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Guardians of the Galaxy actor Chris Pratt has hit back at Ellen Page after the actress called him out for attending an alleged "infamous anti-LGBTQ" church.

The Juno star criticised Pratt on February 8 after his appearance on The Stephen Colbert Show, questioning why he didn't address Hillsong's 'infamous' views.

She later elaborated on her frustration, writing on Twitter;

“If you are a famous actor and you belong to an organisation that hates a certain group of people, don’t be surprised if someone simply wonders why it’s not addressed. Being anti LGBTQ is wrong, there aren’t two sides. The damage it causes is severe. Full stop."

She continued her emotional statement;

“If LGBTQ+ people are expressing their pain, their trauma, their experiences… maybe just try and listen? Open your heart, stop being defensive and have compassion. It’s a beautiful and life changing feeling, empathy.”

The 31-year-old is married to Emma Portner since last January, and made an impassioned speech on The Stephen Colbert Show accusing Donald Trump and Mike Pence of continued dangerous discrimination against the LGBT+ community.

“I am fired up tonight, it feels impossible not to feel this way right now, with the president and Vice President Mike Pence, who wishes I couldn’t be married. Let’s just be clear. The Vice President of America wishes I didn’t have the love with my wife.”

Now Chris Pratt has responded to her claims about Hillsong, a celebrity-infused church in Los Angeles which has faced controversy over it's views.

Pastor Carl Lentz, who leads its New York branch, in 2015 said that he believes homosexuality is a sin and that a gay member of the church could never hold a leadership position. He claims that the church opens its doors, but doesn't encourage the 'gay lifestyle'.

Pratt took to Instagram writing: “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."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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He continued; “I go to a church that opens their doors to absolutely everyone.” He elaborated on how the Hillsong community helped him through his divorce with actor Anna Faris.

“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,” Pratt said.

“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.”

We'll have to wait and see if Ellen Page answers his statement. 

Feature image: USA Today's FTW

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Apparently celibacy was the secret to Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber's love life.

The American couple have given their first interview together on their relationship to Vogue, opening up about how they each saved themselves during their 12-week-courtship until they tied the knot last year.

Bieber got candid about his "legitimate problem with sex", and how his religious and spiritual beliefs led him to abstain in order to dedicate himself to God.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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“I think sex can cause a lot of pain. Sometimes people have sex because they don’t feel good enough. Because they lack self-worth. Women do that, and guys do that," he said.

He elaborated on his feeling that God brought Hailey to him as a result of this dedication;

“I wanted to rededicate myself to God in that way because I really felt it was better for the condition of my soul. And I believe that God blessed me with Hailey as a result. There are perks. You get rewarded for good behaviour.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The couple met on the Today Show back in 2009 but only developed their friendship after meeting again at a Hillsong church service in Manhattan a few years later. Hillsong is a renowned church based in America which numerous celebrities follow.

Baldwin confessed that she had never been a “crazed” Belieber, but said:

“One day Justin walked into Hillsong and was like, ‘Hey, you got older.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, what’s up?’ Over time he became my best guy friend. I was running around with him as his homie, but we weren’t hanging out romantically.”

Baldwin said the pair went through a “very dramatic excommunication” after Bieber's personal life took a downward spiral, which led him to ignore her and shut Hailey out of his life.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The young model said church has always been “the common denominator” in their relationship, allowing them to "hug it out" a few months later;

“When I saw her last June, I just forgot how much I loved her and how much I missed her and how much of a positive impact she made on my life,” he said. “I was like, Holy cow, this is what I’ve been looking for.”

Baldwin's uncle, Alec Baldwin, let the cat out of the bag that the famous couple had wed in September 2018 after telling Access: “They just went off and got married and I don't know what the deal is.

Feature image; StyleCaster

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Not many of our peers can say that we have read the full Irish Constitution, and yet it’s the most important political document in a country’s legislature.

Following the removal of the article regarding blasphemy, and of course the 8th Amendment, it’s time to turn back to the Irish Constitution, and examine what is left to be done to bring this document straight into the 21st century.

