During a recent appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert , Chris Pratt sang the praises of his church, Zoe, going in to detail with the late-night host Stephen Colbert about his faith and how important it is to him and his future wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger. Juno actress Ellen Page caught the episode and began firing tweets at Pratt regarding his statements, slamming the church for their stance on LGBTQ matters.
“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,” Page wrote in the series of scathing tweets on February 7.
She also added that she fears that Pratt, and those who belong to such organizations, refuse to listen and offer support to those in the LGBTQ community when they are looking for someone to share their experiences and traumas with. She called upon those with closed minds to open their hearts and practice empathy.
Now, Pratt has responded to Page, and anyone else who has a problem with his church for that matter, taking to his own social media platforms to stand by the Zoe church, and said that Page’s views on his choice of place of worship could not be further from the truth.
“It has recently been suggested that i belong to a church which ‘hates 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,” Pratt wrote on an Instagram post, putting the text over a picture of a lamb, as Us Weekly reported.
He went on to reveal that the Zoe community was there for him during his difficult divorce with Anna Faris, and that they remained non-judgmental but supportive during that time. The Jurassic Park star said that the church not only offered him love, guidance, and support while he navigated through his separation from Faris, but that he has seen the church rally around and offer support to other folks, regardless of their sexual orientation, race, or gender.
“I am a man who believes that everyone is entitled to love who they want free from the judgement of their fellow man,” Pratt added, while also quoting Jesus’ “love one another” commandment.
He went on to say that he is guided by God and his ability to accept and forgive, further adding that “hate has no place in my or this world.”
The popular church, which was modeled after the Hillsong church attended by Justin and Hailey Bieber, reflects on itself as an organization that is a “place where our doors are open to people of all backgrounds,” as Us shared.