Line #14 Recap/TheSimpsonsS13E6SheOfLittleFaith


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lisatree.jpg]]
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3	'''Original air date:''' 12/16/2001
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5	'''Production code:''' DABF-02
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7	Lisa abandons her Christian faith (after the local church sells ad space inside of it to cover the damages done by Homer and Bart's toy rocket) and opts for a new one that still allows her to be closer to God, UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}. When word gets around, Marge tries to win her back to Christianity, but Lisa refuses.
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9	First episode under Al Jean's solo tenure, broadcast-wise.
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11	!!Tropes of this episode:
12	* AbusiveParents:
13	** Homer proclaims that in his house, he controls what his children (well, Bart and Maggie) eat and believe in. Then he forces Bart to eat his breakfast as unhealthily as possible. When Bart protests that eating like this is making his heart hurt, Homer gives him a DeathGlare.
14	** Marge refuses to accept Lisa not wanting to go to church anymore because they've commercialized and trying to find another faith. Once Lisa converts to Buddhism, Marge spends the entire episode trying to force her to convert back to Christianity through guilt-tripping and being all-around intolerant.
15	* ArtisticLicenseReligion: In her search of a better way to be close to God, Lisa converts to Buddhism, a strange choice given that Buddhism is a ''non-theistic'' religion that all but explicitly rejects the existence of a higher being like God[[note]]Most schools do accept the existence, and even worship, of minor deities and other spiritual beings like Bodhisattvas, but practical all of them are agnostic at best regarding a God with a capital G like the Abrahamic religions[[/note]] to the point that such belief is explicitly considered to be ''acinteyya'' or detrimental to enlightenment. The show itself lampshades it, even: "no creator gods, just the pursuit of enlightenment." Lisa's motives would make it much more fitting for her to adopt UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}, a sister religion of Buddhism, which affirms an all-pervading entity named ''Brahman'', which is similar to the idea of God. This is not more than a little TruthInTelevision though, as Lisa wouldn't be the first nor the last (particularly western) Buddhist to adapt it to their own personal views of religion and spirituality.
16	* BaitAndSwitchComment:
17	** There's a scene where it seems Homer is berating Lisa for becoming a Buddhist. He's actually berating Bart for not buttering up his bacon. He does it again when he tells Bart to bacon up a sausage.
18	** The bullies' response when Bart asks who cares about Lisa dumping Christianity. It's never explained why Gunnar cares about Lisa's faith.
19	-->'''Dolph:''' I'll tell you someone who cares. He's got long hair, works as a carpenter, has a lot of crazy ideas about love and brotherhood.
20	-->'''Jimbo:''' His name's Gunnar and he's dating my mom. Sometimes he buys us beer.
21	* BlasphemousBoast: Not that boastful, but extremely blasphemous, is the money changer saying that you can change money in the house of God; this is a reference to the Bible where Jesus's BerserkButton was pushed when he found out they made his Father's house a house of commerce and kicked out the money changers.
22	* {{Bowdlerization}}: A scene where Lenny and Carl say they're spending Christmas with Moe to ensure he doesn't attempt suicide is cut on UK television.
23	* CallBack: Benjamin, Doug and Gary from the episodes "Homer Goes to College" and "Faith Off" have a cameo.
24	* ChristmasEpisode: The episode doesn't make clear whether or not it's actually December, but the final part of the episode involves Marge making the whole family celebrate Christmas anyway in an attempt at making Lisa stop being a Buddhist (when Lisa asks about presents, Marge answers that since Buddhists don't celebrate Christmas, she doesn't gets any).
25	* CrisisOfFaith: The plot of the episode is Lisa trying to find a better temple after the church decides to take adverstisment.
26	* GracefulLoser: Burns tries to disappear in a smoke bomb with the benefit the church made plus his initial gain. When he fails reaching the door in time he just throws all the money at the church committee. No one even tried stopping him he was just disgusted his escape failed.
