I'm sure there would have been much greater opposition to that from various religious communities.Ītheism is, in the broadest sense, an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Out of universe, the 'mentor' to her decision would also have been considerably more controversial - who would you choose, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens? …Stephen Fry? The writers would have to be constantly vigilant for potential plot continuity errors. Every time the family goes to church the topic will rear its head again. Atheism would have been a much more challenging structure to hang onto in subsequent episodes. Gere agreed to guest star under two conditions, the first being that Buddhism should be portrayed accurately, and his second and strongest request being that Lisa should say "Free Tibet" in the episode.īuddhism, from the 'get out of jail free' card given to her by Gere, has a certain long-term ignorability. The episode features actor Richard Gere as himself. Unlike several other episodes in the series in which a character undergoes a change in their personality, Lisa has remained a Buddhist since this episode, much like her conversion to vegetarianism in Lisa the Vegetarian Lisa goes back home, falling asleep beside the Christmas tree and tells everyone that she will be celebrating Christmas with them and continue paying lip service to Christianity while practicing Buddhism for the rest of her life. Thus, Lisa is free to celebrate any holiday with her family, including Christmas. Gere informs her that while Buddhism is about one finding inner peace, it is also about respecting the diversity of other religions based on love and compassion. In-universe, they can deal with Lisa'a permanent conversion to Buddhism more easily than atheism, by never really having to mention it again afterwards - though she does shout "Free Tibet" in a later episode.įrom the linked Wikipedia page in the OP - She of Little Faith ![]() ![]() The out of universe explanation is they managed to snag Richard Gere for an episode.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |