Why is Brian the Dog an atheist when in he has seen Jesus multiple times? I don't get it.

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Polyoctopus

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It is the weirdest thing why does Seth McFarlane make one of Brian's belief Atheism when in the show Family Guy he has seen and talked to Jesus multiple times? I know it's just a fictional t.v program I just want to know is there some kind of joke he is doing that I am not getting? Is there?
 

BehattedWanderer

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Because having a conversation with someone does not mean you immediately follow their entire system of beliefs or their presented dogma. It's the same reason you don't chew on bones or chase cats after playing with your dog.
 

Something Amyss

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Polyoctopus said:
It is the weirdest thing why does Seth McFarlane make one of Brian's belief Atheism when in the show Family Guy he has seen and talked to Jesus multiple times? I know it's just a fictional t.v program I just want to know is there some kind of joke he is doing that I am not getting? Is there?
Weirder than breaking the fourth wall constantly?

Weirder than the random interludes?

Really?

I don't see it.
 

emeraldrafael

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He's a satirical (or at least attempted) representation of a flip flopper on ideals, and wants to be the hipster underdog (no pun intended).

If being religious suddenly became the minority, Brian would become religious.
 

Hero in a half shell

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Maybe that is just a feature of Brian's stubborn politcal viewpoint, or maybe it's because he is a dog and has no soul, or maybe you are taking a childish, immature cartoon way too seriously?

One of those options. Also, Kenny dies in virtually every episode of South Park, and is still alive in the next one, why hasn't anyone noticed this, and why aren't they worshipping Kenny as he is obviously some sort of immortal being?
 

Furioso

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Because Brian is a TERRIBLE PERSON AND CHARACTER >:|


Hero in a half shell said:
Maybe that is just a feature of Brian's stubborn politcal viewpoint, or maybe it's because he is a dog and has no soul, or maybe you are taking a childish, immature cartoon way too seriously?

One of those options. Also, Kenny dies in virtually every episode of South Park, and is still alive in the next one, why hasn't anyone noticed this, and why aren't they worshipping Kenny as he is obviously some sort of immortal being?
They actually addressed that in a kind of recent episode, turns out Kenny has a superpower that allows him to come back to life the next day after dying, the downside is that on the next day no one but him remembers it
 

Giftfromme

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TheYellowCellPhone said:
You're trying to take a comedy show seriously. About religion, no less.

See a problem?
Thread summarised. Also its Family Guy, where random things happen for no reason other then for more things to happen in an episode to pad it out to 22 minutes in length. Nothing in the show makes sense and any event can happen at any time for any reason not connected with the "storyline" of an episode. So it makes perfect sense Brian ins't religious.
 

Something Amyss

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BehattedWanderer said:
Because having a conversation with someone does not mean you immediately follow their entire system of beliefs or their presented dogma. It's the same reason you don't chew on bones or chase cats after playing with your dog.
Also worth noting many Jews believe in Jesus, just not as their Mesiah.
 

BehattedWanderer

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Zachary Amaranth said:
BehattedWanderer said:
Because having a conversation with someone does not mean you immediately follow their entire system of beliefs or their presented dogma. It's the same reason you don't chew on bones or chase cats after playing with your dog.
Also worth noting many Jews believe in Jesus, just not as their Mesiah.
Not that Judaism can be considered a single entity with one Messiah, but sure, why not. Muslims believe in Jesus as well, just not as their prophet of choice. I know quite a few atheists and agnostics who do the same, but don't follow the faith the man preached. It's not like Jesus was Santa Claus, where his existence required belief, after all.
 

userwhoquitthesite

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BehattedWanderer said:
Because having a conversation with someone does not mean you immediately follow their entire system of beliefs or their presented dogma. It's the same reason you don't chew on bones or chase cats after playing with your dog.
Except that atheism means he doesn't believe that God EXISTS, and as OP points out, brian has met jesus several times, and has in fact also seen God on multiple occasions, both of whom demonstrate supernatural powers.

It's fridge logic, to be sure
 

BehattedWanderer

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8-Bit_Jack said:
BehattedWanderer said:
Because having a conversation with someone does not mean you immediately follow their entire system of beliefs or their presented dogma. It's the same reason you don't chew on bones or chase cats after playing with your dog.
Except that atheism means he doesn't believe that God EXISTS, and as OP points out, brian has met jesus several times, and has in fact also seen God on multiple occasions, both of whom demonstrate supernatural powers.

It's fridge logic, to be sure
First of all, Jesus not being a deity, but a man, denotes nothing of Brian's particular brand of theistic belief. As to how he can have met God while still remaining an atheist, I'll put it down to disjointed comedic writing without ensuing intent. Since it's not a show where the depths of a character are explored, Brian having met God need have no effect on his disposition, as he could always take the other atheist stance that god did not create man, but man created god, and thus there is a being that occupies the space where god would be, without all the power of god, because no such power exists.

