Actor suggests Texas prayers are worthless while attacking Paul Ryan on Twitter after shooting

Actor Wil Wheaton faced a tremendous amount of backlash Sunday after he shared an angry tweet suggesting that prayers for Texas are worthless.

Wheaton shared the inflammatory tweet just hours after the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, which took the lives of more than two dozen people and injured approximately 20 more.

What was Wheaton responding to?

Within hours of the shooting, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) shared a tweet about the massacre, which read, "Reports out of Texas are devastating. The people of Sutherland Springs need our prayers right now."

Reports out of Texas are devastating. The people of Sutherland Springs need our prayers right now.

— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) November 5, 2017

Wheaton, in response, wrote, "The murdered victims were in a church. If prayers did anything, they'd still be alive, you worthless sack of s**t."

What was the response?

Wheaton's tweet received more than 5,000 comments, many of them shocked that the actor would diminish positive sentiments like prayers in the wake of such a tragedy.

One user wrote, "That’s not how prayers work @wilw. I suggest you check that attitude. We’re all frustrated. Religious intolerance won’t solve this."

That’s not how prayers work @wilw. I suggest you check that attitude. We’re all frustrated. Religious intolerance won’t solve this.

— Joshua (@Bluewitness) November 5, 2017

Another, in response to a user opposed to Wheaton's comments, added, "I agree. Faith without works is dead. But prayer is powerful. And yes Jesus dislikes hypocrisy. But insulting believers is not okay."

I agree. Faith without works is dead. But prayer is powerful. And yes Jesus dislikes hypocrisy. But insulting believers is not okay.

— elia (@eliamitzell) November 5, 2017

Another user added, "One thing to attack a politician, it’s another to attack the innocent dead and all religion. Looks like you’re the worthless sack of s**t."

Did Wheaton apologize?

After the ensuing backlash, the actor attempted to spin his comment as an attack against Ryan for perceived failure to address gun violence and not an attack on faith.

"I'm not talking about religion or faith at all. I am talking about the speaker of the house who does nothing to address gun violence," Wheaton wrote after the outcry.

I'm not talking about religion or faith at all. I am talking about the speaker of the house who does nothing to address gun violence.

— Wil Wheaton (@wilw) November 5, 2017

The actor later published a more official apology. He wrote, "Hey, real and actual people of faith: I hear you. I apologise for insulting you, in my rage at Paul Ryan's refusal to address gun violence," and later added, "Your faith is your business, and people like Paul Ryan exploit it while they hide behind words without deeds, and people continue to die."

Hey, real and actual people of faith: I hear you. I apologise for insulting you, in my rage at Paul Ryan's refusal to address gun violence.

— Wil Wheaton (@wilw) November 5, 2017

Your faith is your business, and people like Paul Ryan exploit it while they hide behind words without deeds, and people continue to die.

— Wil Wheaton (@wilw) November 5, 2017