Chris Pratt reveals the deal he made with God — and what he's doing for Lent



Big-time actor Chris Pratt, on the media circuit promoting his new Netflix film "The Electric State," recently spoke to the Christian Post about his faith, the evangelical nature of his platform, and the unnerving moment that prompted him to strike a lasting deal with God.

While Hollywood script-readers frequently churn the waters ahead of a big premier with superficial insights into their personal lives that they or their handlers reckon might turn out select demographics and fill theater seats, Pratt's simultaneous Lenten outreach and relatively consistent messaging over the years suggest that there might be something to his recent divulgences to the Post.

Pratt, one of the highest-grossing actors of all time, who was on at least one occasion rolled into Time magazine's top-100 list of influential people, told the Christian Post that his priority is Christ.

"I care enough about Jesus to take a stand, even if it cost me. It could cost me everything, but I don't care. It's worth it to me because this is what I'm called to do; it’s where my heart is," said Pratt, who told Men's Health magazine in 2022, "I'm not a religious person," and claimed that "religion has been oppressive as f**k for a long time."

"I'm a father of four. I want to raise my children with an understanding that their dad was unashamed of his faith in Jesus, and with a profound understanding of the power of prayer, and the grace and the love and the joy that can come from a relationship with Jesus," added the actor.

Pratt noted further that while similar expressions of faith aren't common in the entertainment industry, he has no intention of hiding his own, quoting Matthew 5:14-16: "A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."

While the actor has apparently suffered no break in his faith, Pratt indicated that he has repeatedly strayed from the straight and narrow.

'My heart softened, and my faith hardened.'

"I'd make promises, but I didn't keep them," said Pratt, a father of four who remarried in 2019. "I said, 'God, save me in this moment, and I'll give you my life.' And then He did, and I was unburdened from the weight of my shame, my guilt, and my sin. And then months later, maybe a year later, two years later, I'm off doing the same stuff that got me down the wrong path in the first place. The sinful, broken nature of humans was living in my heart."

After making and breaking his share of promises, Pratt apparently found one that he had to keep for the sake of his own flesh and blood.

Pratt revealed at the March of Dimes Celebration of Babies in 2014 that when his first wife, Anna Faris, gave birth to their son, Jack, in August 2012, the baby boy was nine weeks early, weighing just 3 pounds, 12 ounces, reported Variety.

Pratt and Faris were told that their boy might have special needs and possibly would require surgery to correct his eyes.

"He had all of these issues going on," Pratt told the Post. "I prayed hard to God. I was in a season of transition spiritually at that time and didn't quite fully understand. I made a deal with God again: 'I'm sorry, God, here I am again, asking for your grace again.'"

"He really saved my son," continued Pratt. "And that was the moment [my faith] was cemented. My heart softened, and my faith hardened. That was the moment that I was like, 'Moving forward, I'm going to give my platform to God.'"

Pratt indicated in the time since, he attempted to use his celebrity status and influence both to "affirm the people who are believers in Christ" and to "reach out to the people who have no idea who God is."

'If people don't understand me, I'm going to pray for them.'

This year, Pratt has teamed up with Mark Wahlberg, "The Chosen" actor Jonathan Roumie, Sister Miriam James Heidland, and Fr. Mike Schmitz on the Pray40 challenge, an initiative championed by the Catholic prayer and mediation platform Hallow to encourage people to pray every day during Lent, which began on March 5, Ash Wednesday.

Pratt, whose wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt, was baptized Catholic but met Pratt at the evangelical Zoe Church in Los Angeles, indicated that he came across the Hallow app's "Bible in a Year" podcast a few years back and "did the whole thing."

"It gave me a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the Bible," said Pratt. "It totally strengthened my walk with Jesus."

"I thought, if I partner with Hallow, maybe I can amplify what is ultimately a really beautiful thing. This 'Bible in a Year' podcast, the prayers, meditations, it's all soul food," added Pratt.

