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.[5] 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.[28] Author Margaret Atwood has claimed that the role of handmaid inspired her book The Handmaid's Tale, and the group stopped using the term due to "cultural shifts" after the release of the TV adaptation.[29][30]
Every religion has their offshoots of cults. How I missed that is a mystery to me.