Actor accuses Chris Pratt of attending 'infamously anti-LGBTQ' church
Chris Pratt has found himself on the receiving end of criticism over the church he attends after talking about his faith on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last Thursday.
X-Men star Ellen Page, who is married to Emma Portner, accused Pratt of attending an 'infamously anti-LGBTQ' church following his interview with Colbert in which he discussed the Bible-based Daniel Fast.
Pratt did the 21-day fast, inspired by the Prophet Daniel, last month and told Colbert that the experience had been 'amazing'.
The fast invites people to give up meat, sugar and alcohol while taking part in a companion Bible study as a way of getting healthy and drawing closer to God.
'I was inspired by my pastor,' the Jurassic World star told Colbert.
The two went on to share a joke when Colbert asked if being thrown into a lion's den was part of the fast.
Pratt took the comment in good humour, saying: 'Lion fighting is sick cardio, for sure. We do that on the last day.'
While the studio audience laughed at the exchange, not everyone was happy about his comments, with Page saying on Twitter that Colbert should have asked him about his - unnamed - church's LGBTQ stance.
'Oh. K. Um. But his church is infamously anti lgbtq so maybe address that too?' she said.
In a follow-up post, she said: '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.'
While some on Twitter joined in the attack on Pratt's church, others defended him, saying that his personal life was no one's business but his.
Another Twitter user asked why Colbert should be obligated to go further in his interview when Pratt was there to talk about Lego Movie 2.
'You used your platform to speak on issues important to you and he did the same,' they wrote, adding, 'The current "trend" to denounce & scrutinize is exhausting [SIC].'
Pratt has been linked to Zoe Church in Los Angeles, pastored by Chad Veach, who has avoided talking to the media on hot button issues beyond describing himself as 'a Bible guy'. His church website also keeps things simple, describing itself as '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'.
Hillsong, another church that Pratt has been linked to, has been more definitive about its views on homosexuality.
In a 2015 statement, Hillsong pastor Brian Houston said that he holds to 'traditional Christian thought on gay lifestyles and gay marriage'.
'I do believe God's word is clear that marriage is between a man and a woman,' he said.
'The writings of the apostle Paul in scripture on the subject of homosexuality are also clear, as I have mentioned in previous public statements.
'Hillsong Church welcomes ALL people but does not affirm all lifestyles.'