To start, the sexism, elitism and reductionist standards are alien to modern life, and the Irish people deserve a legal document which accurately represents all of its citizens.

In case we have forgotten from secondary school political history classes, Bunreacht na hÉireann was drafted way back in 1937, by the hugely conservative Éamon de Valera, who perfectly represented the conservative Catholic Church-state environment of the era.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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By writing a new Constitution, de Valera embarked upon a very risky political strategy considering Irish political life at the time was hugely volatile. It replaced the Irish Free State Constitution of 1922, and therefore erased Article 3 which guaranteed “discrimination without distinction of sex.

He revitalised his dream of Catholic women serving good, Catholic men in the home. Religious leaders also had a far-too-big input into the Constitution, including men who are now recognised as protecting child abusers.

Now, of course the entire religious community of Ireland weren't involved in abuse scandals, but it's important to note that a large group of them were, and were protected for years to the detriment of abuse survivors.

The Constitution has caused many a controversy, among them is the X case, where a young woman who was raped was denied the right to travel to the UK for an abortion. This was changed officially in 1992, as the 14th Amendment.

The right to divorce was only ratified in the mid-1990s, and even then partners had to be officially separated for four years. An annulment was next to impossible to get, even for those who were stuck in situations of abuse.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The protection for the life of the unborn still causes turbulence, seeing as it dramatically impedes female healthcare even outside of reproduction.

The legislation repealing the 8th has yet to come into practice, and is showing no sign of entering the healthcare system anytime soon despite it's valuable victory which took in 66 per cent of votes.

The right for members of the LGBQ+ community to marry was only passed in 2015. You cannot run for President until you turn 35, which would have ruled out some of Ireland’s major political candidates in the 1930s.

As recently as 2015, a shocking 73.1 per cent of the population voted against reducing the age to 21. Irish law appears to believe that age brings wisdom, rather than actual experience.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Many members of Irish society struggle with the union of the Catholic religion with the Constitution. It’s completely saturated with it. The opening lines to this day read:

“In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred, We, the people of Éire, Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ.”

The oath sworn by the President of Ireland is “under almighty God.”

Article 44 on religion enshrines freedom of worship, but also notes that “The State acknowledges that the homage of public worship is due to Almighty God. It shall hold His Name in reverence, and shall respect and honour religion.”

So there’s not much room for expansion there, to say the least.

I mean, seriously? Four million inhabitants on the island, and the Constitution fails to separate Church and State, fails to acknowledge that there is another religion besides Catholicism, and other nuanced beliefs and practices.

Ireland is a diverse place, an Emerald Isle of nationalities and cultures, yet this piece of paper essentially only benefits elite, Catholic men in upper class positions. Like Éamon De Valera. Who had ZERO LAW EXPERIENCE.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Éamon De Valera cast a shadow over Irish women when he drafted it by ignoring pleas from Irish women’s councils to aid in writing the charter.

One of the most intensely problematic, not to mention out-dated articles is 41.2 the infamous ‘women’s place in the home’ section of the Constitution. By now there are zero doubts as to the sexism surrounding the enshrined words.

It reads as follows:

In particular, the State recognises that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved.

The State shall, therefore, endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home.”

This essentially claims that women are needed to carry out their housework duties and care for children so that the real work (by men) can be carried out elsewhere, i.e. running the damn country. The duties of the home are elevated far above labour outside of domesticity.

Image: Oireachtas

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan says that the issue of Article 41.2 is primarily one of gender equality, and it’s next to impossible to disagree with him. The article limits the role of women entirely, and completely rejects the notion of men as carers and fathers, which is also unfair.

Men must take responsibility as carers of those who are vulnerable in society, not simply children. The elderly, disabled people, sick relatives and friends are all part of this category, which places most of the burden on women alone for their seemingly ‘nurturing qualities’.

The contention surrounding the article is whether or not to replace it with an alternative, or just delete it altogether. We’re thinking… DELETE.

The emotional and difficult referendum on the 8th amendment has had a clear impact on Irish society, especially on Irish women, who have recognised the inequality which still plagues our country, such as sexual assault and violence, discrimination and unequal pay.

