Chris Pratt has insisted he has never been to the Hillsong Church and revealed that he is not a religious person.
The Jurassic World actor opened up about accusations of being associated with the church, whose leading figures have espoused anti-LGBTQ+ views, in a new cover story for Men's Health.
"I never went to Hillsong. I've never actually been to Hillsong. I don't know anyone from that church," Pratt, 43, told the magazine.
After an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2019 where he discussed religion, Pratt faced a backlash when he was called out by actor Elliot Page.
He issued a statement at the time, telling fans: "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 am a man who believes that everyone is entitled to love who they want free from the judgment of their fellow man."
Now, however, he has confirmed the church he attends is Zoe Church and as for why he didn't denounce Hillsong during the backlash, he explained: "I'm gonna, like, throw a church under the bus?" before adding: "If it's like the Westboro Baptist Church, that's different."
Hillsong Church describes itself as a "contemporary Christian church" and famously hosts services in large, arena-like spaces.
Their mission statement, per their website, is: "To reach and influence the world by building a large Christ-centered, Bible-based church, changing mindsets and empowering people to lead and impact in every sphere of life."
The church has long been debated by Christians who are unsure if it is a God-loving, Christian institution or a cult-like fad. The church focuses on modern music in worship.
Pratt shared his wider views on organized religion in the interview and described it as "oppressive."
"Religion has been oppressive as f*** for a long time. I didn't know that I would kind of become the face of religion when really I'm not a religious person," Pratt said, despite saying he attended Zoe Church.
"I think there's a distinction between being religious adhering to the customs created by man, oftentimes appropriating the awe reserved for who I believe is a very real God, and using it to control people, to take money from people, to abuse children, to steal land, to justify hatred," he added.
"Whatever it is," the actor continued. "The evil that's in the heart of every single man has glommed onto the back of religion and come along for the ride."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