According to the Hallow site, Pratt will join Wahlberg in sessions focused on fasting. Cardinal Robert Sarah, the Catholic Church's prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, will apparently lead Saturday sessions that focus on meditation in silence, and Fr. Schmitz will lead Sunday homilies.

Last year, nearly 2 million joined the Pray40 challenge.

Pratt indicated that he is certain "there's going to be blowback" from his open profession of faith and promotion of prayer.

Actress Elliot Page attacked Pratt in 2019 for allegedly belonging to a church where homosexuality was not universally embraced as an acceptable preference. He was also mocked for his Christian faith and not attending a Biden event with other Marvel stars in 2020.

When faced with such criticism, Pratt indicated, "I am just going to rely on God. ... I was called by God to do it, and if people don't understand me, I'm going to pray for them, and then I'm going to go back and hang out with my kids and play tag."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Self-Government Requires Governing Ourselves

Brad Littlejohn’s smart and provocative book, 'Called to Freedom,' examines the tension between Christian teaching and the secular ideal of political freedom.

Decline of America's Christian population appears to have stopped



There has been a great deal of chatter and doomsaying in recent years about the apparent decline of Christianity in the United States. The Pew Research Center, for instance, suggested in 2022 that the number of Americans who are Christian could shrink significantly over the next few decades — from what was then less than 65% to as little as one-third of the population by 2070.

Pew Research revealed Wednesday that the faithful are holding the line and proving its previous scenario modeling wanting.

Citing the results of its 2023-2024 religious landscape survey of 36,908 American adults, Pew indicated that "after many years of steady decline, the share of Americans who identify as Christians shows signs of leveling off."

When Pew first ran its religious landscape study in 2007, 78% of respondents identified as Christians. Subsequent surveys found over the next 12 years that Christians as a percentage of the population had steadily declined to 71% in 2014, then down to 63% in 2019.

Between 2019 and 2024, however, survey results have shown the Christian share of the adult population begin to stabilize between 60% and 64%.

Pew's 2023-2024 survey found that 62% of American adults identified as Christians. Of the 62% total, 40% are Protestants, 19% are Catholics, and 3% belong to other denominations.

Just as the decline in Christian identification appears to have been arrested in recent years, so too has the increase in so-called "nones" — a religiously unaffiliated camp populated by agnostics, atheists, and nothings in particular.

The Public Religion Research Institute published the results of a survey of over 5,600 American adults last year, indicating:

Around one-quarter of Americans (26%) identify as religiously unaffiliated in 2023, a 5 percentage point increase from 21% in 2013. Nearly one in five Americans (18%) left a religious tradition to become religiously unaffiliated, over one-third of whom were previously Catholic (35%) and mainline/non-evangelical Protestant (35%).

Pew noted that the size of the "nones" cohort "has plateaued in recent years after a long period of sustained growth, accounting now for 29% of the population.

Ryan Burge, a political scientist at Eastern Illinois University, told the New York Times that the slowing or stoppage of the nones cohort's growth is a "big deal."

Pew suggested that while the decline in America's Christian population and the growth of its faithless population are presently paused, these trends might resume down the road partly as the result of young adults' disproportionate irreligiosity compared to older adults — whereas 75% of Americans born in the 1950s identified as Christian, 46% of those born between 2000 and 2006 identified as Christian — as well as the allegedly greater relative "stickiness" of nonreligious upbringings compared to religious upbringings.

'Always expect the unexpected.'

Pew's suggestion that the stabilization of America's Christian population might be short-lived does not, however, appear to factor in other relevant trends underway.

The Barna Group, a Christian polling firm based out of California, indicated that 52% of U.S. teens are very motivated to continue learning about Jesus Christ. Another 25% indicated they were somewhat motivated to do so.

There is, of course, no guarantee that an openness to learning about Christ will necessarily translate into religious affiliation. Nevertheless, researchers indicated that the results signal a "significant opportunity for meaningful engagement."

