I've been watching a two-episode story line on Comedy Central. All of the kids started attending Cartman's church after they caught the minster from their original, real church doing something with a woman in the confessional booth. They stop attending school and only go to church and confess their sins in an extreme attempt to ensure they go to Heaven when they die. Then, according to his plan, Cartman starts taking money, not unlike real world televangelists. Not until Jesus explains things do the kids let it go.
Any why do I say this two-episode arc was so perverse? Here are some tidbits from the story line.
- You're shown the recent arrivals in Hell. The orientation guy, responding to one man's statement that he's been a good Protestant, says nope, sorry, wrong religion. And the right one? The Mormons.
- G-d states he's a Buddhist. Shortly thereafter, like a frog, he sucks down a fly.
- Satan talks with G-d about his relationship issues.
The entire story was an excellent commentary on following religions to their extremes. I'm not going to go too far into it other than to say that, as I think the story suggests, I am not of the belief that there is a right and a wrong religion. If you stay true to yourself and do "good things" then bully for you. Then again, my religion doesn't believe in Hell so I'm not really concerned.
And for the record, I believe they were episode numbers 11 and 12 from Comedy Central's Top 27 South Park Episodes.