The Constitution Bill (38th Amendment) must make its way through both houses of the Oireachtas before the Irish people can have their say on Article 41.2 via a referendum.

Independent TD Clare Daly said in response to Charlie Flanagan that she “feels like laughing, to think that you see yourself as a champion of gender equality given some of the decisions of your government.”

Image: Oireachtas

Another Independent representative Mick Wallace added his own negative comments to the pile:

“I find it interesting that you speak of gender equality in the workplace when the greatest barrier to that equality is the cost of childcare and your government has done bugger all about it.”

Ireland has the second highest-price of childcare in the OECD, meaning that it is still mostly women who struggle to return to work following pregnancy as the costs of childcare make the situation impossible.

Orla O’Connor, acting Director of the National Women’s Council of Ireland, later added that Article 41.2 “has not supported the home and family, and in our opinion has diminished the position of women” in Irish society.

Dr Laura Cahillane of the University of Limerick’s school of law described the Article as “an embarrassment”, as well as “effectively useless in law”.

A Constitution is meant to embody the moral and legal aspirations of an entire country and it’s individual citizens, we shouldn’t forget this. Women have the most to gain from changes to the Constitution.

All of the civic service committee members which Éamon de Valera employed in order to help him draft the document were men.

Archbishop of Dublin John Charles McQuaid as well as the head of the Supreme Court were two major influences, both male. Only three women were TDs during this time, and none of them said a word during the Dáil debate on the matter.

Essentially, we aren’t part of this document, and this document isn’t part of us. We make up half of this population, and yet not a single word of the parchment portrays the female experience.

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“I really love that I grew up in such a nature based way. My mother has such a great imagination, we would go for a walk in the woods and she’d be like ‘let’s go look for fairies.’”

Julia Harley Francisco-Simoes, a stop motion animator from Boston, has some rather unique artistic influences.

“I like my art to be weird-fantasy. I’m definitely influenced by Wicca.”

As well as being a full-time art and design student, she is also a practising witch. No, I don't mean the Harry Potter kind. She's a Wiccan, a modern form of spirituality rooted in pagan beliefs. 

Julia, who was born in Portugal and moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts, grew up surrounded by magic with a Wiccan mother. 

 

XD rawr

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“It was quite cool and secretive; she would go with her girlfriends to take part in rituals. She would always be burning sage around the house," Julia recalled. 

“We would go to celebrations like May Day, and dance around the Maypole. I was never made read the Bible or anything like that. We always had spell books around the house.  I suppose that’s something that I’ve carried forward with myself into my own life.”

Founded in the 1940’s the practise of Wicca centres around traditional Pagan beliefs and the worship of a variety of deities. The Wiccan Rede constitutes as a guide for practising Wiccans, with the mantra “harm none and do what will.”

“Many of the books I’d go to about Wicca are by authors with  names like Wolfstein, Silver Wolf, or other funny and gothic names. It’s sometimes like living in a Twilight novel,” she laughs.

Most Wiccans believe in the Horned god and the Moon Goddess, who can encompass hundreds of deities across a range of cultural backgrounds, from Greek and Roman, to Hindu and Egyptian, to African and Celtic.

“Which tradition you follow largely depends on where you’re from,” Julia explains. “Since we’re from Portugal I would follow the European traditions. Like warding off the evil eye.”

Many Wiccans pick a deity to follow in their everyday life, however this is not always the case.

“I don’t follow any particular deity, but when you do you try to emulate their values and what they stand for in your own life.”

When one says that they are practising witch, it can be all too easy to picture broomsticks and cauldrons. However this is not the only misconceptions Wiccan’s like Julia face.

“Most people associate Wicca with Satanism, when really they’re completely different.  It’s because of the pentangle. The inverted pentangle is a symbol of Satanism but in Wicca the regular pentangle represents the five elements- air, earth, fire, water, and ether [spirit].”

 

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Spells are less “bubble, double, toil and trouble” and more along the lines of positive thinking and picturing, or manifesting, things you want to happen.

