Maude Flanders was a devout Christian
She attended Bible camp to learn to be more judgmental and campaigned against Itchy and Scratchy with Marge.
She died in a sporting accident — she was knocked off a grandstand when a volley of gift T-shirts shot from compressed-air cannons struck her while Homer was distracted from catching the shirts, due to finding a bobby-pin. Maude made Simpsons history by being the first Simpson character to ever die on screen, have a funeral and actually not return (except in ghost form).
Her dream of opening a Christian-themed amusement park was posthumously realized by the grieving Ned, who memorialized her with the motto: "She taught us the joy of shame and the shame of joy."
It is rumored that Maude was killed off because her voice actress demanded more money, and was denied; other sources say the actress was tired of multi-state commutes for only occasional work.
