Simpsons, "Thank God It's Doomsday"

by Fatfreek 15 Replies latest social humour

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  Fatfreek

  Check out my favorite family, The Simpsons, and its recent episode, "Thank God It's Doomsday". I couldn’t help but think that one scene illustrates how the GB arrives at their many date predictions over the years.

  Homer, at the kitchen table reading studiously: "Hmmm. Hmmm."

  Marge: "Homey, you haven’t touched your second dinner tonight -- and [noting the kitchen table covered with thick reference books] you’re reading books. What’s going on?

  Homer: Marge, the Rapture is nigh. Each book will help me figure out how nigh. This whole deal is scientifically proven.
  [Homer begins to illustrate his ciphering on chalkboard]

  "The book of Revelation[s] has 404 verses. Add the number of people at the Last Supper, 12, minus the number of Filipinos in the Bible, 0, and you get ..."
  [chalkboard displays several math like expressions:
  12 - 333 x 666 =
  (a x b2) > 2 = 7
  (2 + 2b2) - 144,000]

  Marge jumps ahead: "Three million one hundred ..."

  Homer, rudely interrupts his novice wife: "whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop! Three-fifteen pm, May 18th. That’s when the Rapture will begin."

  Marge: "May 18th? That’s one week from today."

  Homer: "A week?" [appears puzzled and jealous at Marge’s quick deduction. To prove her wrong, more rapid chalkboard calculations. Then, as if he’s inspired with his own profound conclusion] "That’s (pause) seven days from now!"

  Most of the town of Springfield follows him to the Springfield Mesa, west of town but the rapture never comes. Undaunted, Homer discovers an error in his calculations and returns to the Springfield Mesa alone, where he experiences a satiric conversation with God.

  Fats
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  kazar

  Fatfreak, I saw that episode last Sunday. Boy, did it bring back memories. It must be a lot of cults whose thinking is the same. It was a really good episode of the Simpsons. Very funny, once you're out of the borg.
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  doofdaddy

  The Simpsons are still hot!!!

  The first time I saw Neddilly Flandersooony I thought of an elder I knew. Moustache the lot.

  The difference was he was a mean sonofabitch who had a massive obsessive compulsive disorder and would get physically sick when he was not in control of all situations including other peoples lives.

  He died young.
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  Quotes

  I suspect that thousands of JWs Simpsons fans, watching that show, completely missed the fact that the joke was at their expense, and only recognized other doomsday cults as the butt of the joke.
  
  I also suspect that a few JWs did recognize that the joke was at their expense, and thougth to themselves: "Oh no, PERSEUCTION!!! The time must be really, REALLY short now!!!"
  
  ~Quotes, of the "Life of Debauchery Followed by Quick Death-Bed Repentance" class
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  heathen

  The WTBTS doesn't believe in a rapture so just how was it at their exspence ? I think it was more a shot at the fundies ........
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  Cygnus

  heathen, sure they do. Spring of 1918 was the "rapture." The difference between Freddy Franz's religion and, say, John Hagee's, is that in the Watchtower universe the rapture's been dribbling on ever since.
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  joelbear

  its a shame that so many people are on the edge of their seats waiting for the end when, unless you are destitute or in poor health, life is really very cool.

  i just got back from a trip to the NW, so much beauty, it was thrilling.

  can't wait for my next adventure.
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  heathen

  joelbear--- there is nothing in this world that can compare to that which is expected with the end of all disease and suffering besides those that rebel anyway . I mean jeeze the way we are going we won't even have clean water to drink in the near future . I don't see anything that great about today but tomorrow looks very interesting .

  cygnus --- I've never heard any JW use the word rapture .True their belief sounds similar but after close examination they don't believe that all christians are transported to heaven . I give them some credit for at least seeing that man was made to live on earth but the way I see the bible instead of being transported to heaven , heaven lands on earth to where earth dwellers can enter .
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  lonelysheep

  I loved that episode!! I was LMAO when I saw 144,000 on the chalkboard!
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  BrendaCloutier

  I just gotta think that Matt Groenig has studied with the Witnesses. No JWism doesn't call it the Rapture, but the heart of it is there.

  Loved that episode. Had Kevan rofl. He even called it a mock on JWism and he never wuz one.