“Spells are a form of self-divination. You picture something you really want in your head and drive all your motivation into that. It’s trying to manipulate your auras and the universe to help your purpose.”

“Each time it’s worked I’ve been a bit shook, to be honest. There are spells for ill-will and blessing spells. Most of them do come back. That’s why I only do positive ones.”

“I must sound crazy,” she laughs again. “Some of them are really bizarre. Like there was one love potion that asked you to lick a spoon and sleep with it under your pillow.”

Many Wiccans employ the help of herbs or crystals, Julia herself recommends placing clear quartz stone on the forehead to help with migraines. 

Fancy a little bit of magic in your life? Julia has shared two of her favourite potions that can be made at home, black cat not needed. 

"Love Tea: Drink this tea from a pink cup before a date, or if you are just casting a love spell- You can also use this to soothe a broken heart.

Steep 2 tsp of the blend in 8Fl. oz. (250 ml) of hot water for 5 minutes. Use 2 tbsp crushed rose petals, 2 tbsp dried lavender buds, seeds of Vanilla pod or 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract.

"Relaxation Oil: Can be burnt in an aromatherapy lamp, or applied to the forehead or in a bath:  

"1 fl oz. (30 ml) almond or jojoba oil, 3 drops of lemon balm, 3 drops of lavender oil, 3 drops of passionflower oil and one drop of rose or rosewood oil." 

However, Julia won't be making any big batches of spells any time soon. She's far too busy working on fantastic album covers, sculpture, commissioned illustrations and music video- which you can check out here.  

Fancy trying out a bit of witchery for yourself? Julia recommends stocking up on reading material such as The Witch's Journal

While you may never have gotten that Hogwarts letter, that doesn't mean that you can't embrace a bit of magic.  

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Students at hundreds of secondary schools across the country will no longer have to sit through religion classes if they choose not to, according to the Irish Examiner.

Education Minister Richard Bruton's directive will effectively make religion an optional subject in more than 300 multi-denominational second-level schools, including more than 80 community schools where the local education and training board are co-trustees with a religious patron, according to the report. 

“The new arrangements will ensure that children who do not want to participate in religious instruction will no longer be sitting at the back of the class or confined to the library,” Mr Bruton said of the move.

In a letter issuing to schools today, the Department of Education said the past practice of arranging religious instruction based on an assumption that majority of students are Catholic is no longer appropriate.

“In a changing context, the constitutional right not to attend religious instruction must be given effect through changed practices,” the letter said.

The key change is that those who do not want to participate in religion classes must be offered an alternative subject to study, rather than simply supervised study or other activities as is the current norm.

Parents must be made aware that such an opt-out from religious instruction is available, and the Education Minister stressed that the move wasn't about adding new subjects to the current timetable. 

“It is about ascertaining the wishes of parents and reflecting those wishes in the normal arrangements involving the timetabling of choices expressed,” said a spokesperson.

Parents will also be asked if they wish their children to attend, or take part in, religious worship or other services. Parents are to be advised about the nature, frequency, timing, and duration of the services to facilitate such decisions, according to the Irish Examiner.

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Everyone is entitled to freely practice their religion, or lack thereof, but there often comes the question as to who is right.

While this may be a question which never cohesively gets agreed upon, studies on the differences between atheists and religious folk have been conducted to answer other questions, and there is one answer which stands out among 63 studies.

According to multiple experiments, atheists are more intelligent than religious people.

A meta-analysis, which is a statistical study that looks at the results of multiple other studies and analyses them to get a conclusive result, was done using the results of different 63 studies.

This analysis showed that people who have a devotion to religion have a lower association to intelligence. 

The meta-analysis defined intelligence as 'the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and learn from experience.'

Miron Zuckerman, Jordan Silberman and Judith A. Hall conducted the study, which proved that the association between the two concepts was strongest among university students and weakest in kids and teens.

The study speculates that the reason for the association with intelligence and religion in university is because atheism might be considered to be a form of nonconformity in societies where the majority is religious, with more intelligent people being drawn to free thinking. 

