Talk:Religion in The Simpsons

Biblical literacy
Okay, so some organisation talks about how The Simpsons can increase religious literacy in youth and the irreligious, but, at least in America, irreligious people are the most knowledgeable on religion out of all groups: https://www.pewforum.org/2010/09/28/u-s-religious-knowledge-survey/. I don't think there's any reason to take this claim as something someone uninformed said. P.S. wow, y'all can get really angry and entirely off-topic about something as trivial as religion in a senescent TV show. Yeah, the Simpsons is definitely religious brainwashing for the young, look at the tremendous growth of Christianity, the only proportionate response is to suspend freedom of speech indefinitely. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 138.217.162.149 (talk) 01:46, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

Overtly Religious
Many episodes contain references to the Judea-Christian superstition. It is a recurring theme that will have the effect of proselytizing to more impressionable demographics. Kids and people who haven't studied peer influence will be especially vulnerable to the immersion.

Freemasonry? Communion? Baptism?
Forget the name of the cult or anything else about it, but shouldn't the episode be here in which Homer is inducted into, and becomes the leader of, a secret quasi-Masonic society? They have a song, "Who [runs everything]? We do!"

In one seaoson finale, Bart is kicked out of Springfield Primary School and Homer and Marge send him to a Catholic school. Bart is about to take his first communion. Marge, Rev. Lovejoy and Ned Flanders confer. Ned: Once they seal the deal, there's no turning back. It's like the Jews with their (makes "scissors" gesture with two fingers) snippety-snip.

And there's an episode in which the children stay with the Flanderses, who learn with horror that they have not been baptised. Ned takes them to the river, but Homer rescues them just in time. (If I remember rightly, some of the baptismal water falls on Homer, but it boils off.) --Hugh7 (talk) 07:21, 13 August 2011 (UTC)

Untitled
Okay, I know my attempt at this article was a flop, but still I think there should be something about religion as it is a big theme on The Simpsons.- JustPhil 23:34, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Shouldn't Bart Sells His Soul be in that list? Mütze 19:52, 16 May 2006 (UTC)
 * Depends what is meant by the weasel word "significant"... Lugnuts 14:56, 4 March 2007 (UTC)
 * In scientific language, the word "significant" is quite precise. One could easily apply it here in that sense, simply by referencing and analysing Google hits for "religious" + "Bart Sells His Soul" (vs. say, "religious" plus any of the other referenced episodes). - Tenebris —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.112.29.180 (talk) 09:08, 18 August 2009 (UTC)

"... its more devout members needing to have their hands re-blessed after shaking with a Catholic." Ned mentiones in "The Father, The Son, and the Holy Guest Star" after shaking hands with Father Seanthat he should have his hand re-blessed. Possible citation.--Dan2paul (talk) 11:18, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

Quotes
What about enlarging the article by adding quotes about religion? --Svetovid 10:04, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

I know it was just a throwaway joke...
But that one time Rev. Lovejoy said "mass dismissed" at the end of a church choir performance.. uncharacteristically Catholic.. though clearly just a play on words for 'class dismissed'

Question
The wording seems unclear to me on something. . . are Fat Tony and the other mobsters classified as Roman Catholic because most Italian Americans are? And is Mayor Quimby classified as a Roman Catholic because he is similiar to the Kennedys? That is the impression that I'm taking from this article. If the classification is based on something that is probable rather than something that is demonstrated by content from a specific episode, I think that it should be removed. janejellyroll 00:38, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

In addition to your examples, I have to ask about Professor Frink being classified as an Atheist. Is it just because he's a scientist and many members of the scientific community are atheistic? I'll have you know that there are many true men of science who are religious. Supernerd 10 20:37, 31 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Frink may be atheist or deist. In The Monkey Suit he indicates God could be reconciled with evolution, but that this would make God powerless. At the same time he is clearly a pro-evolution speaker in the case. Also his attitude of "could" seemed skeptical of the notion an intelligent person could believe in a God that has any actual power. However I said "atheist or deist" as the idea of a non-intervening deity is not treated by him one way or the other. The mobsters and Quimby being Catholic seems to be mostly based on who they are based on. No one is recognized as Catholic, except one-off characters, and for unknown reasons Catholicism in the Simpsons never had a Second Vatican Council. (Catholics all still pray in Latin, practice more intense forms of fasting, etc)--T. Anthony 10:10, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Religious episode
I think that the episode "Lisa the skeptic" in season 9 had a lot of simpsons religious content and I for one think it should be added to the episode that deal with religion -Timothybroadwell 19:33, 13 August 2007 (UTC)

BBC reference
Here is a great reference to how the simpsons has impacted the world. Great material. --Simpsons fan 66 00:27, 20 January 2008 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Springfieldchurchsimpsons.jpg
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BetacommandBot (talk) 05:36, 24 January 2008 (UTC)

The Episode "Co-Dependants Day"
It had a seen in the church where Marge ate the "flesh of christ" and "drank the blood of christ". Isn't that a catholic thing. I thought the simpsons were protestant. I think this scene should be included in the article just to clear things up with people who were confused by this scene. It was obviously just put there because it related to the episodes alcoholic theme but I still think it should still be included in the article as a scene to throw away the veiwers or something like that.

Response: That language is not limited to catholic practice -- it's very close to the language in English translations of the Bible, so even protestant churches which do not teach transubstantiation may use that language in their rites (See the wikipedia article on Eucharist). I don't recommend any change to the article. 68.38.180.6 (talk) 16:05, 29 April 2012 (UTC)

Examples
They should be ordered by date of airing. That would be cool —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.212.2.86 (talk) 20:31, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

Listing faiths of main characters
Would it be worth adding a list of the main characters and their faiths, as the information is scattered at the moement and it would put much of the rest of this entry into context. UK 007 (talk) 18:28, 2 November 2009 (UTC)

Judaism
... is frequently mentioned on the show, and as well as frequent references to it with Krusty the clown, there is also a rabbi character who occasionally appears.--MacRusgail (talk) 10:17, 30 April 2010 (UTC)
 * I was gonna say the same thing. Seconded. Mglovesfun (talk) 10:54, 19 November 2010 (UTC)

One of the "3 bullies" from Bart's school is Jewish too. Not the baldy one or Jimbo. The rabbi is Krusty's father. GustoBLSJP (talk) 22:08, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

One is jewish, Jimbo is christian and the bald follows the "Glorious Moe". GustoBLSJP (talk) 22:10, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

The worse the show got, the more atheistic it became
It's no secret that the show declined in quality since season 9. It's interesting that the show became a lot more atheistic in the same time frame.

Early episodes made sometimes fun of religion, but it was never an attack, Ned Flanders for example was a genuine good man, although a little weird. The same with the reverend. Since season 9/10 the tone changed considerably. Religious people on the show are shown in a far less favourable light as is religion on the whole.

That these changes occured in the same time as the decline is very interesting.

English is not my native language, sorry for any spelling/grammar errors.

____\ The change in how they portrayed flanders is pretty interesting. In latter seasons he became something of an zealot stereotype. I read that one writer said something about taking out frustrations towards the bush administration.... not that that makes the most sense. 67.5.203.104 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 01:14, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Devil
There is no mention of the Devil. --Error (talk) 21:37, 10 September 2010 (UTC)

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