Mosaic Mercy

The Simpsons

I have been watching this cartoon for 20 years now and in that time I have seen the creators poke fun at Christians but never the Creator God.  I wouldn’t say they never have but from recollection I don’t recall a time when God was ridiculed by ignorance.  Actually the non-follower of Jesus is made fun of somewhat also.  Let’s look at both.

Ned Flanders

This is Homers next door neighbor.  Ned is so very cautious to not offend the Lord.  He says all the right words that always seem to ryhm when he does so.  Basically Ned is the goodie goodie Christian.  He looks like his life is perfect and when something bad happens to him he pretends that everything is alright.  The creator Matt Groening is poking fun at Christians who think they are perfect.  We are not perfect and shouldn’t act that way.  When bad things happen it is okay to cry, get angry and turn to God and ask why.  Don’t be a Ned… even though he is a nice guy.

Homer Simpson

Homer just doesn’t get it but he also doesn’t realize that he doesn’t get it.  He and his family attend the same church as Ned.  This is fairly realistic because churches are full of so called holy people and people who are rough around the edges.  Homer only attends church because Marge makes him.  She attends out of respect for God and it is the “right thing to do.”  Homer gets Santa Claus and Jesus mixed up at times.  One of the funniest moments is when Homer is being sent to Africa as a missionary against his will.  Homer starts to panic and tells the pilots that he doesn’t even believe in Jebus (yes that is Jebus with a B) and as the plane is taken off one can hear Homer screaming, “Save me Jebus!!”   So funny and yet so true.

Family Guy

Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, is a man who doesn’t have a clue.  He doesn’t really make fun of the Christian all that much.  He takes his shots right at God.  God can be seen asking women out on dates.  Why would God need to do this?  When is the last time you asked your daughter out on a date?  In one episode they show Jesus traumatized because God sent Him to the cross to die.  Yea, let’s skip the part about Jesus willingly going to the cross to redeem humanity.  Well anyways, another time Jesus is working in a comic book store and looks a little prideful when Peter keeps Calling him the Son of God.

Seth MacFarlane is just really ignorant when it comes to the Bible and the message and he takes his ignorance and puts it into a cartoon.  To be fair he doesn’t stop with Christians and their God.  He also pokes fun at conservatives, people from the south, people from Asia, people from Europe, people who are black, the Jewish community, people who are handicap.  Unless you are a white, liberal, atheistic American who presides above the Mason Dixon line and who doesn’t sit in a wheelchair he will poke fun at you.  And yes I believe he really does hate all those he makes fun of.

Saint Homer

Out of these two cartoons I feel that the Simpsons send a better message.  Each and every episode the Simpson family runs into dilemmas.  They struggle to work through the problems like a real family.  By the end of each episode Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie come back together as a family and really realize that they are living the good life and they don’t want to do this life without each other.  Family guy doesn’t really have a conclusion like this.  If I am going to watch one, my pick goes to The Simpsons hands down.

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