[Conan the Librarian]

I am not sure what version of the Simpsons you have been watching, but, I haven’t seen them ever portray Flanders as anything but a kind and protective (sometimes overprotective) father. He is sometimes shown as Naive, but, many people are naive without being stupid. Flanders is also shown as overcoming adversity with faith.

I have always thought the Simsons were very respectful to Faith, while ragging on religions.

In fact, when they actually have shown God, they show God with normal human features (five fingers and toes) and normal colored skin. Of course God is not human, but, many have personified God in the past, and, I am sure that many more will in the future.

Of course, the best show was left out.

(to the opening theme)

Futurama...Futurama...Futurama...FUturamamama.

[Chewie84]

“I am not sure what version of the Simpsons you have been watching.....”

I’ve been watching the version of the Simpsons they show on Fox at 8:00 EST on Sunday evenings.

“...I haven’t seen them ever portray Flanders as anything but a kind and protective (sometimes overprotective) father.”
Well, see, that WAS how he was portrayed for most of the show’s run, but over the last few seasons, the episodes where he plays a prominent role appear to be more geared towards portraying him as a mean, dumb zealot whose views are always shown as wrong.
For example, in the episode “The Monkey Suit,” Flanders was portrayed as stupid and ignorant for believing in Creationism (In fact, that’s how pretty much ALL of the Creationists in that episode were portrayed). In the recent episode “You Kent Always Say What You Want,” Kent Brockman curses on the air, and Ned Flanders is depicted as a pathetic, paranoid nutcase for alerting a religious watchdog group to this outburst and ultimately getting Brockman fired.
I WISH they’d go back to portraying Ned as the prudish yet friendly and warm- hearted guy next door.