Homer the Heretic

"Homer the Heretic" is the third episode of Season 4, and the first episode of that season produced.
==Synopsis==
Homer skips church for a Sunday due to the blistering cold weather and has such a great time, he decides to forgo mainstream religion in favor of his own self-invented theistic religion, which doesn't sit well with Marge.
== Full Story ==
On a very cold Sunday morning in a blizzard, Marge tries to get Homer out of bed as she is gathering the family to go to church, but Homer refuses and goes back to his warm bed after ripping his pants. After sleeping extra-late, he finally gets up and has fun with the house all to himself: He cranks up the heat, dances in his underwear, makes his Patented Space-Age Out of this World Moon Waffles, wins a radio trivia contest, watches a boring debate on TV get preempted for what turns out to be an action-packed football game, and finds a penny under the couch (all of which are his new "best day of [his] life," next to marrying Marge and an unspecified time where he happily ran around a fountain of beer from an overturned tanker truck). 
Meanwhile Marge, the kids, and the rest of the congregation shiver their way through the service and a rambling sermon, only to find themselves trapped at the end because the door is frozen shut. To make matters worse, even after they leave Marge is unable to start the car due to the cold weather.
They finally get home cold, and Homer tells Marge he's had the best day of his life, all thanks to skipping church. Marge is shocked to hear this and tries to insist to the children that Homer is just kidding. Homer says he means it and declares he's no longer going to church which she is horrified to hear. While trying to clean the waffle iron Marge is very angry with Homer for giving up on his faith by no longer going to church. Homer gives her his reasons (e.g. "What if we picked the wrong religion? Every week we're just making God madder and madder."), which Bart agrees on and encourages, which does not please Marge at all. Later that evening, Marge prays for God to talk with Homer. Homer, meanwhile, falls asleep and has a dream where God appears to him. God is initially angry with Homer; once He has calmed, Homer asks Him what's the big deal of going to church when he's not a bad person and that he can worship in his own way ("I work hard and I love my kids... so why should I spend half my Sunday hearing about how I'm going to hell?") God sees Homer's point and agrees, ending the dream.
Marge, Reverend Lovejoy, and the Flanders family all try to win Homer back to Christianity and fail. The next Sunday morning, Marge tells Homer to not make her choose between him and God but Homer claims she's just siding with someone else again. She does ask him once more if Homer will go to Church with her and the kids and he declines. At church Lovejoy berates Homer and tells everyone to keep the Sabbath Day Holy, while Homer is once again at home while everyone else is at church. He smokes a cigar while reading Playdude Magazines. Homer eventually falls asleep, and the lighted cigar he was smoking at the time falls on one of the magazines; the hot ash ignites the paper, and it isn't long before the house is engulfed in flames.
Homer wakes up to find the house in flames, panics and succumbs to the thick smoke. Apu, a Hindu, spots the blaze and takes up his duties as part of Springfield's volunteer fire department (of which the Jewish Krusty the Clown is also a member). Meanwhile, the Christian Ned tries to rescue Homer. After the fire department has extinguished the blaze, Homer fears that God was showing vengeance, but Reverend Lovejoy points out that God was actually working in the hearts of Homer's friends, despite their different faiths. Homer apologizes to those he was rude to and thanks them for saving his life when they could have let him burn. A kind hearted Lovejoy convinces Homer to give church another try which agrees to. Homer is at church next Sunday, but sleeps through the service. God appears in his dreams again and consoles Homer on the failure of his religion.
==Broadcast History==
===United States===
Broadcast date(s)	Channel aired
*October 8, 1992
*January 7, 1993
*November 27, 1994	
*December 20, 2020	
==Behind the Laughter==
=== Production ===
This is the first episode to be animated by Film Roman.
ca:Homer the Heretic
de:Ein gotteslästerliches Leben
fr:Homer l'hérétique
pl:Homer the Heretic
pt:Homer, o herege
ru:Гомер-еретик
sv:Homer the Heretic
Category:Religion-themed episodes
Category:Homer episodes
Category:Episodes named after a character
Category:Marge episodes
Category:Reverend Lovejoy Episodes
Category:Apu episodes
Category:Krusty the Clown Episodes
Category:Ned Flanders Episodes
Category:Winter Episodes
Category:'The' Episodes
Category:Episodes named after Homer
Category:Episodes in which Homer almost loses Marge
Category:Episodes on DVD
Category:Flashback episodes
Category:Directed by Jim Reardon
Category:Written by George Meyer
Category:Highly Rated Episodes
Category:Episodes focusing on Homer