Chris Pratt’s comments last week about belonging to Hillsong Church prompted Elliot Page to call him out on Twitter for identifying with a church that is hostile towards the LGBTQ community.
On Friday, the actor/activist took to Twitter to vent her frustrations after seeing Pratt talk about his homophobic church in an interview with Stephen Colbert.
Oh. K. Um. But his church is infamously anti lgbtq so maybe address that too? https://t.co/meg8m69FeF
— Elliot Page (@TheElliotPage) February 8, 2019
The tweet immediately went viral, receiving over 100K likes, 20K retweets, and 5K comments, in addition to making national headlines.
Related: Chris Pratt attends an anti-gay church with a history of child molestation and ex-gay therapy
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Well, it looks Page wasn’t finished yet.
On Saturday, he fired off another tweet clearly aimed at Pratt but not calling him out directly.
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
— Elliot Page (@TheElliotPage) February 9, 2019
This one went even more viral than the first, racking up nearly 200K likes, over 30K retweets, and 4K comments.
Pratt has yet to issue a response.
Besides fierce opposition to the LGBTQ community, Hillsong Church has faced other criticisms in the past. Founder Brian Houston is currently under investigation for his role in covering up sexual crimes committed by his father, Frank Houston.
In addition to the family woes, the church has come under fire for misappropriation of funds, abusive church leadership and connections to fraudulent faith healer Michael Guglielmucci.
Related: Chris Pratt isn’t the only celebrity at his ‘infamously anti-LGBTQ’ church
Chrisk
I just love it when the Hollywood golden boy gets called out. Shouldn’t of opened your trap.
Seamus66
Why is he considered a “golden boy”?
whatsaywhat
He lost a lot of weight, got hot, became a big star, got rich, dumped his wife for the daughter of Hollywood/American “Royalty”… Its the american dream
subLime
Hear, hear!
Giuseppe
And considering his new fiancee Katherine Schwarzenegger has a GAY brother (Patrick isn’t out) this bs is disturbing all the way around!
kiriakis1
Really? So you take advantage of a serious story to spread a bit of gossip about something that’s probably not true’
mydude
I was going to say the same thing. Arnold isn’t anti-gay either, nor is Katherine mother’s AND Patrick is gay a goose, so it’s very disturbing, indeed.
tjack47
Having the vast majority of my family members of a church that considers me and my brother abominable, I’m glad she called him out. He has every right to practice his religion as he wishes. She has the same right to speak out and never the twain shall meet, most likely. The irony of it is, I view these beliefs as delusional. I have mental illness that can cause psychosis. It’s strange to live in a world with a great deal of delusional people, in my opinion(which isn’t worth a hill of beans) and be the singled out for commitment and have my civil rights taken away. We know we still don’t have equal civil liberties. Having less to begin with and having even more taken away is devastating, even if I’m aware why.
piriblue
We forget that no matter how much we scream and carry on it is not going to make anyone love us. Are trying to be bitter just for the fact that he doesn’t see things our way. How do we really expect him to change. You know he is not. It is really hard to apologize about how you really feel. He has a problem and we are really boo hooing just for the fact that he doesn’t like us. Love yourself that is what I do. What he does or doesn’t really shouldn’t be our business. Perhaps if we don’t terrorize the man he would like us better, or at least try to understand. We all get involved in this hate movement really not resolving anything just spreading more hate. What about a positive love movement instead of all the insults.
dinard38
I’ve yet to see where he’s made any disparaging comments about LGBTQ. You are jumping to conclusions simply because he belongs to this church.
subLime
You speak no truth, we all have an obligation to call out religions and those who follow their idiotic ‘teachings’.
Chris constantly brings his faith to the ‘table’, so others can and should call him out on it.
Religion is not sacrosanct.
CarlIsle
subLime Very well put. We all make fun of far fetched stories but what are religions based on? Far fetched stories. Yet so many still believe in a day and age when we know for a fact that none of it is true. You would have to be an idiot to live your life by rules set down thousands of years ago by elders who arbitrarily made them up as a way to control the masses. Elders: “God wants you to cut the foreskins off your sons’ penises!” Populace: “Sure, we’ll do it.” What, no one at the time said: “Huh? Are you nuts?” Even crazier, people ARE STILL DOING IT IN THE NAME OF THEIR RELIGIONS!
Ashke113
I wonder what skeletons she has in her closet that’s making her attack Chris Pratt so much. Ellen Page should maybe try the common sense adult approach and oh I don’t know maybe try reaching out to him personally instead of attacking him on twitter. That’s the cowards way Ellen Page and if I had a way of contacting you personally I would tell this to you directly. Grow up have your agent call his agent setup a meeting and talk like adults and not attack him on twitter. You’ve seen by him ignoring you on twitter and other social media you’re clearly not a blip on his raydar……time for a new course of action idiot.
MrKnowItAll
Because a private solution to a “non-problem” wouldn’t drum up viewers for her new show. I am excited to see Umbrella Academy but Page’s antics as of late might not be the boon she was looking for.
Tony1129
It’s 2019 dude, no one calls anyone anymore, if nothing else at least she will get his attention.
I think its brilliant, this is the age of modern technology, this is how things are done now.
Skeletons in her closet, maybe yes, maybe no but lets just stick to the story at hand, shall we.
da90027
Asske113 you sound like a total moron. Yes call him up this isn’t 1985 anymore. Aside from that your comments sound like a delusional twatwaffle
rephello
Do you not see the irony and hypocrisy in what you just did? Unless of course you reached out directly to Ellen Page before calling her an idiot on public media?
Bromancer7
I really hate this “guilty by association” bullshit. Chris has never said or done anything against the LGBTQ community. In fact, he’s supported us in the past. To paint him as being homophobic because of the church he belongs to is wholly unfair and inappropriate.
People should be assessed by their own words and actions, not by those of others around them.
bonbon
I agree entirely but at the end of the day the activists love a good witch hunt.
Gilliflower
I kinda agree, but we should still call these people out. Just call them out a little more gentler, like calling on Chris to try to change his church for the better. At least ask him if he knows that his church is that involved with anti lgbt activities. At the end of the day activists are not supposed to be “nice” because the issues they’re active about are one’s that should not be ignored. Nice people are ignored. I’m not saying be downright ugly, though, and perhaps Chris is not aware. Maybe he is and he’s not cool after all.
JessPH
If he support LGBTs but belongs to an ANTI-LGBT church then that makes him a hypocrite
Bromancer7
@JessPH No, it doesn’t. It’s not like they’re Westboro Baptists. There are likely a number of aspects of this Church that Chris finds appealing that has nothing to do with the anti-LGBTQ stance of their leader(s).
Nothing in the world is black and white. Save the faux outrage for those that really deserve it.
BGinBigD
So if “guilty by association” doesn’t do it for you, try “birds of a feather flock together”. If Pratt is a member of this “church” (and I use this term very loosely), then he is following it’s beliefs and practices. That’s what it means to be a follower/member. Therefore, he needs to be called out.
Daggerman
..it’s remarkable but people are two-faced in this world. Chris Pratt looks like a nice guy?…but all of us have to accept the fickle nature of the Church, it’s fickle because ‘it’ only decides when your sexuality gets called into question—-? I mean that you are always at first mistaken for an OK person?, and very nice even, UNTIL ‘the inclined way of thinking human’ suspects your homosexual??? DREADFUL! YOU BET!
Why does living in this time make you feel the Church is fundamentally stupid for condemning the progress of the human race?? Essentially they are…I believe the Church has outplayed it’s usefulness on the planet (if you think it is/was useful?) It takes a lot of courage to relinquish something but for crying out loud why isn’t there at least a peaceful, and ‘careful’ understanding line or proverb in the bible saying: Live life and let others live theirs??
ass eater
Ellen page shouldn’t worry so much, Chris is divorced, and the pastor of his church is covered in hideous tattoos.
