The Simpsons episode
"The Joy of Sect"
Episode no.	191
Prod. code	5F23
Orig. airdate	February 8, 1998
Show runner(s)	David Mirkin
Written by	Steve O'Donnell
Directed by	Steven Dean Moore
Couch gag	Tiny versions of the Simpsons climb on the couch, and Santa's Little Helper runs off with Homer.[1]
DVD commentary	Matt Groening David Mirkin Steve O'Donnell Yeardley Smith Steven Dean Moore
Season 9 September 21, 1997 – May 17, 1998
The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson The Principal and the Pauper Lisa's Sax Treehouse of Horror VIII The Cartridge Family Bart Star The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons Lisa the Skeptic Realty Bites Miracle on Evergreen Terrace All Singing, All Dancing Bart Carny The Joy of Sect Das Bus The Last Temptation of Krust Dumbbell Indemnity Lisa the Simpson This Little Wiggy Simpson Tide The Trouble with Trillions Girly Edition Trash of the Titans King of the Hill Lost Our Lisa Natural Born Kissers
List of all The Simpsons episodes

"The Joy of Sect" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons' ninth season. It originally aired on the FOX network in the United States on February 8, 1998.^[2] In the episode, a cult called the "Movementarians" takes over Springfield, and Homer and the rest of the Simpson family become members. Homer and Bart are initially introduced to a pair of young Movementarian recruiters in an airport. Homer becomes brainwashed, and moves his family into the cult compound. David Mirkin had the initial idea for the episode, Steve O'Donnell was the lead writer, and Steven Dean Moore directed. The writers drew on many groups to develop the Movementarians, but were principally influenced by Scientology, Heaven's Gate, the Unification Church and Peoples Temple. Simpsons redirects here. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... David Mirkin (born September 18, 1955 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American, feature film and television director, writer and producer. ... Al Jean (left) and David Mirkin (right), have both been writers for The Simpsons for more than ten years. ... Steve ODonnell is a television writer. ... The three people are caricatures of (left to right) Rich Moore, Wes Archer and David Silverman[1] The following is a list of directors who have worked on the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. ... Steven Dean Moore is an animation director who has helmed about 30 episodes of The Simpsons. ... The couch gag is a running visual joke in the opening credits of the animated television series The Simpsons. ... The Simpsons DVD season boxsets have been released since 2001 in different regions all over the world. ... Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist (Life in Hell) and the Emmy Award-winning creator of the animated series, The Simpsons and Futurama. ... David Mirkin (born September 18, 1955 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American, feature film and television director, writer and producer. ... Steve ODonnell (or Stephen, or Steven) may refer to: Steve ODonnell, television writer (Late Night with David Letterman, The Simpsons, Seinfeld) Steve ODonnell, television and film actor (The Comic Strip Presents. ... Martha Maria Yeardley Smith (; born July 3, 1964) is an American actress and voice actor who is best known for providing the voice of Lisa Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons. ... Steven Dean Moore is an animation director who has helmed about 30 episodes of The Simpsons. ... The Simpsons Season 9 DVD Digipak. ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... The City of New York vs. ... The Principal and the Pauper is the second episode of The Simpsons ninth season. ... Lisas Sax is the third episode of the ninth season of The Simpsons, which explains how Lisa Simpson got her saxophone. ... Treehouse of Horror VIII is the fourth episode of The Simpsons ninth season, as well as the eighth Halloween episode. ... The Cartridge Family is the fifth episode of The Simpsons ninth season, which originally aired on November 2, 1997. ... Bart Star is the sixth episode of the ninth season of The Simpsons. ... The Two Mrs. ... Lisa the Skeptic is the eighth episode of The Simpsons ninth season, first aired on November 23, 1997. ... Realty Bites is the ninth episode of the ninth season of The Simpsons. ... Miracle on Evergreen Terrace is the 10th episode of The Simpsons ninth season. ... All Singing, All Dancing is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons ninth season. ... Bart Carny is the twelfth episode of the ninth season of the The Simpsons. ... Das Bus is the 14th episode of