On Saturday evening, a TV writer named Amy Berg decided to play a little game, showing a quadrant on Twitter with four pictures of famous actors: Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Chris Pine, captioning it, “One has to go.”
One has to go. pic.twitter.com/HUWnbQOA43
— Amy Berg (@bergopolis) October 17, 2020
That precipitated an avalanche of leftists to attack Pratt for his views, which are openly religious, causing his name to trend on Twitter:
Dammit, I am literally just finding out that Chris Pratt is a trump supporter and I am so messed up behind that.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) October 19, 2020
So. You just found out that chris pratt supports an openly h*mophobic church? pic.twitter.com/fLpiVC5ioF
— bryce🎃 (@chocometal) October 19, 2020
Me after I’ve been saying for years that Chris Pratt is a trump supporter and anti-lgbtq+ pic.twitter.com/UVGadz7emU
— Gia (@Platonictrash) October 19, 2020
Chris Pratt and Vince Vaughn are Magats? pic.twitter.com/ypSqZ95jZ2
— Mondzz (@MondzzMusic) October 18, 2020
opened twitter and learned chris pratt supports conversion therapy. this is NOT what the great emmet brickowski stands for pic.twitter.com/ht2gVagnc5
— Homer Simpsons Brain Monkey (@Sindy_Cent) October 19, 2020
omg chris pratt is trending i been waiting for this one,, ne ways stan the superior chris evans who’s not a trump supporter 😌 pic.twitter.com/Na5wE6ipuB
— katie (@cevansavenger) October 18, 2020
Chris Pratt. https://t.co/MMCp7DoWcb
— 🎃 Josh Scaryar 👻 (@JShahryar) October 19, 2020
Chris Pratt pic.twitter.com/SmLnCbKwTr
— Ryan (@thouartvandelay) October 19, 2020
chris pratt’s bio radiates homophobic white christian supremacist energy pic.twitter.com/grFs6nR62q
— nina the buddhist 🧘🏾♀️ (@vibesexualsimi) October 18, 2020
talking shit about someone on the internet isn't canceling them; chris pratt's not being fired from guardians of the galaxy 3 because he didn't go to a biden fundraiser. and defending two millionaires might not be the right time to lecture others about fighting for the poor pic.twitter.com/RWvGwinfNM
— Katie MacBride (@msmacb) October 19, 2020
let me offer you all chris pine while chris pratt is trending for being a douche pic.twitter.com/ggVckVtgF1
— vidia🕯 (@minxsmp) October 19, 2020
Chris Pratt. Sadly the Trump supporter stuff disqualifies him despite all the of delightful Andy Dwyer/Johnny Karate/Bert Macklin glory https://t.co/BCP3OcSPYq
— The Terror of Dublin🎃#WearAMask😷#BidenHarris2020 (@taradublinrocks) October 19, 2020
Pratt. His views are terrible and he supports anti-lgbtq activist churches. Easy.
— Kev Hamm (@kevhamm) October 17, 2020
Pratt is open about his Christian faith but has not been overtly political in his public statements. Pratt told Men’s Fitness in 2017, “I don’t feel represented by either side. I really feel there’s common ground out there that’s missed because we focus on the things that separate us.” He was also photographed wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the Gadsden flag, which was popular with many conservative groups.
The current attacks on Pratt for his conservative leanings are certainly not the first. Actress Ellen Page attacked Pratt in February 2019, tweeting that Pratt’s church was “infamously LBGTQ.” Pratt responded on Instagram, “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 go to a church that opens their doors to absolutely everyone.”
Pratt later pointed out after his divorce from his ex-wife Anna Faris, his church was not judgmental, writing:
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. 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 continued. “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.” He concluded, “Jesus said, ‘I give you a new command, love one another.’ 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 has proven to be willing to take other unpopular stances, including offering tolerance in an increasingly intolerant era. In July 2018, after “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn was fired by Disney after some of his old tweets joking about pedophilia came to light, Pratt wrote, “Although I don’t support James Gunn’s inappropriate jokes from years ago, he is a good man. I’d personally love to see him reinstated as director of Volume 3.”
Although I don’t support James Gunn’s inappropriate jokes from years ago, he is a good man. I’d personally love to see him reinstated as director of Volume 3. If you please, read the… https://t.co/FWBXkZilB7
— chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) July 30, 2018
Pratt referenced an open letter from the cast of the film; in the letter, the cast wrote:
There is little due process in the court of public opinion. James is likely not the last good person to be put on trial. Given the growing political divide on this country, it’s safe to say instances like this will continue. Although we hope Americans from across the political spectrum can ease up on the character assassinations and stop weaponizing mob mentality.
It is our hope that what has transpired can serve as an example for all of us to realize the enormous responsibility we have to ourselves and to each other regarding the use of our written words when we etch them in digital stone; that we as a society may learn from this experience and in the future will think twice before we decide what we want to express; and in so learning perhaps can harness this capability to help and heal instead of hurting each other.