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February 13, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – It’s easy to see why conservatives have a soft spot for Chris Pratt. In addition to being insanely likeable in blockbuster after blockbuster, he regularly affirms love of God and country, routinely triggers the Left just by seeming to have more in common with the heartland than with the west coast, and has no more patience for political correctness than we do.

But anyone expecting him to go all the way as a Hollywood champion of traditional values got a rude awakening this week, with his revealing answer to actress Ellen Page. The pretentious leftist attacked him for attending an “infamously anti-LGBTQ” church that “hates a certain group of people.”

For the record, Page didn’t even know what she was talking about – while Pratt’s Zoe Church has ties to Hillsong Church, which has publicly reaffirmed that it still follows the Bible on homosexuality, Zoe itself has never commented on the subject and its lead Pastor Chad Veach says he actively avoids subjects that smack of a “political agenda” or could “get ourselves in trouble.”

After LifeSite’s previous report on the matter, Pratt released a statement addressing Page’s claims. “Nothing could be further from the truth” than calling his church hateful or anti-LGBT, he said. “I go to a church that opens their doors to absolutely everyone. 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.”

So far, so good. Pratt’s sentiments are compatible with Hillsong leader Brian Houston’s 2015 explanation that a church can hold firm in recognizing a sin while at the same time caring for those who have committed it. Alas, on the most important point – pushing back against the bigoted smear that biblical teachings on sexuality constitute “hate” – Pratt fails.

“My faith is important to me but no church defines me or my life, and I am not a spokesman for any church or any group of people. My values define who I am,” he continued. “We need less hate in the 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.”

While this isn’t quite an explicit endorsement of homosexuality, it definitely implies it. Worse is the tacit concession that the “hate” Page was talking about is a serious issue in a culture where the LGBT lobby is so dominant that homosexuality is celebrated in public schools, Christians and Jews often live in fear of punishment for “microaggressions,” America’s “conservative” political party calls the redefinition of marriage “settled,” and in numerous states homosexuals themselves aren’t even free to seek help in ridding themselves of an attraction that tears at their consciences.

Imagine if a man of Pratt’s cultural standing had taken a stand against the stigmatization of Christianity’s less trendy principles. The prevailing notion that it’s intrinsically hateful to disapprove of anyone’s lifestyle or personal decisions shuts down thought, kills hope of productive discussion, and ultimately fuels more actual hate than a hundred Westboro Baptist Churches ever could. Pratt boldly saying so would have gotten people to take notice.

Granted, Hollywood’s leftism is so pervasive and exhausting that there’s also something to be said for celebrities who stay out of the fray entirely and focus on entertainment. If Pratt had simply disputed the accuracy of Page’s attack, this probably would have just been an addendum to LifeSite’s previous report. But with a statement that appears crafted to please everybody, he missed a golden opportunity to do some real good.

Pratt concluded by declaring Jesus Christ a “God of Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness. Hate has no place in my or this world.” Nobody can argue with that, but some of us would have liked to see a reminder that hate masquerading as love has no place either.