27	* JerkassBall: Marge gets very militant about Lisa renouncing Christianity and becoming a Buddhist, with the implication that she will kick Lisa out of the house if she doesn't change and in the final part of the episode celebrating Christmas and explicitly saying that if Lisa isn't part of the family's religion, she can't get presents. She also throws freshly baked cookies away as part of a manipulation for Lisa, and ignores that Bart wants them.
28	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold:
29	** Kearney, a known bully and petty thug, is on the church council and points out what has to be done about the church, making it a priority.
30	** Burns also fits this trope after all he did help rebuild the church, even if the advertisements inside were in bad taste. Subverted in that he actually wanted to make a run for it with the profit the church made, but when he failed, he still ended up being a GracefulLoser.
31	* KidHasAPoint: Lisa does explain to Bart she's not going for a new way to worship just because it sounds cool, she rather find one that brings her peace while reminding God that she still respects Him.
32	* KickTheDog: Homer forces Bart to place a bacon around his sausage with a DeathGlare despite his son starting to complain about his health.
33	* NoMoreForMe: Upon seeing the Simpsons' rocket in the sky, a bum in a gutter decides to stop drinking and throws away his bottle. A businessman subsequently catches it and promptly sits in the gutter and tosses his briefcase away to drink it.
34	* NoodleIncident: When thinking up ideas to fix the church, Marge suggests they "write to Music/DavidBowie again".
35	--> '''Rev. Lovejoy''': No, he's done enough for this church.
36	* NutritionalNightmare: Homer makes Bart put butter on his bacon, then wrap the buttered bacon around his sausage.
37	* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: Lovejoy doesn't like the changes any more than Lisa but Burns paid the reconstruction on those conditions. The church is reverted back to its old looks not just because StatusQuoIsGod but because they paid off the debt.
38	* OpenMindedParent: Homer doesn't care one bit that Lisa doesn't want to go to church or that she converted to Buddhism. He only goes along with trying to convert her back because Marge is making him do it.
39	* OutOfCharacterMoment:
40	** Marge is very intolerant of Lisa leaving Christianity and joining Buddhism, while Homer isn't particularly bothered by it.
41	** Lisa herself also acts out of character here. In ''[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS4E3HomerTheHeretic Homer the Heretic]]'' Homer felt going to church was a waste of time, but raised some thought-provoking points about it, and despite that, Lisa shunned him for doing so. In this episode, meanwhile, Lisa is the one having good reasons to leave the increasingly commercialized Church of Springfield and not wanting to go to church anymore.
42	* ProductPlacement: The episode's [[CouchGag Chalkboard Gag]] had Bart writing, "I do not have a cereal named after me." When this episode aired, he did—Bart Simpson Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch.
43	* RageAgainstTheHeavens: After Burns convinces the Church council that [[TemptingFate the Lord will happily go for the deal he's offering to rebuild the church]], a crucifix on the church roof breaks off and whacks Burns on the head. He angrily looks skywards and shakes a fist, muttering "Oh you'll get yours!"
44	* RecognitionFailure: Despite being a Buddhist, Lenny astonishingly has no idea who the Dalai Lama is, nor Buddha himself.
45	* RuleOfFunny: Kearney is somehow a teenager ''and'' the parent of a teenager.
46	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Nibbles the Hamster decides to eject himself from the rocket rather than to follow Homer's correction instructions.
47	* SpecialGuest: Richard Gere as himself.
48	* TwoMenOneDress: When Lisa becomes a Buddhist, the rest of the Simpson family tries to lure her back into Christianity by having her celebrate Christmas with them. They do so by wrapping up what looks like a pony, knowing that [[AllGirlsLikePonies Lisa has always wanted a pony for Christmas]]. When Lisa doesn't fall for it, the pony is revealed to be a disguised Ralph and Milhouse, with the former being the front and the latter being the rear.

Context Recap / TheSimpsonsS13E6SheOfLittleFaith