Me: “What’s your take on the Bible? Isn’t it written by people too?”

Mr. Y, completely unfazed: “Which classic isn’t written by people? Of course, it’s written by humans!”

Me: “But you still believe in it?”

Mr. Y: “I believe that anything written by people with conviction is worth exploring. The Bible, in particular, was written by a group of people with profound beliefs, so it’s definitely worth reading.”

Me: “But there are parts of the Bible that promote male superiority over women, and I really don’t like that.” As soon as I said it, I realized how narrow-minded I sounded, lol.

Every era has its own context, perspectives, and ideologies shaped by the times. Criticizing the past through the lens of modern values is, honestly, unnecessary. Okay, I get it now, lol.

The key is to approach these classics with an understanding of their historical context. Only then can you truly gain insight from them.

This conversation reminded me of a powerful scene in the movie TÁR.

In the film, a biologically male, pansexual Black student tells their professor that they refuse to play Bach because, due to their gender identity, they can’t accept him as a white, misogynistic straight man.

The professor challenges the student to set aside the historical context and stop using it as a reason to limit themselves. By doing so, the professor argues, they’re missing out on the broader contributions of someone they’ve labeled as a “white, misogynistic straight man,” which is a real loss.

Every era has its own frameworks and limitations. If we were to impose all of them on ourselves, we’d hardly be able to do anything at all. Just think about the countless great scientists, inventors, and creators in history—who among them wasn’t constrained by the biases and norms of their time?