the ninth season of The Simpsons, and a parody of the book and film Lord of the Flies. ... The Last Temptation of Krust is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons ninth season. ... Dumbbell Indemnity is an episode of The Simpsons ninth season. ... Lisa the Simpson is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons ninth season. ... This Little Wiggy is the eighteenth episode of the ninth season of The Simpsons. ... Simpson Tide is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons ninth season and originally aired on the Fox network on March 29, 1998. ... The Trouble with Trillions is the 20th episode of the ninth season of The Simpsons. ... Girly Edition is the 21st episode of the ninth season of The Simpsons // Spoiler warning: After Groundskeeper Willie confiscates his skateboard, Bart decides to get back at him by filling up his shack with a tankerfull of creamed corn as he sleeps. ... Trash of the Titans is the Emmy Award-winning twenty-second episode of The Simpsons ninth season and the 200th overall. ... King of the Hill (not to be confused with the animated series of the same name), is the 23rd episode of The Simpsons ninth season. ... Lost Our Lisa is the twenty-fourth episode of the ninth season of The Simpsons. ... Natural Born Kissers is the last episode of the ninth season of The Simpsons, and is especially notable for its risque subject matter. ... The following is an episode list for the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... The Simpsons Season 9 DVD Digipak. ... The Fox Broadcasting Company, usually referred to as just Fox (the company itself prefers the capitalized version FOX), is a television network in the United States. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... This article does not discuss cult in its original meaning. ... Along with politics, religion remains a major theme on the animated show The Simpsons. ... Homer Simpson is also a character in the book and film The Day of the Locust. ... For the comic book series of the same name, see Bart Simpson comics. ... Brainwashing (also known as thought reform or re-education) consists of any systematic effort aimed at instilling certain attitudes and beliefs in a person against his/her will, usually beliefs in conflict with the persons prior beliefs and knowledge. ... David Mirkin (born September 18, 1955 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American, feature film and television director, writer and producer. ... Steve ODonnell is a television writer. ... Steven Dean Moore is an animation director who has helmed about 30 episodes of The Simpsons. ... Doctrine Practices Concepts People Public outreach Organization Controversy Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by American pulp fiction author L. Ron Hubbard in 1952 as an outgrowth of his earlier self-help system, Dianetics. ... The logo used by the Heavens Gate group Heavens Gate was the name of a religious group led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles. ... The Unification Church is a new religious movement started by Sun Myung Moon in Korea in the 1940s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The episode was later analyzed from religious, philosophical and psychological perspectives, and books on The Simpsons compared the Movementarians to many of the same groups that the writers had drawn influences from. The show contains many references to popular culture, including the title reference to The Joy of Sex and a gag involving Rover from the television program The Prisoner. USA Today and The A.V. Club featured "The Joy of Sect" in lists of important episodes of The Simpsons. Various Religious symbols, including (first row) Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Bahai, (second row) Islamic, tribal, Taoist, Shinto (third row) Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Jain, (fourth row) Ayyavazhi, Triple Goddess, Maltese cross, pre-Christian Slavonic Religion is the adherence to codified beliefs and rituals that generally involve a faith in a spiritual... For other uses, see Philosophy (disambiguation). ... Psychological science redirects here. ... Popular culture, sometimes abbreviated to pop culture, consists of widespread cultural elements in any given society. ... The Joy of Sex was a ground-breaking illustrated sex manual by Alex Comfort, M.D., Ph. ... The Rover is a fictional entity from the 1967 BBC television program known as The Prisoner. ... For other uses, see The Prisoner (disambiguation) and Prisoner. ... USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. ... The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. ...

