Bachelorette slams haters who label her bad Christian: 'We all fall short of glory of God'
This season of “The Bachelorette” with Hannah B features polarizing Christian contestant Luke Parker, known as Luke P, who is outspoken about his Christian faith which has forced the bachelorette to own up to what she believes about her own faith and some of her actions.
In a recent post on Instagram, Hannah B addressed a lot of the “hate” she’s received from others online who are questioning her Christian faith. In the latest episode of the popular ABC show, Hannah B went bungee jumping naked with a male contestant and then had a steamy sauna scene with a different contestant. Later in the season, she declares that “Jesus still loves” her despite her decision to have sexual relations with some of the contestants when questioned about her purity by Luke P.
After her “Jesus still loves me” comments ran in a new promotional video she came under scrutiny by many online and now she’s responding to her critics on Instagram.
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“I refuse to not stand in the sun. I refuse to feel shame. I refuse to believe the lies and evil that flood my comments,” she wrote on Tuesday. “I am standing firm in believing that maybe God wants to use a mess like me to point to His goodness and grace. But dang, it’s hard. The amount of hate I and the men on this journey with me receive … it’s chilling to know so many people want to spread hurt so recklessly. We all fall short of the glory of God…we just happen to do it on national television.”
Hannah added that it’s “upsetting to get messages from Christians telling me I give Christians a bad name.”
“I’ve lived my life for the world to see and judge and absolutely, I’m hot mess on a stick, I blew it a few times… but I refuse to believe I give Christians a bad name,” she added. “I’m an imperfect human. Who is yes, also a Christian.”
“God has a master plan for all the failures I continue to learn and grow from to work out for good, and for His glory,” she concluded.
Last season’s Bachelor, Colton Underwood, commended Hannah for her bravery and how she is carrying herself in the midst of all the chaos. Hannah first met Underwood on his season and hoped to find love with him but was sent home. She was then chosen to be the next bachelorette, but is not trying to find her one true love. Underwood not only celebrated her in her comment section but he also decided to address some of her critics.
“I normally try to ignore comments that go nowhere and don’t serve a purpose, but let me try. I’m far from perfect, as we all are, I sin basically on a daily basis. God still loves me and made me to worship him. I’ve come a long way in this last year and realized that the Christian community can be one of the most hypocritical and judgmental communities out there,” Underwood wrote. “I’m here today trying to lift someone up & encourage them... not question them more or discourage them.”
Luke P has been pegged as this season's “villain” by the other contestants and mainstream media because of his bold profession of love and faith on “The Bachelorette.” The Gainesville, Florida, native's questioning of Hannah’s purity, which aired as one of the show's promotional clips, is being taken as an attack on Hannah who described the conversation as the “most explosive of the season.”
“Regardless of anything that I've done, I can do whatever, I sin daily and Jesus still loves me. It's all washed and if the Lord doesn't judge me and it's all forgiven, then no other man, woman ... anything can judge me,” Hannah B told Entertainment Weekly after the promo aired.
“Nobody's gonna judge me, I won't stand for it,” she continued.
The show premiered on May 13 and among the 30 men who hoped to find love and propose to the bachelorette by the season finale was Luke P. His charm gained favor with Hannah early on, and he was given the first impression rose in episode one. Again she crowned him “Mr. Right” on the second episode (May 20) and in episode 6 she also named him, “best kiss.”
According to the promotional clip, however, it looks like Hannah B sends Luke P home after their “sex” chat and even flips him off as he leaves.
According to the Gainesville Times, Luke P is a member at Christ Place Church. He has taught Sunday school, is part of a small group and regularly volunteers with the college ministry at his church.