Pew's religious landscape study also hints at opportunities awaiting American proselytizers: 86% of respondents indicated they believed in a human soul or spirit; 83% signaled belief in God or a universal spirit; 79% said there is "something spiritual beyond the natural world"; and 70% said they believed in heaven, hell, or both.

Christian religiosity has undergone many a boom and bust in the U.S. It's unclear which way the nation is headed next, in this regard, and it may be imprudent to pretend to know, especially with unseen forces at work.

Conservative author Ross Douthat noted in a 2023 op-ed for the New York Times, "When it comes to the religious future, you should follow the social trends, but also always expect the unexpected — recognizing that every organized faith could disappear tomorrow and some spiritual encounter would resurrect religion soon enough."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

‘Homestead’ Is Proof Christian Films Are Getting Better — But There’s Room For Improvement

With 'Homestead,' Angel Studios has set out to embrace a kind of dark storytelling but with a Christian edge.

Vatican Thinks ‘Charity’ Means Championing Democrat Causes And Taking Money To Flout Immigration Laws

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in accord with Pope Francis, opposes Trump’s resolve to curtail illegal migration.

Seeking lasting Valentine’s romance? Try praying together



This Valentine’s Day, here’s something to consider about romance: Cupid’s arrow lasts far longer if it’s coated in faith and daily prayer.

While this might sound less thrilling or passionate than moonlit smooches or intimate fireplace cottage getaways, Harvard School of Public Health found a 50% reduction in divorce for those couples regularly attending religious services.

Given the hostile takeover of our counseling industry by secular 'experts,' it’s worth asking: Does botched, secular marriage counseling drive couples apart?

The American Journal of Family Therapy reported couples’ prayer reduces martial conflict, and several other studies confirm prayer bonds couples tightly.

This makes intuitive sense. Prayer is an emotionally intimate act. It’s pouring out the vulnerabilities of our souls, expressing our deepest gratitude and needs. While there are no Christian theological grounds for belief in one true soulmate, there’s strong evidence that engaging in prayer with a spouse who deeply cares for your soul can be a true soulmate.

Valentine’s Day has been hijacked into a nearly $28 billion affair, with superficial consumerism trumping deeper connection. Too often, we spend more time wining and dining — nothing wrong with those of course, within reason — than cultivating the substantive soul ties that last beyond chocolate boxes, champagne toasts, and rose petals.

It is a social travesty that every marriage counseling session does not recommend daily prayer. It could save shattering heartache, broken families, and childhood suffering, not to mention costly legal bills (estimated to average $30,000 for lawyering up in a divorce, per the Marriage Foundation).

The societal cost of broken families is enormous, especially when parents become single, further straining our bloated $1.6 trillion welfare social safety net. Single parenthood is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, factors linked to welfare use.

But sadly, our counseling industry is devoid of spiritual understanding and has been taken over by secularists who deny God’s healing power. For example, Sociology of Religion reported that psychologists are the least religious of professors, with 61% reporting themselves atheist (50%) or agnostic (11%). This is nearly the exact opposite of what people actually believe. Gallup found that 81% of Americans believe in God. Thus, we’re being fed “solutions” to deep, soul-filled problems by people who quite often don’t even believe in souls.

This negatively impacts marriages. American divorces skyrocketed as our country secularized.

Scholars Brad Wilcox from the University of Virginia, Amy Burdette from Florida State, and Christopher Ellison from University of Texas-San Antonio also note in the Journal of Marriage and Family that couples who attend church together “are significantly less likely than others to use drugs, to have conflicts over sexual infidelity, or to experience domestic violence.” They also have better parent-child relationships.

Psychiatric Times published a literature review of hundreds of studies, which found significantly less depression and substance abuse among religious people. Both women and men attending weekly religious services are significantly less likely to die “deaths of despair” — suicide, drug overdose, or alcohol poisoning — according to research from Harvard University's School of Public Health led by professor Tyler VanderWeele, a devout Catholic whom the left tried to cancel for sharing his views on traditional marriage.

