Shortly after people went gaga over pics of Chris Pratt’s shirtless “dad bod,” the American actor shared that he’s on a 21-day Bible diet.
Yes, it turns out that the beloved actor from Parks and Recreation, Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy is actually a long-practicing evangelical Christian who converted 20 years ago when a rando criticized his sex and drug use in a supermarket parking lot.
Pratt attends Hillsong Church, the same church as pop-star Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and Kendall Jenner. But Hillsong has a history of child sexual abuse and supporting so-called conversion therapy.
The megachurch began in Australia and has since spawned outposts across the world, including New York City. New York City’s Hillsong Church is led by Carl Lentz. In a 2015 GQ interview, Lentz said he considers homosexuality a sin and would never allow an openly gay member to hold a church leadership position.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
In August 2015, when the New York City church learned that two of its male choir members were married, it released a public statement against them.
Related: Chris Pratt’s Private Parts Are Perfect, Reveals Wife Anna Faris
One of the church’s original founders, Frank Houston, molested a 7-year-old boy. And in 2008, it was revealed that Hillsong church referred many of its gay members into ex-gay conversion therapy, a professionally disavowed and psychologically harmful practice of trying to turn gay people straight.
The church has since said it no longer encourages ex-gay therapy, but a former gay congregant Alex Pittaway still warns gay people that Hillsong will never accept them:
“Gay people need to know that when they go to Hillsong, they have to go to the back of the bus. Hillsong is hip and attractive and contemporary, but there’s certainly nothing contemporary about what LGBT people will face if they want to be a leader in the church or offer themselves up for service. That’s something [Hillsong] will have to be upfront with, and they haven’t been so far.”
jkthsnk
I called this a hole out years ago and got attacked by the community saying he was an ally. He’s not. 2 guesses who he voted for.
Donston
Perhaps he’s ignorant of the church’s history or is just going where other famous people go. However, not being unabashedly anti-gay and being cool with dudes lusting after you doesn’t equate to being an ally. And most of this “ally” stuff is just lip service and for the sake of good publicity anyways.
RIGay
As I always say, I am not “Anti-Christian”, I am just “Pro-Lion”.
Not a big Pratt fan. Less so, now.
fur_hunter
Pro-Lion…..I love it! Yes. I’m still laughing my @$$ off. Thank you.
Josh447
Priceless
heyace37
Damnit. I WAS a Pratt fan, but funny how my enthusiasm for someone quickly drains away when I learn that they attend an anti-gay church.
Guardians of the Galaxy 2, strike one.
Anti-gay church, strikes two and three.
RIGay
Actually, I HATED both Guardian movies. Hated the dialog because it felt like it was and is the same dialog and plot from EVERY Marvel movie. Just felt too gringe-worthy
It’s a shame that there just does not seem to be anything original.
Greg
RIGay you hated the dialog? What kind of dialogue were you expecting from a comic book movie?
batesmotel
What about Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez? Many gays love them and they’re also affiliated with this anti-gay church.
Billy Budd
Bastard.
Giuseppe
I find it interesting that Pratt is now engaged to Katharine Schwarzenegger, part of the Kennedy family that also happens to have a gay (although not out) brother, Patrick. This should make holiday dinners fun.
Kangol
So you know Patrick is gay? Did you tell Miley Cyrus and Abbey Champion? Is he bi? How do you know his business?
Wicked Dickie
Just goes again to prove that the gay (white) community likes any (white) guy that’s cute. No matter their history. I’ve seen comments from guys here gushing about Logan Paul, or Paul Logan, the one that wanted to go “gay for a month”. Jared Kushner. Even Richard Spencer, the leader of the alt-right. Yet they’re trying to run Kevin Hart out of town, even though he’s apologized repeatedly (even though he shouldn’t have to) about his comedy show, yet still give Sarah Silverman, Chelsea Handler, and Amy Schumer a pass. Carry-on.
Donston
You’re trying to force the race card where it doesn’t really fit. Very few people are even aware that Pratt is an evangelical Christian yet alone that he goes to an anti gay church with some terrible history. This is new news to most people. Logan Paul was widely criticized by people of many races for his joke. But frankly, I thought it was an ignorant joke coming from the place of hetero “privilege” more than it was homophobic. Only people hyper obsessed with identity, hyper obsessed with controlling other people’s identity, obsessed with attaching gayness to homosexuality, obsessed with promoting homosexuality being a born with trait for everyone could have been offended by that. Getting mad cause someone says they’re “going gay” for a month is just dumb. But once again, he was widely criticized. It was easy publicity for him and just continued to feed into his douche-bag persona.