Plot

Mr. Burns as the god of his new religion

Homer takes Bart to the airport to greet the local football team after their championship loss. At the airport, Homer meets Glen and Jane, a pair of recruiters for a new religion called Movementarianism. They invite Homer to an introductory session at their resort, where a number of Springfield residents watch a video about the religion. The video explains that the Movementarians plan to take a spaceship to the planet Blisstonia. They are guided by a mysterious male figure known only as "The Leader". Most of the attendees are brainwashed into worshipping The Leader, but Homer does not pay enough attention to the video to be affected. After trying other methods, Glen and Jane finally convert him by singing the theme to Batman, replacing the word Batman with the word Leader. Image File history File links The_Simpsons_5F23. ... Image File history File links The_Simpsons_5F23. ... Springfield is the fictional city in which the animated American sitcom The Simpsons is set. ... This article is about the 1960s television series. ...

After Homer joins the sect, he moves his family to the Movementarian compound. The compound is a fenced agricultural facility where everyone is forced to grow and harvest lima beans from dawn to dusk. The Leader lives in a "Forbidden Barn", where his spaceship is supposedly stored. He only appears briefly, driving through the fields in a Rolls-Royce. Binomial name Phaseolus lunatus L. The lima bean or butter bean, (Phaseolus lunatus, Fabaceae) is grown as a vegetable for its mature and immature beans. ... The Rolls Royce logo Rolls-Royce is a set of several companies, all deriving from the British automobile and aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Henry Royce and C.S. Rolls in 1906. ...

As Movementarianism gains popularity, Mr. Burns decides to start his own religion, jealous of The Leader's tax-exempt status. Burns declares himself a god at a grand display atop one of his buildings, with Springfield residents and Burns's employees looking on. However, the Springfieldians are unconvinced after his outfit catches fire in a pyrotechnics display. Charles Montgomery Burns, normally referred to as Mr. ... Pyrotechnics is a field of study often thought synonymous with the manufacture of fireworks, but more accurately it has a wider scope that includes items for military and industrial uses. ...

Though defiant at first, all the Simpson children are converted to Movementarianism. Bart plans to cause trouble with his "Li'l Bastard Mischief Kit", but the Movementarians outwit him with a "Li'l Bastard Brainwashing Kit". Lisa loathes that "The Leader" is the answer to every question at the Movementarian school, but she complies for the sake of her grades. Maggie and other babies are brainwashed by Barney the Dinosaur, who sings them a song about The Leader. Marge is the only family member to resist the Movementarians' methods, and she escapes from the compound, narrowly avoiding many obstacles along the way. Outside, she finds Reverend Lovejoy, Ned Flanders, and Groundskeeper Willie, and with their help, she poses as The Leader and tricks her family into leaving with her. In the long running television animation The Simpsons, numerous fictional products or brands have featured, often reoccurring. ... Lisa Marie Simpson is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Yeardley Smith; Lisa is the only character Smith voices on a regular basis. ... Margaret Maggie Simpson is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. ... Barney & Friends is a popular childrens television show produced in the United States, mainly aimed at preschoolers. ... Marjorie Marge Simpson (née Bouvier) is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons and is voiced by Julie Kavner. ... The Reverend Timothy Tim Lovejoy (more commonly known as Reverend Lovejoy) is a fictional character and the local Reverend in the long-running animated TV show The Simpsons and is voiced by Harry Shearer. ... Nedward Ned Flanders is a fictional character on The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer. ... Groundskeeper Willie (a. ...

In Flanders's rumpus room, Marge deprograms her children by promising them what appear to be hover-bikes. In reality, Marge had suspended regular bikes from the ceiling with wires, and Flanders provided hover-bike sound effects while hidden in a closet. Homer yields after Ned offers him a beer, but just as the first drop lands on Homer's tongue, he is captured by the Movementarians' lawyers. Back at the compound, Homer tells a crowd of Movementarians that he is no longer brainwashed. He opens the doors of the Forbidden Barn, hoping to expose the religion as a fraud. However, he is surprised to find "one hell of a giant spaceship", and The Leader proclaims that, due to Homer's "lack of faith", humanity will never reach Blisstonia. The Springfieldians fear that The Leader is speaking the truth, but as the spaceship begins to fly away, it falls apart, revealing The Leader on a pedal-powered aircraft departing with everyone's money. Everyone's faith is broken, but The Leader does not fly very far, crashing on Cletus Spuckler's front porch. A recreation room (also known as a rec room or rumpus room) is a room used for a variety of purposes, such as parties, games and other everyday or casual use. ... Cletus Del Roy Spuckler (voiced by Hank Azaria), also known as Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel, is a fictional character on the long-running animated television show The Simpsons. ...

As the Simpsons return home, Lisa remarks, "It's wonderful to think for ourselves again." However, the family soon becomes hypnotized by a FOX television commercial, which declares, "You are watching FOX." In unison, the family responds, "We are watching FOX."