Staying married significantly shields our mental health. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, along with numerous other places, notes that men and women who are divorced are significantly more likely to die by suicide than married people. The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Healthreported that divorced and separated men were nearly 2.4 times more likely to kill themselves than their married counterparts.

The Good Book had it right: “What God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:6 is Jesus commanding Christians in a passage about marriage. Given the hostile takeover of our counseling industry by secular “experts” who are clueless about integrating God into their treatments, it’s worth asking: Does botched, secular marriage counseling drive couples apart?

Couples who pray together stay together. This Valentine’s Day, take that candlelight dinner; buy those earrings or tech gadget for your spouse. But in the name of saving romance, marriages, and lives, it’s time to return God to the center of our romantic relationships. He’s far wiser and more loving than anything we can contrive.

Jesus Christ was ‘in the middle’: The WORST biblical interpretation of all time



Bad biblical takes are common — especially on social media platform X — but Allie Beth Stuckey of “Relatable” believes one recent interpretation of the word of God may take the cake for the worst of them.

The interpretation comes from American evangelical pastor and author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” Rick Warren, who seems to be under the impression that Jesus Christ was a fence-sitter.

“John 19:18, ‘They crucified Jesus with two others — one on each side and Jesus in the middle.’ The guys on both sides were thieves. If you’re looking for the #realJesus, not a caricature disfigured by partisan motivations, you’ll find him in the middle, not on either side,” Warren wrote in a post on X.

“Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, it took me a good second to understand what brother Warren is saying here,” Stuckey says. “Certainly, a pastor, who has been a pastor for so many years, is not saying because Jesus was physically in the center of Golgotha, that he had two people being crucified to his side, that he is also the center of Republican and Democrats.”


“He’s not saying that he’s politically moderate because the cross was in the middle of the three crosses when he was crucified,” she continues, adding, “but it does seem like that is what he is saying.”

Stuckey responded to Warren on X through a quote tweet, writing, “This is possibly the worst biblical interpretation I’ve ever seen, and that’s really saying something. Jesus is not ‘in the middle’ on the murder of children, gender deception, the definition of marriage, or anything else, for that matter. In fact, I seem to remember Him having a particular disdain for the lukewarm.”

“It’s very clear on what God thinks about the sanctity of life, the value of image bearers, the definition of marriage, the definition of gender. It’s not confusing, it’s only confusing if you want it to be for your political purposes,” she adds.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Rick Warren’s Bell-Curve View Of Jesus Is Bad Politics And Worse Theology

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-12-at-2.40.49 PM-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-12-at-2.40.49%5Cu202fPM-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]If our positions are properly calibrated to the truth, moderating them is not an act of virtue but one of cowardice.

Former megachurch pastor blasted for suggesting Jesus was 'in the middle' politically: 'Egregious mishandling of Scripture'



A former megachurch pastor attempted to conflate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ with being a centrist politically in 2025. However, the controversial analogy was widely panned on the internet by some declaring that there is "no middle ground between evil and righteousness."

Rick Warren — a self-described "global influencer" — is the former pastor of Saddleback Church.

'This is possibly the worst Biblical interpretation I’ve ever seen.'

On Tuesday, Warren shared a post on the X social media platform to his 2.2 million followers. The post featured an image of Jesus on the cross between the impenitent thief and the penitent thief.

In the social media post, Warren first cited a paraphrase of John 19:18: "They crucified Jesus with two others — one on each side and Jesus in the middle."

Then Warren wrote: "The guys on both sides were thieves. If you’re looking for the real Jesus, not a caricature disfigured by partisan motivations, you’ll find him in the middle, not on either side."

The idea that Jesus Christ was "in the middle" immediately stirred intense backlash online from faith leaders and conservatives. Warren was lampooned for his "egregious mishandling of Scripture."