On the other hand, Kevin Hart spent years putting out a series of not only gay jokes but also just flat-out homophobic ones. Personally, I don’t really care about that. It’s the tweet where he says he’ll hurt his son if he ever said he was gay that reveals genuine hatred and anger. Despite the “apology tour” he has yet to clarify that particular statement. And instead of confronting his comments and tweets head-on he’s been playing victim this whole time. He hasn’t genuinely apologized or listened to anyone. While many black gay men have been critical of Hart. So, don’t act like it’s Kevin Hart vs gay white dudes.
It’s pretty obvious you just wanted to rant about white gay guys and found a topic that’s barely even connected to any of the stuff you’re talking about. Finally, no one’s running Kevin Hart out of town. He’s still getting paid and getting work and will continue to do so.
jjose712
Sorry but you must take us for stupid. Kevin Hart never apologized and that’s a fact.
And yes, there are shallow people who made stupid comments if the guy is remotely handsome, but that happen too with the black guy who plays Constantine boyfriend in the show when he was so pressed that he had to publish a video asking gays to not gush over him on instagram.
Making homophobic or insensitive comments is not the same that being an homophobe, and unfortunately Kevin Hart proved again and again he is an homophobe.
Pratt never said or do anything remotely similar to what Hart said, and yes, the nice guy facade is gone and he is showing the jerk he really is, but there’s absolutely no prove right now that he is an homophobe
TheBigOne
OMYGOD! Imagine that, (white) gays are racists? Whowouldhavethought?
I guess it makes sense now whenever I peruse through personal ads, all of those guys looking for “Caucasian” only…or “European”. It’s only a “preference” you know.
Funny also how some of them have brought it upon themselves to disavow your posting by stating that all of these white guys get a free pass while Kevin Hart, the black guy, doesn’t deserve one. Mr. Hart needs more “clarification” (whatever that means). I guess like Giulliani said “truth isn’t truth”, or in this case “an apology isn’t an apology” (when it comes from a black man).
GentlemanCaller
It’s constantly amazing to me how some folks are able to turn virtually any conversation into something about race and how terrible people are. Here, while the issue isn’t racial but religious bigotry, we have in just a few comments managed to start ripping our community apart. This is why we always end up losing: we hate each other’s imperfections as much if not more than we hate the people who are actually oppressing us.
Donston
Yes, there are racist white men. My black ass is very well aware of that. I’m just calling bullsh*t when people try to contort situations and information to fit their personal agenda. Hart was called out because he was billed to host the Oscars, something a lot of stereotypical gay dudes are obsessed with. If he was never tagged as the Oscar host his comments and tweets would have never been brought up. And I don’t care about an apology. Hart didn’t personally offend me. Then again, none of these celebs are capable of offending me. But I’m also not going to show sympathy towards someone who said he’d hurt his son if he ever said he was gay, thought that was a good idea to post on social media and has yet to actually confront that comment or any of the rest of it. Us being black together doesn’t equate to me sympathizing or feeling some need to defend him. Just like I wouldn’t give a sh*t about defending a white gay guy who talked about killing/hurting black people and had the nerve to never genuinely apologize or even talk about his comments directly.
gymmuscleboy
I think the majority of us agree that the article has nothing to do with race. Let’s not feed the troll and his pathetic victim narrative.
PretenderNX01
Speaking as a gay white guy with gay white friends, I don’t know anyone who likes Logan Paul or Jared Kushner or Richard Spencer.
And no one wants Sarah Silverman or Chelsea Handler or Amy Schumer to host the Oscars.
hocuspokeme
If I could upvote your comment, I would.
inbama
Sarah Silverman and Amy Schumer would be terrific.
Toss in Wanda Sykes and you’ve got a great night!
leauxbeaux
At least the church understands that a male sexually assaulting a male minor is only child abuse, ok, and not gay, not ok. Also, Hart has not actually apologized for what he said, only that if it “hurt you” and now he’s “over it!” I’m over Kevin Hart, sadly because once upon a time I liked him and Ellen gave him a free ride, likely because of what she went through when she came out on her sitcom. The whole premise of her situation on that show was always having trouble getting a date, or a decent one. Had she kept that them with womyn it may, I say MAY, have continued to work. Also, I LOVE Ellen, so don’t start!
OzJosh
Hillsong is also, like most churches, phenomenally corrupt. It milks cash from it’s gormless followers and evades tax to fund the fabulously lavish lifestyle of its founder and his family.