That, or, you know, become a lapsed atheist with a profound moment of divinity, only to watch it obliterate itself as the credits roll, whereupon that slate gets wiped, and all memory of it ceases to exist. It's not like it's a show where things such as continuity exist. Being this meticulous over it is like scouring your milk to know which particular shade of white it happens to be; it might be useful trivia, but by the next cup/carton/jug, the color will have changed.
 

ace_of_something

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It's a show that freely admits that it does things for laughs and constantly points out it's own inconstant stories. Really we should be asking why it hasn't pointed this out yet.

"It's just a show, I should really just relax."

I mean I could link to a site that explains this MANTRA but i hear that's a faux pas.
 

Owyn_Merrilin

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8-Bit_Jack said:
BehattedWanderer said:
Because having a conversation with someone does not mean you immediately follow their entire system of beliefs or their presented dogma. It's the same reason you don't chew on bones or chase cats after playing with your dog.
Except that atheism means he doesn't believe that God EXISTS, and as OP points out, brian has met jesus several times, and has in fact also seen God on multiple occasions, both of whom demonstrate supernatural powers.

It's fridge logic, to be sure
You know what fridge logic just hit me? Brian is an Atheist, but he wound up in the Christian heaven in the episode where Stewie went 30 years into the future. Of course, he was sitting at a table full of people who committed suicide, which is pretty much a straight ticked to hell in every denomination of Christianity I've ever heard of. (Or do they go to Purgatory in Catholicism? Regardless, you don't go straight to heaven if you kill yourself.) Granted, I think it all pretty much boils down to "Rule of Funny," but this thread has been somewhat intriguing.
 

Kopikatsu

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It's called being a Flat Earth Atheist. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FlatEarthAtheist]

There is a trope for everything. I shit you not.

Owyn_Merrilin said:
8-Bit_Jack said:
BehattedWanderer said:
Because having a conversation with someone does not mean you immediately follow their entire system of beliefs or their presented dogma. It's the same reason you don't chew on bones or chase cats after playing with your dog.
Except that atheism means he doesn't believe that God EXISTS, and as OP points out, brian has met jesus several times, and has in fact also seen God on multiple occasions, both of whom demonstrate supernatural powers.

It's fridge logic, to be sure
You know what fridge logic just hit me? Brian is an Atheist, but he wound up in the Christian heaven in the episode where Stewie went 30 years into the future. Of course, he was sitting at a table full of people who committed suicide, which is pretty much a straight ticked to hell in every denomination of Christianity I've ever heard of. (Or do they go to Purgatory in Catholicism? Regardless, you don't go straight to heaven if you kill yourself.) Granted, I think it all pretty much boils down to "Rule of Funny," but this thread has been somewhat intriguing.
In one episode, Stewie and Brian create the universe.

It would makes sense for Brian to not believe in God because technically, he is God. (Which is Dog backwards! Oh Family Guy, y u so silly.)
 

userwhoquitthesite

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Owyn_Merrilin said:
8-Bit_Jack said:
BehattedWanderer said:
Because having a conversation with someone does not mean you immediately follow their entire system of beliefs or their presented dogma. It's the same reason you don't chew on bones or chase cats after playing with your dog.
Except that atheism means he doesn't believe that God EXISTS, and as OP points out, brian has met jesus several times, and has in fact also seen God on multiple occasions, both of whom demonstrate supernatural powers.

It's fridge logic, to be sure
You know what fridge logic just hit me? Brian is an Atheist, but he wound up in the Christian heaven in the episode where Stewie went 30 years into the future. Of course, he was sitting at a table full of people who committed suicide, which is pretty much a straight ticked to hell in every denomination of Christianity I've ever heard of. (Or do they go to Purgatory in Catholicism? Regardless, you don't go straight to heaven if you kill yourself.) Granted, I think it all pretty much boils down to "Rule of Funny," but this thread has been somewhat intriguing.
hahaha, hell no they don't get to purgatory in Catholicism. According to Dante, they get turned into wretched tree-beings wracked with pain in hell. It's kind of a loophole, you can't repent a sin before you commit it, and murder is an automatic ticket to hell. Add to the murder (of yourself) the sinful hubris of trying to change God's plan for your life and yeah, its Hell for you. Also consider that Brian was in heaven, despite (again, according to catholicism) not having a soul, animal that he is. In one episode, chris even SHOUTS this at brian, but again, continuity and fridge logic. shenanigans
 

brunothepig

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Is that really your biggest question? Seriously? Never mind Brian talking, which is questioned once, offhand, by Peter. Never mind the one year old talking, explained only as "the further a character is from the main cast, the more they understand him" Brian being the obvious exception. Or the fact that throughout the many years that have passed, they've aged one year. They've mocked all of these points. Actually the only thing surprising about Brian remaining atheistic in the face of Jesus Christ is they haven't made a joke about it yet.