Production

David Mirkin, executive producer of "The Joy of Sect", came up with the episode's plot

The episode was the second and last episode written by Steve O'Donnell and was based on an idea from David Mirkin, who is fascinated by cults. Mirkin had been the show runner during seasons five and six, but had been brought back to run two episodes during the ninth season. He stated that he was attracted to the notion of parodying cults because they are "comical, interesting and twisted."^[3] The main group of writers that worked on the episode were Mirkin, O'Donnell, Jace Richdale and Kevin Curran. The episode's title "The Joy of Sect" was pitched by Richdale.^[3] Steven Dean Moore directed the episode.^[4] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... David Mirkin (born September 18, 1955 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American, feature film and television director, writer and producer. ... Steve ODonnell (or Stephen, or Steven) may refer to: Steve ODonnell, television writer (Late Night with David Letterman, The Simpsons, Seinfeld) Steve ODonnell, television and film actor (The Comic Strip Presents. ... David Mirkin (born September 18, 1955 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American, feature film and television director, writer and producer. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Simpsons Season 5 DVD Digipak. ... The standard Season 6 DVD box. ... Jace Richdale is a producer and writer. ... Kevin Malcolm Curran (b. ... Steven Dean Moore is an animation director who has helmed about 30 episodes of The Simpsons. ...

Aspects of the Movementarians were inspired by different cults and religions, including Scientology, Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple, the Heaven's Gate group, the Unification Church, the Oneida Society, and Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.^[3] In particular, the leader driving through the fields in a Rolls Royce was partly inspired by the Bhagwans, and the notion of holding people inside the camp against their will was a reference to Jim Jones.^[3] The name "Movementarians" itself was simply chosen for its awkward sound.^[3] The scene during the six-hour orientation video where those who get up to leave are induced to stay through peer pressure and groupthink was a reference to the Moonies and the est Training.^[5] The show's producers acknowledged that the ending scene of the episode was a poke at FOX as "being the evil mind controlling network."^[3] The episode's script was written in 1997, at roughly the same time that the members of the Heaven's Gate cult committed Mass suicide. The writers noticed strange parallels between Mirkin's first draft and Heaven's Gate, including the belief in the arrival of a spaceship and the group's members wearing matching clothes and odd sneakers.^[3] Because of these coincidences, several elements of the episode were changed so that it would be more sensitive in the wake of the suicides.^[5] This article is about the cult leader. ... The Oneida Community was a utopian commune founded by John Humphrey Noyes in 1848 in Oneida, New York. ... Rajneesh Chandra Mohan Jain (December 11, 1931 - January 19, 1990), better known during the 1970s as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and later as Osho, was the founder and leader of a controversial India and the United States. ... Rolls-Royce car may refer to vehicles produced by: Rolls-Royce Limited (1906-1973) Rolls-Royce Motors (1973-2003), which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen. ... Peer pressure comprises a set of group dynamics whereby a group in which one feels comfortable may override personal habits, individual moral inhibitions or idiosyncratic desires to impose a group norm of attitudes and/or behaviors. ... Groupthink is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas. ... The term Moonies is a derogatory term for members of Sun Myung Moons Unification Movement. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Large Group Awareness Training. ... Mass suicide occurs when a number of people kill themselves together with one another or for the same reason and is usually connected to a real or perceived persecution. ...

Themes

Chris Turner's book Planet Simpson describes the Movementarians as a cross between the Church of Scientology and Raelism, with lesser influences from Sun Myung Moon and Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.^[6] Planet Simpson also notes the Simpsons' chant at the conclusion of the episode as evidence of a "true high-growth quasi-religious cult of our time," referring to television.^[6] The book also makes reference to a "Cult of Pop," which it describes as "a fast growing mutation ersatz religion that has filled the gaping hole in the West's social fabric where organized religion used to be."^[6] Similar concepts utilized by the "Sect" in the episode and Scientology include similarities in physical appearance between "The Leader" and L. Ron Hubbard, references to a Sea Org uniform, a "Trillion year labor contract" instead of the Sea Org's Billion year contract, and the use of litigation in both groups.^[7] The A.V. Club analyzes the group in the episode in a piece called "Springfield joins a cult" and then describes The Simpsons portrayal of "shadowy sects" or "shadowy groups," and notes that the episode discussed Scientology, Heaven's Gate, the Unification Church, and organized religion in general, quoting Bart as saying, "Church, cult, cult, church. So we get bored someplace else every Sunday."^[8] The Simpsons references to plans to travel to planet "Blisstonia" was compared to Heaven's Gate's promises of bliss after travel to the Hale-Bopp comet.^[8] Planet Simpson discusses The Simpsons approach to deprogramming in the episode, and contrasts it with the "Conformco Brain Deprogrammers" used in the episode "Burns' Heir."^[6] Scientology cross Symbol Doctrine Practices Concepts People Public outreach Organization Controversy The Church of Scientology is the largest religious organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. ... Sun Myung Moon in 2005. ... Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986), better known as L. Ron Hubbard, was an American author in numerous pulp fiction genres[2][3][4][5] as well as a prolific writer of non-fiction[6][7] works, creator of Dianetics, and founder of the Church of Scientology. ... Doctrine Practices Concepts People Public groups Organization Controversy The Sea Organization or Sea Org is an association of Scientologists established in 1968 by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. ... The Church of Scientology has been involved in a number of court disputes throughout the world. ... The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. ... A close-up of Hale-Bopp Comet Hale-Bopp (formally designated C/1995 O1) was probably the most widely observed comet of the 20th century, and one of the brightest seen for many decades. ... Comet Hale-Bopp Comet West For other uses, see Comet (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Burns Heir is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season, first aired on April 14, 1994. ...