Mick406
“gormless ” . . . I learned a new word! Looked it up and it is a British term meaning stupid or lacking intellect. You must be from England. That’s all I’ve got to say. I’ll make my Brexit here! Haaaa!
niles
And all the desperate gays will continue to fawn over him, quite sad. I can see why Anna made her exit. He will definitely wind up on the 700 Club soon, just wait.
johnnymcmxxx
And so much for his fat sloppy “dad-bod” being considered sexy. It wasn’t and he’s a douche.
gymmuscleboy
I don’t understand the gay obsession with converting every last church, every last inch of western civilisation to pro-gay. Haven’t we already won the culture war? Don’t you think there will be a backlash? We have already caused a backlash, and he’s called Trump.
BOYCOTT PRATT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DarkPhoenix
Wow. Blaming the LGBTQ community for the existence of hate and the election of Trump? That’s a stretch.
DarkPhoenix
Culture war? Tearing down any house of worship that has allowed pedophilia is our RESPONSIBILITY to CHILDREN.
gymmuscleboy
@ DarkPhoenix I agree organisations that allow pedophilia need to be taken down, but I am not blaming the LGBT community for the existence of hate – would you care to explain that to me? To elaborate on my original comment, I would say that the far left, in their intolerance for the mainstream, contributed to the surprise election of Trump. To use the above example, the mainstream perceive intolerance for their values and even churches altogether… just read all the negative comments about Pratt attending church.
Greg
What gay obsession with converting every church? Trump is not a backlash because of gay people.
gymmuscleboy
@Greg Take this article for example. It is a criticism of a celebrity attending a church. Presumably the author would be OK if the church was converted to pro-gay. Trump is a backlash because of the far left, an ideology which this site and many other gay outlets portray as normal.
Donston
Being critical of a big church that promotes gay conversion and has a history of child abuse doesn’t scream “far left” to me. Constant outcries and trying to get everyone to agree with you is a problem for some people but so is being cool with hate and resentment. For some folks unless someone is shouting epidemics, harassing people and physically hurting people their behaviors can never be called to question. I personally don’t care that Pratt is evangelical or really care about what church he attends. I’m not particularly a fan. though it would be nice if he did his research and didn’t attend a church with such a history. But ultimately, this is less about social politics and th history of this church and more about Queerty using Pratt’s name and his supposed hunk status as well as the divisiveness of religion to get clicks. That’s what most of this online media is about.
gymmuscleboy
@Donston Fair enough regarding the child abuse and gay conversion. Maybe a simpler example would be another story on the homepage: “Mike Pence’s wife works for a (Christian) school that bans LGBTQ people”. The implicit position of the leftist author is that Christianity is not allowed to have a school that believes marriage is between a man and a woman – they most be converted to pro-gay.
So while we are winning the culture war (we have gay marriage, representation in the media, legal rights etc.), how can we deny conservatives their way of life and not expect the backlash (Trump)? There has to come a point when we say “OK team, we have done well. I think we can start enjoying life now”, but we just seem to keep chipping away at the mainstream piece by piece, still angry as ever and never satisfied until society is totally converted.
queerbec
Gymmuscleboy: What makes you think the author of this piece is “leftist.” Persons of any political persuasion should be concerned about any organization that attempts to demonize members of the LGBTQ community. The issue with “Mother” Pence is that she is the wife of the Vice President. Look how often members of the right criticized President Obama for his association with Jeremiah Wright, who I don’t remember calling for the disenfranchisement of white people or indicating that they were all bound for hell. We allow Presidents and their families to have their own beliefs, but we have historically stopped at them demonizing or criticizing folks of other religions or beliefs. Hell, I recall the great national discussion about whether or not we could have a Catholic as President–and many were convinced that Kennedy could not win under any circumstances out of fear that he would bring the Pope over and have him co-rule from Washington. Turned out, Kennedy did a great job of separating religious beliefs (whatever they truly were) from his role as President. Religion only really entered the picture with his church-going and family funerals, including his infant son’s. Now, I would expect a candidate and his or her family to account today for their membership in the Catholic Church (whose leaders vituperatively oppose same sex marriage and sex outside of marriage in general) and discuss how their beliefs don’t exactly dovetail with the Church’s rather strict doctrine. Anyway, the Church has too much to account for and they haven’t even made a genuine attempt to do so. But it would be nice to have more churches than exist right now be open and welcoming to me. It’s upsetting during a moment such as the Sign of Peace in a Catholic ceremony to wonder how the person I am shaking hands with really feels about me in their hearts if only they knew for sure.
gymmuscleboy
@queerbec Demonise gay people? How? The worst the article comes up with is that they held marriage to be between a man and a woman.
dean089
Is anyone really surprised? They shouldn’t be.
leecee
Oh wow, another man put on a pedestal only to find out his feet are made of clay. My, my, my,,,
Minyassa
Back when Anna Faris got pregnant and his immediate response was to get rid of their elderly cat who had been theirs all its life, I knew he was a piece of shit. Nobody who can betray an animal that trusts them is a good person. So this doesn’t surprise me in the least.