UCLADave
I work at a very upscale boutique gourmet grocery store in Hollywood and we get lots of celebrities…Chris Pratt has come in multiple times and we have become “friends “…he is the nicest guy ever..so down to earth…when this story broke I sent him a message on social media…he a answered me with this…”Dave I am not homophobic never been never will”
OzJosh
Yet he is still prepared to support a homophobic organisation – and attending Hillsong requires supporting them financially.
DuMaurier
@OzJosh But you could say the same for Stephen Colbert, definitely an ally but also a practicing Catholic. For some reason it seem easier to accept a pro-LGBT person being a Catholic than a member of a smaller, Protestant Evangelical-ish church.
djmcgamester
I’m curious how many people who go to Hillsong who are actually aware of their stance on the LGBT community. I say this because I have several friends who attend. Close friends. I’d be interested in talking to them about it.
telex
And considering his new fiancee Katherine Schwarzenegger has a GAY brother (Patrick isn’t out) this bs is disturbing all the way around!
OzJosh
Aside from being anti-LGBT, Hillsong is massively corrupt – avoiding taxes while their leader Brian Houston amasses huge personal wealth and lives the lifestyle of a billionaire. The Church actually has most of the key features of a cult – and you need to be especially gormless to blindly follow it.
justyouandi
I’m not sure what exactly she wants Chris Pratt to DO here. He’s fine with her living her life as she wants, so does she want him to stop believing what he does and start believing what she believes? He hasn’t done anything to hurt anyone.
Tolerance works both ways.
MrKnowItAll
BINGO! Nailed it.
gymmuscleboy
“Tolerance works both ways” <– This
rephello
Tolerance is for situations that people can’t help. You know. Like someone farts and we all have to smell it because… you know people fart and it might be you that dealt it. Church’s can help their rhetoric and examine their beliefs which can change. People can decide that the church they belong to is doing wrong and stand against it or quit. Advocating that people walk their talk of Christian love truly love ALL and not create the horrors of squashing the souls of gay and lesbian people. Tolerance does not apply here. Discriminating against gay folk is wrong as Page says. No gray area. Nothing to tolerate.
justyouandi
rephello, neither Pratt nor his church are discriminating against anyone. As I see it they are practicing Christian love.
gymmuscleboy
@rephello That’s a pretty selfish and limited perspective of tolerance right there. You don’t have to agree with a group of people who believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, but if you won’t even tolerate them, how can you expect them to accept you? Have some humility… Jesus is a far greater example of tolerance than your comment.
boymikefl
These organized religions make people crazy. Why be involved in an anti-gay religion that rapes children? WHY? Is it society’s pressures? Follow the leader off a bridge, much? These are weak people. Truly. Get a backbone and say “I hate you.” Plus, this limp dick is welcomed on the ever withering Ellen Show.
Vince
As the governor Jesse Ventura said. Church is for the weak-minded. No truer words have been said.
Bob LaBlah
Ok, I give up. Who is Chris Pratt?
Vince
Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic Park as far as I know
Geeker
I look at it this way, your actions will always speak louder than your words, he may say he’s pro-gay but he belongs to supports and is constantly singing the praises of an organization that has a long history of not only being anti-gay but of covering up sexual abuse and financial fraud so that is what I go by in my assessment of whether or not he’s a “nice guy” or not.
dinard38
What is annoying is that the LGBTQ community is making assumptions that Chris Pratt is homophobic JUST because he attends this church. I’ve not once heard Chris say anything negative about LGBTQ, so why are y’all criticizing him? Just because someone belongs to a church doesn’t mean they agree with everything the church teaches.
