Chris Pratt has opened up about how his religion inspires him to ignore the haters.
In a new interview with Page Six, the 43-year-old got candid about how Jesus inspired him to keep going despite being subjected to backlash from trolls and critics every now and then.
When discussing his religious views, he agreed that he has been criticized for being so outspoken about his faith.
"I sure do but that’s nothing new, that’s nothing new, you know?" Pratt told the outlet on Monday night at a Cinema Society screening of his latest Marvel blockbuster, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
The actor then doubled down on his perspective using a quote from the Bible.
"If I was of this world, they would love me just like that but as it is, I’ve chosen out of this world. That’s John 15:18 through 20," he shared.
"That’s the way it is, nothing new, 2,000 years ago they hated him, too," he added, referencing Jesus Christ.
Pratt's Christian faith has become a talking point over the past few years, which the star says was ignited when he gave a speech at the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards.
While receiving the prestigious Generation Award at the event, he took to the stage and gave a speech which concluded: "God is real. God loves you. God wants the best for you."
Speaking of the moment with Men's Health, Pratt recalled: "I didn’t know that I would kind of become the face of religion when really I’m not a religious person."
"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. Whatever it is. The evil that’s in the heart of every single man has glommed on to the back of religion and come along for the ride."
Things only continued to get worse when it was discovered the Jurassic World star was allegedly associated with the Hillsong Church, which is an establishment that has been criticized for being anti-LGBTQ+.
Fellow actor Elliot Page - a prominent voice for the LGBTQ+ community - seemingly discussed the issue on social media after Pratt's appearance on Stephen Colbert's talk show.
"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," Page wrote. "Being anti-LGBTQ is wrong, there aren’t two sides. The damage it causes is severe. Full stop."
In response, Pratt hit back with: "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."
During the interview with Men's Health, Pratt also denied any involvement with the church.
"I never went to Hillsong. I’ve never actually been to Hillsong. I don’t know anyone from that church."
However, when questioned directly if he was ever involved with them, he said: "I’m gonna, like, throw a church under the bus? If it’s like the Westboro Baptist Church, that’s different."
Pratt reprised his role as Peter Quill in the popular Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy series alongside other returning stars such as Zoe Saldaña, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, and Vin Diesel.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3 is out in movie theaters now.
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