THE SIMPSONS - THE SIMPSONS USED TO TEACH THE GOSPEL

Cartoon favourite THE SIMPSONS will be the unlikely subject of a series of Bible classes.

The lectures will be held at Britain's ALL SAINTS CHURCH in Kesgrave, near London, by the REVEREND ROBIN SPITTLE, who will examine the Christian message in the popular show.

He says, "They are a churchgoing family and they make moral decisions, some of which I agree with, some of which I don't, but either way they are a great way to open up a discussion."

Churchgoers have been invited to attend four classes from the end of April (04) on each of the four main family members - HOMER, MARGE, BART and LISA.

The reverend, 46, cites the temptation for Marge and Homer to have extramarital affairs as a recurring story line.

Spittle, who has used Hollywood films such as HARRY POTTER to teach the meaning of Easter, explains, "Both Marge and Homer have found themselves being offered the opportunity to play away from home and they both turn them down.

"Temptation, choices and doing what's right - you can't get much more of a Christian message than that."

The EMMY-winning series was criticised when it first aired in the early 1990s.

In 1992, former American President GEORGE BUSH said that American families should be "a lot more like the WALTONS and a lot less like the Simpsons".