CONCLUSION
Since its premier in 2017, The Handmaid's Tale has remained a topic of conversation. Whether it was people debating the show's stance on Christianity or the often disturbing content, Margaret Atwood's novel has turned into something that is now deeply engrained in pop culture and society.
For many people, they're drawn to the visuals of a TV show and often look for a virtual space that "makes...themselves to feel at home" [2]. The Handmaid's Tale does the opposite--creating a setting no one can even imagine themselves living in. However, as Atwood states: "science fiction is really about now" [1]. What makes the show so frightening is the very real possibility that this is where we could be headed.
While the show does rely heavily on elements and themes from Christianity, they could have easily used a different religion or ideology. The main purpose of their extensive use of Christianity is to represent the mentality of an extremist and how easy it is for society to succumb to these ideologies. Gilead and its theocratic government replaced American and its democratic one. This occurred because people refused to rebel. Due to this, it is no longer a question regarding if The Handmaid's Tale is anti-Christian. The novel and show do not exist to deter people from Christianity. They exist to warn people of what can happen if society becomes so complacent that they no longer see the point in fighting for their basic human rights.
Religion and Christianity are used in The Handmaid's Tale for the purpose of sparking a conversation. Had Gilead emerged without the backing of religion, it would not have been successful. The same can thus be said about The Handmaid's Tale. Margaret Atwood has created a world that is able to deeply terrify people and yet, makes it impossible for them to look away from the screen. The show utilizes themes of theocracy, scripture, and rebellion in a way that conflicts viewers whether they are fans of the show or not. To fully conclude, do I believe that The Handmaid's Tale is anti-Christian? No. I believe it is up to the viewer to interpret what the show's creators are trying to do. They are showing the world the direction we are headed in. Their purpose is not to deter people from their religious beliefs. Instead, they want us to watch and realize that we need to wake up.