There was also a stronger association for religious beliefs than religious behaviour, so people who follow and appreciate religious teachings but don't practice were seen by the meta-analysis to be more intelligent. 

Ageing was another interesting aspect of the study, as with age comes a boding sense of ones own mortality, which can lead to a deepening of religious beliefs. 

The study showed that in the highest intelligence bracket, those in the age group of 75+ still did not show a significant increase in religiosity. 

The results of the study have caused a heated debate on Twitter, with those who hold deep religious beliefs finding the conclusion to be insulting. 

'Nobody becomes smarter by becoming atheists. A brain does not grow just for abandoning religion,' said one. 

However, others feel that the results of the study are accurate. 

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She’s celebrated as one of the world’s most beautiful people – not to mention the only woman, it is rumoured, who ever truly captured Leonardo Dicaprio’s heart.

Now happily married to the almost equally-as-gorgeous-as-she-is athlete Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen recently retired from the catwalk to focus on other endeavours.

Still, it seems that she still feels the pressure to look her very best at all times… she’s been spotted sneaking into a Paris plastic surgeon, supposedly for €10,000 worth of procedures on her breasts and eyes.

In a bid to go unnoticed, she wore a full Muslim burqa – but, significantly, failed to remove her open-toed sandals, something of a no-no for strict adherents of the Islam faith.

The Brazilian’s long-time chauffeur was also spotted dropping her off and collecting her from the swish International Clinique du Parc Monceau. AND she was accompanied by her 29-year-old sister, Rafaela – who also reportedly had surgical procedures carried out.

The duo were staying at the five-star Bristol Hotel.

A source told Page Six, which broke the story, that the former Victoria’s Secret Angel had been concerned that her breasts had sagged after having two children – and that a boob job and eye-lift were 35th-birthday and post-retirement presents to herself.

Page Six also says that the surgery was carried on July 15, with the two women afterwards recuperating at the exclusive Les Sources de Caudalie spa for five days, before then leaving Paris.

The catwalk queen made €43m last year alone, according to Forbes, and remains the world’s highest-paid model.

The move has caused controversy in France, however, not least because the country banned the wearing of burqas in public places back in 2010. 

Many strict Muslims see it as an important guarantor of modesty — and its abuse during Ramadan, which only concluded on July 17, may be offensive.

Indeed, a clerk at the Islam Fashion store in New York called the stunt “disrespectful," in conversation with Page Six.

"This is a religious garment. It’s not so you can hide when you’re going for a doctor’s appointment," they explained.

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Sunday mornings were tough when the duvet was ripped from your bed at some ungodly hour and you were marched out the door to mass which, although only 40mins, felt like an eternity. 

1. Chaos in the house trying to get there on time. Your Mum and Dad killing each other..

 2. Not being able to find your ‘good’ shoes

 3. Your Mum telling you to sit up straight

Hearing the two most dreaded words on Christmas Eve: MIDNIGHT MASS.

4. Feeling morally wrong if you were the only one sitting down

kids-in-church

5. Daydreaming while looking at coloured church windows

Daydreaming while looking at colored church windows.

6. Fidgeting with anything you could find

 7. Wanting to rob the collection basket

 8. Speaking gibberish when you didn’t know the words to any of the prayers

10. The fear that the priest could read your mind

10. The indecisiveness of grabbing the wafer or sticking your tongue out

Eucharist001

11. Thinking you wanted to be an alter girl

12. Always forgetting what you are supposed to say in the confession booth

23 Things People Who Grew Up Going To Catholic Church Will Understand

 13. The comfort of kneeling like this

The comfort of kneeling like this.

14. Shaking hands with strangers during the Sign of Peace was always a little awkward

 15. Breathing in the incense

 16. When the priest blessed the congregation with holy water, you felt extra special when the water actually touched you

 17. Falling asleep during the sermon

 18. Those glorious words: “May God bless you. The mass has ended. Go in peace.”
 

061811-CD-catholicmass2.jpg

HALLELUJAH!

And, finally:

19. Getting your pocket money and spending it all on sweets!

via our content partner CT

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