Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Barrett member of cult that inspired The Handmaid's Tale

I continually noted while watching Atwood's TV series that it wasn't far off from reality. And now the leading candidate for the Supreme Corp, Amy Coney Barrett, is a member of People of Praise. Atwood said  groups like that inspired her book and the TV show. If Atwood's work scares you, Barrett on the Corp should be especially frightening. From the wiki on the group: 

"The highest office a woman can hold in the community is 'woman leader' (formerly 'handmaid'). Women leaders 'teach women on womanly affairs, give advice, help in troubled situations' and lead specialized women's activities. The term handmaiden was chosen in 1971 as a reference to Mary, the mother of Jesus, who in the Bible described herself as a 'handmaid of the Lord' or a woman who is close to God. The Community teaches that husbands are the head of the household as well as the spiritual head of their wives. While it emphasizes traditional gender roles, the organization encourages women to pursue higher education and employment.

"Women are not able to be coordinators. The community, which refers to itself as a 'family of families,' sees this as following a biblical, traditional, and patriarchal model of the family. [...] Traditional roles are reinforced by encouraging men to do most of the heavier physical work involved when a family is moving to a new home or re-roofing a house, and when setting up for meetings and similar tasks. Women are encouraged to provide food and childcare and run an effective household."

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