Religion in The Simpsons

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Religion is one of the major themes on the animated show The Simpsons. Much of the humor satirizes aspects of Christianity. However, the series is not necessarily anti-religious, as many episodes (such as Bart Sells His Soul) are actually quite spiritual in nature.

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[edit] Character attitudes

In the episode, "The Father, The Son, and The Holy Guest Star", Springfield's only known pastor, Reverend Timothy Lovejoy, states that his church (and that of the majority of Springfielders) is actually part of "The Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism." This episode also makes a Unitarian reference when Homer Simpson asks if he needs to "wail on a few Unitarians" to become Catholic. The attitudes toward Unitarianism in this episode range from neutral to openly hostile. Another example of this would include Reverend Lovejoy offering the Simpson kids a bowl of Unitarian ice cream at a church social function. When Lisa remarks that the bowl is empty, Reverend Lovejoy indicates that that is the point.

The most religious characters on the show are Ned Flanders and Reverend Lovejoy. Flanders, a graduate of Oral Roberts University, appears to be conservative Christian and appears to express little tolerance to other faiths and sexualities (mostly pagans, Jews, Hindus and homosexuals), claiming they are all hedonistic, and those who follow said beliefs will go to Hell. Nevertheless, he usually has a positive outlook on life and does not go out of his way to express his intolerance. Lovejoy seems to resent the fact that the Doctor Julius Hibbert's family joined the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Springfield, while Ned tells Apu, who is a Hindu, that he might as well be praying to Hawkman. In Bart vs Australia, the Hindu god Vishnu is shown as sitting in the centre of the earth and controlling the world with a whole lot of levers. There are also numerous references to the Hindu god Ganesh, mostly by Homer when interacting with Apu. In another episode, Rev. Lovejoy says to Ned Flanders, during an annoying phone call: "Ned, have you considered any of the other major religions? They're all pretty much the same."

Excluding the odd reference by Reverend Lovejoy to "churches, synagogues and mosques," condemning Krusty the Clown for corrupting the young in one episode, the religion of Islam or Muslim characters have not featured heavily in the series. However, in the episode "Marge Simpson in: 'Screaming Yellow Honkers'", Homer proclaims, "I'm gonna die! Jesus, Allah, Buddha, I love you all!" when fearing for his life. In "The Seven-Beer Snitch", the Simpsons go to see "Song of Shelbyville". There is a lyric in the main song which says that Shelbyville is home to Christians, Muslims, and Jews "although not many of the last two". This makes a Rabbi and an Imam in attendance feel uncomfortable. In "Grift of the Magi" Krusty touched upon many religions by saying,"So, have a merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, kwazy Kwanzaa, a tip-top Tết, and a solemn, dignified Ramadan."

According to Pinsky's book "The Gospel According to The Simpsons," the writers have shied away from incorporating humor about Islam into the series due to the chilling effect of radical Islam's fatwas against blasphemers. Pinsky cites the fatwa again novelist Salman Rushdie as an example of this. More recent Muslim negative reactions to portrayals of Muhammed or Allah in a Danish newspaper's political cartoon page also prompted protest and even rioting in Pakistan.

[edit] The Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism

The Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism is the Protestant Christian church (a combination of Presbyterianism and Lutheranism) on the show, which most Springfielders attend. It is the show's titular church, though not the only church in Springfield (the other known church being the First AME Church of Springfield). The unusually specific name is a parody of Protestant reformed churches branching off into other denominations and movements. Reverend Lovejoy is a member of the clergy of Presbylutheranism.

[edit] Formation

The sect is supposedly one of several Protestant groups whose ancestors were in conflict with the Roman Catholic Church over the holy right of worshippers to attend church with wet hair. This right, however, was later abolished. The Schism of Lourdes in 1573 marked their official split from the Catholic Church.

[edit] Outlook on other religions

The church still remains at odds with Catholicism (even though they stopped feuding with each other), its more devout members needing to have their hands re-blessed after shaking with a Catholic. Reverend Lovejoy, in "Bart Has Two Mommies", also mentions his rivalry with a local Episcopal church, and he engages in a brawl with a Catholic priest after an exchange of hostilities in "The Frying Game". There is also a much more overtly hostile, but fully unexplained and off-screen, animus against Unitarians. Native religions, for instance those which are found in the south Pacific, are seen as inferior, and missionary activity is employed to ridicule away the beliefs of native peoples (as in the episode "Missionary: Impossible"). The church also has enemies on a social level, including monogamous gays and stem cells.

[edit] Movementarianism

The Movementarians Mass Marriage.
The Movementarians Mass Marriage.

Movementarianism, whose followers are known as Movementarians, is an evil brainwashing cult which for a brief time ensnared many of Springfield's citizens in the episode "The Joy of Sect". The Movementarians are led by a mysterious figure known only as "The Leader" who is seen only in portrait.

