(Brand new to tumblr, so idk how to comment š¤·š¼āāļø)
Hi everyone! Krista here. All of your comments would have been wonderful discussions to have with me, so Iād like to join the conversation.
1) Christians, yes Protestants and Baptists, have used the name of God and hid behind their āfaithā (and verses taken out of context) as an excuse to commit evil things: the crusades, supporting slavery, the oppression of women, murdering abortion doctors, teaching that poverty was the result of sin, and institutionalized racism (just to name a few). To me, being a responsible person of faith means not running from this, but confronting it head on, both in public (I posted about my awful experience with Christians at Disney) and in private (talking to individuals about how theyāve taken verses out of context). I donāt hide from this.
2) Iām also not willfully pulling a blind over my eyes regarding THT (I hope!). Yes, Iāve read the book and Iāve seen the original movie. In BOTH of those it was clear they were Christians. In the series, it is less clear. In fact, one of my Jewish friends thought it was an off shoot of Hasidic Judaism due to the laws they focused on. After my discussion with her, we thought the creators left the actual religion intentionally vague to appeal to/warn people of all Abrahamic faiths. So, when they quoted Jesus I was like, āwait. Has this been Christianity the entire time? What did I miss?ā
Margaret Atwood has described the book as a potential future. And, I can see it too. When power is in the hands of a few, fueled by fear, individuals stop standing up for the voiceless, and the ability to read and interpret religious texts for oneself is removed, stuff like this can happen. Stuff like this has happened. As a Christian and a law student, this show serves as a warning to me: to stand up for others, to call Christians out when they take verses out of context, to intentionally practice mercy, to love others sacrificially as Christ did.
Thankfully, Iāve been able to share this show with some of my Christian friends and have great conversations. Tough conversations. Because thatās how hearts change. Thatās how my heart changed.
I know opening myself up to the public opens myself up to criticism, and also opens myself up to tough questions. And thatās good, I welcome them. If Iām going to base my life around a faith, it better be able to withstand any questions.
I hope I can earn a reputation of being a well thought out, well reasoned, and mercy motivated woman. I can only do this if faced with tough questions, as y'all have. So, thank youā¤ļø
If anyoneās interested, Iād love to start some book club version of this tv show: where each weekās episode is analyzed and discussed. If youād be interested, let me know.