PretenderNX01
They also had that weird instance of getting a dog that was later found hurt and in someone else’s care. I don’t think he’s able to be loyal to anyone or anything.
Stenar
He’s dead to me.
Pete le meat
Chris Pratt is a boring actor. He must be well connected to be getting roles.
Mick406
I see no talent in him whatsoever. When he’s in a TV show, I turn it off. Boring.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
How much more wonderful would this world be if persons who practice their faith would simply mind their own freaking business!!
justyouandi
As far as I can tell Chris HAS been minding his own business.
TheMarc
Wow, so every sexy straight guy on the planet is not our friend and worthy of our praise and worship??!!! Even thought this very site and others like it promote the absolute H-E-L-L out of every hot straight guy in existence for any reason???
Surprise! He’s probably a decent enough guy. But he probably holds the opinion that we are just “sick” or “confused.” This is the danger of superficial idolatry. Stop obsessing over and supporting people just because they are attractive with their shirt off!
Donston
This is my opinion as well. Even many of these guys who are “gay-friendly” or supposed “allies” see homosexual/homoromantic/homo-leaning/gay men as beneath them, as a meal ticket or as a quick way to boost their egos.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
And BTW, Am a Personal Trainer, when I do an assessment, I don’t refer to someone like this smcubag as having a “Dad bod”. Rather based on his BMI index, I refer to him as MORBIDLY OBESE!!!
Crystix
I second Pratt’s Fiance’s comment earlier this week “I’d rather have Chris Evans”
mondongo
Does anyone not recognize that all this hate stems from public acceptance of magic, makebelieve, and the total nonsense….aka no validation….of Relgion…….I understand simpler humans want it, but anything that is proven solely by saying is no validation of anything!
We need to tolerate those who want it however it must be recognized that RELIGION is a mental illness
that is accepted by the world!
If such is considered HIP, they are sick!
subLime
So damn true.
gymmuscleboy
@mondongo It might make you feel good, but obviously not the smartest strategy. You think they have a mental illness. They think you have a mental illness. Stalemate.
Creamsicle
I don’t understand why Pratt’s name is in the headline. The post even mentions other celebrities who go to the same church, but they’re not in the headline. Pratt himself is not associated with any of the particulars mentioned in the post.
This is a shameless, misleading, clickbait headline. Whoever wrote it should be ashamed and stop pretending to be a journalist.
Miffopro
Sooo, let’s do some counting of, say, catholic celebrities then. Talking about a church associated with paedophilia and homophobia..! Oh, I know one: Stephen Colbert. Hmm, he must be a giiiiant homophobe! Even though he persistently showed himself to be an lgbt ally… hmm, tricky. Could it be that people are more complex than that?
Luvstoread
I thought the same thing. There are plenty of Hollywood actors who attend all types of churches that are homophobic in their teachings.
petersimcox
He probably isn’t aware of it’s history, but I’m probably just getting my hopes up cause I used to like him before I saw this.
Ashke113
Most people aren’t aware of the history of a place they go to. But leave it to the homos to attack someone because they don’t fall in line with our gay agenda of the day.
QueerTruth
Ummm this short article just destroyed my like for Selena, Justin, and Pratt.
Yikes. That was quick.
ass eater
How can a pastor covered with ugly tattoos put himself in a place to say anything to anybody about who they love. I thought Chris Pratt was gay or bi years ago.
Ashke113
So once again the gay community collectively pulls out the claws because a celebrity doesn’t fall in line with the gay agenda of banning or boycotting anything & everything that’s anit-homo. Gods forbid they live their own life and do what they want on their own time. Guess every celebrity should be assigned a personal homo to inform them of every place they cannot visit due to it’s history, words they’re not allowed to say, clothes they cannot wear, foods they shouldn’t eat, movies they have to avoid due to no gay characters in it or no gay actors playing the gay role, music they have to stop listening to because of something the singer said 10yrs ago during an angry drunken fight but has never said again and cars they aren’t allowed to drive because they’re associated with homo hate groups…
Our community has taken things way too far already with this bitching about everything and everyone or trying to out every person that moves a certain way or hugs the wrong person. We’ve forgotten what the fight is really all about and instead have chosen to just close our eyes and fight about the loudest subject talked about, not whether it’s right or wrong but because a homo is involved in it. We are quickly destroying our own community and making ourselves out to be our own worst enemy by prioritising 1: Dick 2: Attacking anyone 3: parties 4: More Dick 5: Drugs & More Parties……we are the clowns of the world circus and it’s embarrassing ???
inbama
If you’re going to be a scold, you might consider upgrading that photo.