Brad Pitt: "I've Got Issues" With My Religious Upbringing
Credit: Mike Marsland/WireImage.com
By all appearances, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt and her five siblings live a charmed childhood -- but it wasn't exactly the same for their famous dad Brad Pitt.
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Speaking to reporters Monday at the Cannes Film Festival premiere of his flick Tree of Life, Pitt, 47, opened up about growing up in a religious family.
"I got brought up being told things were God's way, and when things didn't work out it was called God's plan," Pitt said, according to Extra. "I've got my issues with it. Don't get me started. I found it very stifling."
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These days, Pitt says he makes most of his film and life choices in honor of his children with Angelina Jolie.
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"I think of everything I do now that my kids are going to see when they grow up and how are they going to feel," he explained. "But they know me as a dad and I hope they'll just think of me as a pretty damn good actor."
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43Yes, more people need to reject religion based on stereotypes like Brad Pitt's and the rest of Hollyweird. God, or my primordial lower-life-form- connection, or whatever it isn't, only knows that what we need are more intolerant christophobes to spew their uneducated assumptions about what they suppose Chrisitianity to be. Amorality is the firstborn of such rediculous notions as those which suggest that we can have any absolutes absent of God. Who is my conscience? Not Brad if not God. Good and evil, then, are highly relativistic, and Hitler, Lenin, Stalin could all have been justified in their actions! Who's to say? Who dictates what is right and moral? You? Another? Me? Ah, yes, I swam out of the primordial stew by accident to live by accidentals, which alone dictate my survival and, thus, my right to do as I ought. What a happy, hedonistic premise! In this, then, our only standard is our actions, and those to choose as we see fit with no absolutes. Only fools (pardon the pun) believe such things.
Brad Pitt grew up in as much of a charmed life as his kids are now! He was one of the wealthier kids in a middleclass neighborhood. Just because he grew up in a family that went to Church every Sunday and projected there values on him which is what every parent does and should do with there kids does not make anything actually wrong. I think this is how most kids grow up and then as adult you decide for yourself what you choose to believe in or not. But even though he found part of it stifling don't you think the basics of christianity...do right by your fellow man, respect elders,don't cheat,steal or kill; basically the 10 commandments are good principles to teach to your kids!!!
Good for him. More people need to reject religion. It's the only way we will grow as a species.
I admire Mr. Pitt even more now. When this country and the world can get past superstitious Bronze Age beliefs and embrace science and technology fully, we will be on a more direct course to improve the lot of mankind. Religion and Christianity poison just about everything. Morality evolved with man as he progressed socially over thousands of years. It is hilarious to see Christians so sure that they follow the one true religion and believe that all others are false beliefs. You only believe the Christian fairy tale because you were born in America and were raised with the ethnocentric outlook of western culture. If you had been born in Saudi Arabia you would be a Muslim. If you were born in India you would be Hindu. If you were born in Utah odds are you would be a hellbound Mormom (Ha-ha). It is a mass delusion perpetrated for 2,000 years to consolidate wealth and power for a few. Congrats Brad for thinking for yourself and living your life in an authentic manner instead of being a mindless member of the sheeple like the rest of the posters here. I look forward to the day when Christianity and religion in general are tossed in the ashbin of history. Good riddance I say.
I find all these fear based comments absolutely disheartening. The fear drives people to be intolerant of others. Disrespectful of outside perspective. Dismissive of someones personal experiences. As an atheist and grown man he is well within his right to discuss how he feels about his upbringing. How this affects you is beyond me. I thought, maybe naively, that you Christians were supposed to be tolerant of others. Or is that only if they think and do as you say?
Brand is appallingly stupid.
Yeah, and Mel Gibson, was was raised with heaps of religion, did the same thing Brad did: had an affair with a younger, more attractive woman. And in Mel's case, there were kids involved. Religion has virtually no impact on morality or personal conduct.
Someday, Mr. Pitt, you, like everyone else, will have to answer for what we have done or said during our lives when the Lord asks us as we stand facing Him.
If you choose to be an atheist, that's your choice, but banging out at your parents is way below the belt. You have really hit rock bottom since your with Angelina. A lousy example for your kids. Grow up.
Mr. Pitt you have issues period. If you didn't you would have taken your wedding vows serious and still be married today. But like any other guy, you were more more important than anyone else. I feel sorry for you. You should immediately get down on your knees and pray for God's forgiveness for yourself. NO ONE ELSE. You are more screwed up than what you realize.
Brad gives terrible interviews, Sometimes he is half lit. Worse when he's not. What a total jerk he is. His parents are good people, spent much time with his kids when he wasn't there. Poor stifled Brad..puleeeze. Now anything goes..huh Brad?
what an ingrate he is to his parents --that gave him God's love and attention--we see his kids will be sol--less---and Hollywood brats in the near future!!!!
Stifling. How funny is that. When you were running around doing pot (you still do and booze it a lot also), modeling, and dating everything in skirts, including 16 year olds when you were in your twenties. Not so stifling. It's just your excuse for not raising your kids without any religion. That is your choice. I, myself, am not religious, but debunking those that are, and blaming your good hearted parents is a low blow. You really are quite the creep.
Well, Brad, having gone to school with you in Springfield, Missouri, I would just point out that apparently the religious faith of your parents was not so terribly stifling that you and your cool group of friends were unable to enjoy your pot regularly. Rest with total certainty that not each and everyone of your children will appreciate their upbringing. That's just reality.
When you were with Juliette Lewis, you looked into Scientology for two years, and people know your an atheist, as is Angelina. This is your choice, and this is fine, however, it is private, and it seems you can find something else to blab about. I too, saw a brief interview with you at Cannes. Mayer Boo is right. Your not all that Brad. Get your nose out of the air.
You have issues for sure Brad, but they have nothing to do with religion. The News said you were booed at the premier in Cannes, in objection to your new movie. You are so vain and conceited you think your above everyone. Your interview was nauseating. Your not all that.
@ Joanne Shelton..well said. I am tired of them also. Brad never had any morals, especially when he was sleeping with a 16 year old. Topped it off by getting Jolie pregnant when is was still legally married. He needs acting lessons besides. He and his skank belong together.
Excuses, excuses, Brad. Nice language, "religion" haters. Grow up.
I like Faye's assumption that morals are derived from religion. It tickles me seeing as I know a lot of religious people that are much less moral than I am, and I too am an atheist. Matthew 7:1 Faye. Nice to see you have little concept of what your holy book says. Get your head out of your ass.
Shouldn't he have been discussing this with his parents? He's an egomaniac with no religion and apparently no morals.