In The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer, the authors cite "escaping from a cult commune in 'The Joy of Sect'" as evidence of "Aristotle's virtuous personality traits in Marge."^[9] As the title suggests, the book The Psychology of the Simpsons: D'oh! takes a look at "The Joy of Sect" from a psychological point of view, and discusses the psychology of decision-making in the episode, noting, "Homer is becoming a full-blown member of the Movementarians not by a rational choice, ..but through the process of escalating behavioral commitments."^[10] Key recruitment techniques used by the Movementarians were pointed out and explained, including the charismatic leader or "The Leader", established authority based on a religious entity or alien being (in this case "Blisstonia"), and the method of taking away free choice through acceptance of the Leader's greatness.^[10] The book notes the techniques used during the six-hour Movementarian recruitment film, in which those who get up to leave are reminded that they are allowed to leave whenever they wish. They are, however, questioned in front of the group as to specifically why they wish to leave, and these individuals end up staying to finish watching the film.^[10] This spotlight is then described as "subtle pressure," in contrast to the "razor wire, landmines, angry dogs, crocodiles and evil mystery bubble Marge confronts to escape, while being reminded again that she is certainly free to leave."^[10] The Psychology of the Simpsons writes that "the Leader" is seen as an authority figure, because "He has knowledge or abilities that others do not, but want."^[10] Instead of traditional mathematics textbooks, the children on the compound learn from Arithmetic the Leader's Way and Science for Leader Lovers.^[11] Psychological science redirects here. ... The question of free will is whether, and in what sense, rational agents exercise control over their actions and decisions. ... For other meanings of mathematics or uses of math and maths, see Mathematics (disambiguation) and Math (disambiguation). ...

In Pinsky's The Gospel According to the Simpsons, one of the show's writers recounted to the author that the producers of The Simpsons had vetoed a full-length episode on Scientology that was planned, in fear of the Church's "reputation for suing and harassing opponents."^[12] Pinsky found it ironic that Groening spoofed Scientology in spite of the fact that the voice of Bart Simpson, Nancy Cartwright, is a Scientologist,^[12][13] having joined in 1989.^[14] Pinsky notes that Matt Groening later "took a shot at Scientology" in Futurama with the fictional religion "Church of Robotology,"^[12] and according to Groening he received a call from the Church of Scientology concerned about the use of a similar name.^[15] Nancy Cartwright (actress) is an American actress, best noted for providing the voice of Bart Simpson. ... Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist (Life in Hell) and the Emmy Award-winning creator of the animated series, The Simpsons and Futurama. ... This article is about the television series. ... This is a list of fictional religions from specific works of published fiction (films, novels, etc. ...

Cultural references

Barney the Dinosaur indoctrinating toddler recruits of the Sect.

The episode also referenced several elements from popular culture. The title of the episode itself is a spoof on the book The Joy of Sex, by Alex Comfort. When Marge attempts to leave the compound, she is chased by the Rover guard "balloon" from the 1967 television program The Prisoner.^[1][16] Neal Hefti and Nelson Riddle's theme music to the 1960s Batman series is used in the episode to indoctrinate Homer when he was not brainwashed by the orientation video.^[1] The song from Barney and Friends was used by the sect to brainwash babies. When Mr. Burns introduces his new religion, most of the sequence is a parody of the Michael Jackson video HIStory.^[3] Image File history File links Barney_9x13_. ... Image File history File links Barney_9x13_. ... Barney & Friends is a popular childrens television show produced in the United States, mainly aimed at preschoolers. ... The Joy of Sex was a ground-breaking illustrated sex manual by Alex Comfort, M.D., Ph. ... Alexander Comfort (February 10, 1920 - March 26, 2000) was a medical professional, anarchist, pacifist and writer, best known for The Joy of Sex, which played a part in what is often called the sexual revolution. ... The Rover is a fictional entity from the 1967 BBC television program known as The Prisoner. ... Neal Hefti (born October 29, 1922 in Hastings, Nebraska) is an American jazz trumpeter, composer, tune writer, and arranger. ... Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. ... The theme music of a radio or television program is a piece that is written specifically for that show and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits. ... Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958), commonly known as MJ as well as the King of Pop, is an American musician, entertainer, and pop icon whose successful career and controversial personal life have been a part of pop culture for the last three decades. ... This article is about the study of time in human terms. ...

