Ned Flanders

Contrary to some opinions, I think the character Ned Flanders makes an extremely poor Christian on The Simpsons. 

Ned Flanders is more concerned with his own spiritual "safety", "well-being", and "cleanliness". He has no common ground with the other Simpson characters and thus cannot relate (nor even reach out) to them. I think Ned Flanders would be well to sit in Moe's Tavern and have a beer with Homer and Barney... but he never does! 

Ned Flanders is a spiritual hedonist. He is afraid to get his hands dirty with the "common rabble".

The Ned Flanders is more concerned with a “them-and-us” type of perspective - the clean and the unclean - the worldly and the godly – the secular and the sacred.

I think many churches and Christians need a sobering reality check. 
(If we look at some biblical examples of "heroes of faith" in minute detail, we may be surprised. Rahab (Joshua 2:1-7) was an adulterous prostitute and there is no indication she changed her ways after she saved the Israelite spies).

But there are some who do not make these Ned Flanders’ distinctions. They are not afraid to associate with sinners. They are not afraid of swearing. They are not afraid of getting their hands dirty. These are the ones who will regularly walk into Moe’s Tavern and will have a beer with Homer and Barney.