Media calls Gadsden flag a 'white supremacist' design in order to smear actor Chris Pratt

Actor Chris Pratt was smeared by the media for wearing what they described as a "white supremacist" shirt, but it was the much more benign Gadsden flag design that gained popularity among Tea Party activists.

The actor, best known for his role as Peter Quill in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise, was caught wearing the shirt while walking with his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger.

The image was posted on social media by Hunter Harris of Vulture.

Yahoo News then posted several tweets of random Twitter users who were offended by the sight of the historically important design under the misleading headline, "Chris Pratt criticized for 'white supremacist' T-shirt."

The article accurately describes the historical source of the design.

The writing and snake combo on its own is depicted on the Gadsden flag; a symbol created by Christopher Gadsden, a Charleston-born brigadier general in the Continental Army.

It came to prominence during the Revolutionary War of the US by colonists who wanted independence from Great Britain.

But it then goes on to claim that the design signifies the support of white supremacy, with only the opinion of a few random Twitter accounts as evidence.

Pratt was previously attacked by lesbian actress Ellen Page for attending a church that didn't live up to her liberal LGBT advocacy demands.

He responded to that controversy with a statement on his Instagram account.

"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. We need less hate in this 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," he wrote.

"Jesus said, 'I give you a new command, love one another,'" Pratt added.

"This is what guides me in my life," he concluded. "He is a God of love, acceptance, and forgiveness. Hate has no place in my or this world."

Here's Pratt talking more about his faith:

Chris Pratt: Sharing religious messages 'fills my soul'www.youtube.com