[edit] Recruitment

The process of getting new members involves the following steps:

  1. Get attention of potential members at airports and other public places and invite them to a free weekend retreat.
  2. At said weekend retreat, show the attendees brainwashing films. Should that fail, use other techniques like feeding them low-protein gruel, starting large chants or forcing them to sit before the circle of judgment.
  3. Once members are ensnared, force them to hand over their life savings and the deed to their house. Then, force them to move into the movementarian compound.

[edit] Beliefs

The Movementarian preschool
The Movementarian preschool

The Movementarians believe that their religious figurehead - The Leader - will one day open the doors of "The Forbidden Barn" and lead them to the planet of "Blisstonia" ("well known for its high levels of bliss"). The Cult members live in a Movementarian compound, where they do backbreaking labor all day and watch as the Leader rides around in what appears to be a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. Cultists are forced to perform labor for thousands of years before being able to travel to Blisstonia. The religion also includes a mass marriage in which all of its members are matched up on a printout. These marriages include same sex marriage and the marriage of parents and children. The Leader's will is actually carried out by a small group of especially devoted followers who recruit members, perform rituals (such as the mass marriage) and run the compounds.

[edit] The Leader

The Leader is a mysterious figurehead who is worshipped completely by the Cult followers. He aspires to brainwash and dominate the will of the people of Springfield and take their money. His followers try to bend others' wills to worship the leader via methods such as chanting, brainwashing videos and low protein gruel. The Leader lives in the "Forbidden Barn," and would sometimes observe the workers, while driving around in a black limo, and would wave his visible white-gloved hand to the people. In the end, it is revealed that The Leader is actually a fraud after Homer opened the doors to The Forbidden Barn. The cultists see a spaceship inside, which rises but eventually falls apart, revealing the Leader who is riding a flying bicycle filled with money bags, and making spaceship sounds with wax paper and a comb. At first, Kent Brockman, a local news anchor, was extremely skeptical of the leader, even starting a brief expose in which an image of the Leader looking like a hick is shown. But, it turns out that the station was bought by The Leader and Kent immediately begins singing his praises.

[edit] Education

In grade school the children are asked guestions by a teacher with all answers being "the Leader". In pre-school Barney sings "We love him, he loves we. We're the Leader's family".

[edit] Influences

According to the DVD commentary for the episode, the Movementarians were largely inspired by Scientology, the Jim Jones cult and the Peoples Temple, the Heaven's Gate Cult, the Raelians, the Oneida Society and Chen Tao. Also, the movementarian compound features elements from the Cult TV series The Prisoner, such as the Rover guard "balloon". The leader himself may be based on L. Ron Hubbard.

[edit] Examples of significant religious content

  • "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" - Lisa gets mad at Homer on religious grounds for stealing cable .
  • "Homer the Heretic" - Homer stops going to church.
  • "The Joy of Sect" - Homer and most of the family join a religious cult.
  • "Faith Off" - Bart becomes a faith healer.
  • "She of Little Faith" - Church gets destroyed by Homer's Do-it-Yourself rocket. Using this opportunity, Mr. Burns buys the Church out and turns it into a commercial asset. Upset by the "materialization" of Church, Lisa leaves the Church and decides to become a Buddhist.
  • "Thank God It's Doomsday" - Homer becomes convinced that the Rapture is nigh.
  • "The Father, The Son, and The Holy Guest Star" - Homer and Bart become Catholic after Bart was expelled from Springfield Elementary for vandalizing a medieval festival at his school (which he actually did not do) and is subsequently enrolled into a Catholic school, where he is drawn in to a comic book about the Saints.
  • "Simpsons Bible Stories" - The family daydream their own interpretations of stories from the Bible.
  • "Today I am A Klown" - Krusty holds his bar mitzvah.
  • "Simpsons Christmas Stories" - Homer tells the story of the first Christmas.
  • "The Monkey Suit" - Ned forces the school to teach creationism instead of evolution.
  • "Like Father, Like Clown" - Bart and Lisa attempt to reunite Krusty with his rabbi father who disapproves of his profession.
  • "Bart Sells His Soul" - Bart sells his soul to Milhouse in the belief that it is not real, then later realizes that he can't function well without it and tries to get it back.
  • "Lisa the Skeptic" - Lisa finds skeleton bones what appears to be an angel, and the religious zealots in town (except Lisa) believe that it is an angel.
  • "Pray Anything" - Homer finds that everything he prays for comes to him. After praying for a new house, he is accidentally injured on church property. Homer sues the church; he is given the deed to the church and turns it into his new home.
  • "I'm Goin' to Praiseland" - The family helps Ned to build a christian theme-park in the memory of Maude.
  • The Simpsons Movie - Grandpa experiences religious enlightenment during a church scene, and hysterically delivers a prophetic message that moves along the plot.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

[edit] Further reading

  • Pinsky, Mark I. (2001). The Gospel According to The Simpsons: The Spiritual Life of the World's Most Animated Family. Westminster John Knox Press, 164. ISBN 0664224199. 

[edit] External links