BlazeTV's "Relatable" podcast host Allie Beth Stuckey: "This is possibly the worst Biblical interpretation I’ve ever seen, and that’s really saying something. Jesus is not 'in the middle' on the murder of children, gender deception, the definition of marriage, or anything else, for that matter. In fact, I seem to remember Him having a particular disdain for the lukewarm."

Pastor Ryan Visconti: "How would one be 'in the middle' on abortion, mutilating kid’s genitals, homosexuality, open borders, DEI, CRT, etc? There’s no middle ground between evil and righteousness. You’re wrong, Pastor Rick. Your approach made sense in 1990, but not today."

Conservative lawyer Jenna Ellis: "This is an example of proof texting scripture so badly that you should be embarrassed to call yourself a pastor. Jesus is not a moderate or 'in the middle' when it comes to truth. To characterize him as such simply because of the placement of his cross is perverting a historical fact into a symbolic meaning to serve your own ideological agenda."

Christian singer Sean Feucht: "I refuse to be found 'in the middle' or even worse — disengaged — on the gleeful slaughter of the unborn, the mutilation of kids or trafficking of 300k children across the open border. While this theological approach to politics may have worked in the 90's, it fails to account for how openly demonic the Left is today."

Pastor Kyle McMullen: "Honestly, I think this is one of the worst hijackings of Scripture I have ever encountered. To turn a verse describing the crucifixion of the Son of God into a virtue signal toward the modern Left, which is EXACTLY what this nonsense about the 'middle' is, is egregious mishandling of Scripture. And it’s not as if you can claim ignorance, either. You have had one of the largest platforms in the history of the Church, you have written best-selling books, you have had the ear of presidents and global leaders. You know better. People need to be warned to stop listening to you."

Conservative policy leader Jim Pfaff: "You are clearly unaware of both the logical fallacy of this post and thus the great error in this statement. Nowhere is such an analogy ever promoted anywhere else in God's Word. There's a reason for that. This is a false and erroneous (and therefore evil) analogy."

Evangelist Justin Peters: "This is, sadly, typical of Rick Warren's approach to scripture. This would have been laughed out of biblical hermeneutics on day 1. Basic hermeneutics dictates that you strive for authorial intent, and this is definitively NOT the point the author was making. This is not only embarrassing, it is inexcusable."

Author Kira Davis: "I hold my tongue publicly on Rick a lot for reasons but this made me sad. I never thought I’d see the day when Rick Warren looked at the Gospel and took away from it some vague, lukewarm message about political beliefs. Jesus is not 'the middle' Rick. What are you even doing?"

Conservative commentator David Limbaugh: "Meaningless mush, with all due respect."

Babylon Bee editor Joel Berry: "If you’re going to misuse the story this bad, you should also point out that the thief on the Right is the one that went to heaven lol."

Conservative activist Robby Starbuck: "You’re a pastor essentially saying that Jesus was lukewarm. Insane. He was no such thing."

The Federalist co-founder Sean Davis: "Friends, if you have a pastor peddling this kind of nonsense, you need to leave and find a church that preaches the actual Gospel."

Conservative radio host Eric Metaxas: "This is misleading posturing. What does it even mean? Shall we be 'in the middle' when it comes to standing against killing babies or mutilating kids or corruption in our own govt? There is a time to be bold as lions against evil! That's not 'partisan'. It's the Lord's will."

Author Megan Basham: "It’s so bad my jaw is on the floor."

Conservative commentator Jesse Kelly: "Absolutely right. Jesus was neither hot nor cold. He was lukewarm. Pretty sure it’s in the Bible."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Wheaton’s Cowardice In The Face Of Russ Vought Attacks Is Emblematic Of Its Leftward Lurch

It should not be controversial for Wheaton College to request prayer for alum Russ Vought as he takes a position in the Trump administration.