Reception

Jeff Shalda of The Simpsons Archive used the episode as an example of one of the "good qualities present in The Simpsons," while analyzing why some other aspects of The Simpsons make Christians upset.^[17] The book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide commented that the episode was "an odd one", with "a lot of good moments", and went on to state that it was "a nice twist to see Burns determined to be loved". However, the book also noted that "The Joy of Sect" is: "another one where the central joke isn't strong enough to last the whole episode".^[1] In a 2006 article in USA Today, "The Joy of Sect" was highlighted among the six best episodes of The Simpsons season 9, along with "Trash of the Titans," "The Last Temptation of Krust," "The Cartridge Family," "Dumbbell Indemnity," and "Das Bus".^[18] The A.V. Club featured the episode in its analysis of "15 Simpsons Moments That Perfectly Captured Their Eras."^[8] The episode is used by the Farmington Trust (UK) for Christian religious education.^[19] In their lesson plan, An Introduction to Philosophy: The Wit and Wisdom of Lisa Simpson, the episode is described in a section on "False Prophets" as applicable for "..studying the more outrageous manifestations of ‘religion’ or those simply alert to the teachings of Christ on the subject."^[19] USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. ... The Simpsons Season 9 DVD Digipak. ... Trash of the Titans is the Emmy Award-winning twenty-second episode of The Simpsons ninth season and the 200th overall. ... The Last Temptation of Krust is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons ninth season. ... The Cartridge Family is the fifth episode of The Simpsons ninth season, which originally aired on November 2, 1997. ... Dumbbell Indemnity is an episode of The Simpsons ninth season. ... Das Bus is the 14th episode of the ninth season of The Simpsons, and a parody of the book and film Lord of the Flies. ... The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. ...

See also

• List of fictional religions
• Parody religion
• Religion in Futurama
• Religion in The Simpsons
• Religious satire

This is a list of fictional religions from specific works of published fiction (films, novels, etc. ... A recent parody religion, Pastafarianism was created in 2005 to protest a decision by the Kansas State Board of Education to allow intelligent design to be taught in science classes alongside evolution. ... The animated science fiction show Futurama makes a number of satirical and humorous references to religion, including inventing several fictional religions which are explored in certain episodes of the series. ... Along with politics, religion remains a major theme on the animated show The Simpsons. ... Religious satire is a form of satire targeted at religion and religious practices. ...

References

Notes

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For College in Nebraska, see Wayne State College. ... The Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network, or FACTNet, is a Colorado-based organization committed to educating and facilitating communication about destructive mind control. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist (Life in Hell) and the Emmy Award-winning creator of the animated series, The Simpsons and Futurama. ... HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... All Things Considered (ATC) is a news radio program in the United States, broadcast on the National Public Radio network. ... NPR redirects here. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the television series. ... The subject of this article may not satisfy the notability guideline for Television episodes. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... St Marys College Durham University Named after The blessed virgin St Mary Established 1899 Principal Jenny Hobbs MBE Senior Tutor Gillian Boughton JCR President Emma Thompson Undergraduates 641 Postgraduates 35 Website St Marys College JCR Website St Marys JCR Boat Club Website St. ...

Further reading

All Movie Guide is a commercial database of information about movie stars, movies and television shows. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Fordham University is a private, coeducational research university[2] in the United States, with three residential campuses located in and around New York City. ... Map highlighting Mahwahs location within Bergen County. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Sunday Mail is a Scottish tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. ... Trinity Mirror is a large United Kingdom newspaper and magazine publisher. ...

External links

Scientology Portal

The Simpsons Portal

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

"The Joy of Sect"

• "The Joy of Sect" at The Simpsons.com
• "The Joy of Sect" episode capsule at The Simpsons Archive
• The Joy of Sect at the Internet Movie Database
• The Joy of Sect, at TV.com