The Simpsons: 15 BEST Golden Age Episodes

One of the few episodes produced by Conan O'Brien before he catapulted himself to stardom, Homer the Heretic is an exercise in personal belief and just how our maintenance on religion influences our life, whether jubilating or desecrating. And for the time, this episode was considered as controversial as it was subversive, if not outright transgressive.

Back in the 1990s, religion was an intensely sensitive subject matter and not too many shows in syndication at this time had the gall to tackle such a monumental collective institution, with the predominant focus on Christianity and Homer's allegiance, or lack thereof, toward it.

The ideology of Homer staying at home and worshipping God in his own way was not only challenging, it was unheard of. So, when he chooses to do so in the episode, his wife condemns him, his children are confused and his overly preachy neighbourino Flanders tries to reignite his interest with a song and dance, to no avail.

Only when disaster strikes do they all put their problems aside to help the lovable oath, as Flanders, Apu and Krusty - who are all members of different religions - come together to save Homer from burning to death, on Earth as he would presumably do in Hell. With this coalescence, it proves that what one person believes as opposed to the next is insignificant when it comes to being a human first and foremost.

Also, it would be negligent not to mention the brilliant ending that sees Homer, potentially, learning about the meaning of life.