Suppose a TV series presented a dystopian world where a religious group imposed something more severe than Shariah law. In this religious world, women were not only brutally subjugated and ritually raped but were also legally prohibited from working outside the home, owning property, handling money, or even reading. What would be the response to this series?
If the religious group were identified as Muslims, all those involved would be strung up by their thumbs and denounced as Islamophobiacs.
However:
If instead, the series vented its venom at conservative Christians, you would find that "The series garnered extremely positive reviews and won the 2017 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, along with seven other Emmy Awards from 13 nominations." (Wikipedia)
Please consider what would have happened if this level of venom were vented on any other group. What if the oppressing group were gays, blacks, or even not-in-the-news Hindus? But because this demonizes Christians it wins critical acclaim.
"The Birth of a Nation," a movie about the Civil War and its aftermath, portrayed black men as unintelligent and sexually aggressive toward white women while portraying the Ku Klux Klan as a heroic force. This movie is credited with being one of the events that inspired the "second era" Ku Klux Klan that was formed in the same year, since the original Klan had died out decades earlier.
Do not be deceived into thinking that "The Handmaid's Tale" is just harmless entertainment. Such a publicly acclaimed, grossly hostile representation of people like us is reminiscent of the displays of growing hostility toward Jews in pre-war Germany. This should cause conservative Christians concern.
If there is any silver lining it is this: I believe that the Wikipedia article on this series or the like will be used in court and other venues to document the growing hostility toward and marginalization of conservative Christians. At least on the surface, discrimination laws are intended to protect those in the minority, those who would be marginalized and excluded. I think "The Handmaid's Tale" and the acclaim it has garnered should be used to conclusively demonstrate that it is Bible-believing Christians who are the ones most deserving of protection from discrimination.
"The Handmaid's Tale" should be a wake-up call that we must contend for the culture.