So because of all of the negativity coming from Ellen’s tweets, Chris finally responded today and stated that his church, Zoe Church, welcomes all. On their website it states:
“Our church is a place where our doors are open to people of all backgrounds—regardless of where they are at in their journeys— and we hope all feel welcomed, comfortable and loved.”
Chris went on to explain his position, and I like his response:
“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,” Pratt wrote. “I go to a church that opens their doors to absolutely everyone.”
“Despite what the Bible says about divorce my church community was there for me every step of the way, never judging, just gracefully accompanying me on my walk,” he continued. “They helped me tremendously offering 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 spokesman for any church or any group of people,” Pratt went on to write. “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.”
“This is what guides me in my life. He is a God of Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness. Hate has no place in my or this world,” Pratt concluded his post also adding, “Jesus said, ‘I give you a new command, love one another.'”
Now I’m sure some of y’all cynical jokers are not going to believe him and continue to criticize. Smh!
Vince
No one’s saying that the doors are not open. That was never a question. The church publicly says that gay members are not allowed in any positions of the church though.
dinard38
Chris Pratt does not attend Hillsong Church, which is the church with the anti-gay stance. He attends Zoe Church. Although the pastor of Zoe Church modeled his church on Hillsong, there are differences. It is not clear that Zoe Church Hillsong’s practice of not allowing LGBTQ in positions within the church.
batesmotel
Well he did respond to her and said he’s not anti-gay and neither is his church. I believe he’s not anti-gay. But his church is another story. Then again he also said he’s not the spokesperson for the church. And that he loves and accepts all including gays.
Driftwood
There are two sides to every story, and I really detest anyone, gay or straight, whose sole agenda is to inflame. Chris Pratt answered Ellen’s accusations and I believe him. Ellen jumped to conclusions without fact and honestly based on her past statements, she sounds like someone who does this for attention & publicity.
da90027
Most church’s and religions are full of hypocrites. Nothing new here. If Chris had any introspection or common sense he wouldn’t be a member of a church that practices discrimination of any kind. Find a new church there are plenty around. It’s not like he is busy acting 7 days a week. LOL
Curtispsf
The ONLY church I want to belong to is the Church of Psilocybin, In the Name of the Mushroom, and of It’s Spores, Amen.
Donston
Some have argued that Page jumped to conclusions and she unnecessarily publicly called out Pratt and also was a tad too confrontational. I sorta agree with all that. But I’m also tired of supposedly “out and proud” celebrities and “allies” who only show up when it’s convenient and who stay entirely politically correct. Hardly anyone is willing to risk losing Hollywood friends, willing to risk alienating people for sake of keeping it real nor does anyone call out hypocrisy.
My thing is Pratt never claimed to be anyone’s “ally” nor has he ever reached for a gay following. So, let him be. Also, people need to accept is that Hollywood will always be the land of phony.
jcoberkrom
These celebrities need to quit making excuses and tell their church that if they don’t change their ways they are out there.
Most churches follow the money. This one I think prefers having celebrities. If the celebrities do the right thing the church will.
IAMBROWN
I get her intent. However wouldn’t it be better to go after the church than an individual? And why isn’t she targeting the other peeps that attend said church? Also I’m impressed (so far) that Chris hasn’t said a thing. Hopefully he (and his camp) recognize that they are being baited and take the higher road by not participating in this dialogue.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
The “church” is clearly anti-Gay. They “accept Gays” but are prohibited from assuming any leadership positions within the church. Thereby relegating Gays to be not equal to others.
Could you imagine the outrage if the church leaders made the same prohibition against Blacks??
Sorry any person who sets foot in that “church” is not an ally of the Gay community . Rather they are vile, abhorrent smcubags not worthy of our support in any way whatsoever. Be it buying tickets to their concerts/movies, buying their merchandise, following them on social media et all.
If these noxius two-faced smcubags begin to feel the loss of Gay $ pretty sure they will charge their “church” …
broadshoulder
Ellen page is a vindictive bitch. She’s taken the cowards way out via twitter.