"Homer the Heretic" is the third episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 8, 1992. In the episode, Homer decides to forgo going to church and has an excellent time staying home. His behavior quickly attracts the wrath of God, who visits him in a dream. The chalkboard gag from this episode was a reference to the previous episode "A Streetcar Named Marge", which had made controversial references to New Orleans. The episode was written by George Meyer and directed by Jim Reardon. Plot On a frosty Sunday morning, Marge gathers the family to go to church. Homer refuses to go, much to her annoyance and dismay, after he sees the weather outside and accidentally splits his church pants. He stays behind as he sleeps in late, dances in his underwear, makes his special waffle recipe, wins a radio trivia contest, watches an action-packed football game, and finds a penny. Homer attributes his good fortune to skipping church and declares it the best day of his life. Meanwhile, Marge and the kids shiver their way through the sermon, only to find themselves trapped at the end since the door has frozen shut. The congregation is forced to stay longer while Groundskeeper Willie defrosts the doors, after which Marge discovers her car has broken down. When Marge and the children finally get home, Homer says that since so many good things have happened to him because he skipped church, he will never go to church again, much to Marge's horror. That night, Marge prays for her husband at their bedside. Homer tries to entice her to join him in bed, but then falls asleep suddenly and has a dream in which God personally appears to him. God is enraged with Homer for forsaking His church, but agrees to let Homer worship in his own way. Homer starts following his own religion tailored to his personal tastes, including holidays he invents to get out of work. Marge, Reverend Lovejoy and Ned attempt without success to bring Homer back to the congregation. One Sunday morning, while everybody else is at church, Homer falls asleep on the couch smoking a lit cigar, which ignites magazines and ultimately sets the whole house ablaze. Homer wakes up, but is quickly rendered unconscious from smoke inhalation and faints.