz, stated plainly in 2015 that homosexuality was a sin. Later in that same year, two of the church’s choir members (both male) were married and the church’s global leader, Brian Houston, denounced the union as being against the teachings of the church and scripture.
These have obviously been the teachings of biblical Christianity since the days of Jesus walking planet earth and yet only in the last few years have such clear biblical teaching been regarded with disdain.
Ellen Page tweeted Monday, “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.”
As I state often, the world prefers to identify the sin with the sinner, claiming hatred and oppression when their worldview is challenged.
