Mark Wahlberg Says That It Is A ‘Sin’ To Deny His Faith

Mark Wahlberg was seen on NBC's Today show sporting an ash cross on his forehead in observance of Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. In the interview, Wahlberg recognized his strong religious beliefs but clarified that he had no intention of imposing them on others.

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He continued: “You know, it’s not popular in my industry, but I cannot deny my faith. It’s important for me to share that with people."

“But, I have friends from all walks of life and all different types of faiths and religions, so it’s important to respect and honor them as well.”

Even though Catholicism holds great significance in his life, he doesn't attempt to impose his beliefs on his children. Rather, he expressed his desire for them to follow his example and learn from him.

“They know that Dad can’t start the day without being in prayer, can’t start the day without reading my Scripture or going to Mass,” Wahlberg continued.

“And hopefully, instead of forcing that on them, they’ll say, ‘Well, if it works for Dad, maybe it’ll work for us,’ and they’ll kind of gravitate towards it on their own.”

Despite recognizing that Lent encompasses several different aspects, Wahlberg commenced his fast as a component of his observance.

He explained: “God knows the things that he wants you to detach from. We all know those things that make us feel guilty, don’t make us feel as good as we should. So [it’s about] being able to detach from those things and focus on good habits as opposed to bad habits."

“There are challenges for fasting, like today, I won’t have any meat. I’ll have one meal today, and I’ll do that every Friday throughout Lent and Good Friday.”

“I’ve been rewarded for it so much, and I want to share that with people, whether that’s with fasting, working out more, detaching from other things, and just spending more time with God, in prayer or in thoughtful reflection. Those things are important."

“We’ve all had things and issues in our lives, and we want to be better versions of ourselves, and focusing on my faith, it’s allowed me to do that.”

After seeing his interview on Wednesday, a lot of people took to social media to discuss his remarks and unexpected presence, with one person writing: “Think his remarks were fairly respectful tbh. The fact that he’s letting his kids make their own choice shows that he’s someone who believes in free will. And that alone is worthy of respect.”

While another commented: “Each to their own I’m not a Christian I don’t believe in god but if you do that’s your choice, just respect each other and don’t try to harm anyone or dismiss anyone if they have a different faith or belief or even none at all.”

“‘But, I have friends from all walks of life and all different types of faiths and religions, so it’s important to respect and honor them as well.’ This right here was the most important thing he said in this interview,” a third added.