Young Sheldon: Why did Mary Cooper question her faith? Reasons explained

Mary Cooper begins Young Sheldon as the kind of steadfast Southern Baptist who won’t let her genius son skip grace before dinner. That commitment feels unshakeable if your only reference point is The Big Bang Theory, where adult Sheldon still calls her "Texas’s most relentless Christian."

Yet the prequel gradually chips away at that certainty, showing a mother whose belief is repeatedly wounded by real-world pain and the failings of the very church she serves. She even starts pushing her beliefs onto her grieving kids, not out of cruelty, but maybe because it’s the only thing keeping her afloat.

To really get what Mary went through in Young Sheldon, fans have to look at three major things that hit her hard: losing someone she loves, feeling abandoned by the church she trusted, and the crushing weight of grief Mary carried every day.

Keep reading to explore the reasons behind her big decision.

How Mary's faith began to crack in Young Sheldon

Mary’s first major doubt in Young Sheldon comes in Season 2, when a tragic car accident takes the life of a teenage girl from her church. She suddenly stops praying at dinner and even skips church, telling Sheldon that she’s having a hard time believing in something she can’t see or understand.

Mary tells Sheldon:

"Faith means believing in something you can’t know for sure is real, and right now I’m struggling with that."

Although she eventually returns to her routine, it’s clear that her faith took a real hit. Later, things get worse when the church turns its back on her. After Georgie gets Mandy pregnant, Mary is asked to step away from her job, and people at church begin treating her coldly.

Even though it wasn’t her mistake, she’s the one being punished. That moment shows Mary feeling betrayed by the very community she’s always stood by. It quietly shifts how she views religion, not as something comforting, but as something that can also be unfair.

Also Read: Young Sheldon: TBBT spin-off's Meemaw is not the same as in the original show, and here's the reason why

It was Mary's grief that changed her way of looking at faith in Young Sheldon

In the final season of Young Sheldon, everything changes for Mary when George Sr. suddenly passes away. At first, she turns to church even more, trying to find comfort through prayer. But instead of healing, her grief makes her more anxious, especially about whether her family will be saved.

In one emotional scene, Mary begs Sheldon and Missy to get baptized right away, fearing they won’t be reunited with their dad in heaven. Her desperation shows that her faith isn’t giving her peace anymore. It became a way to try to control what she’s afraid of.

Sheldon agrees, but Missy can’t go through with it and walks away. By this point, Mary’s belief has turned into something stricter and heavier, shaped more by fear and guilt than by hope.

Mary’s deep grief eventually changes how she expresses her beliefs. What used to be a comforting routine becomes a way to control the chaos around her. Zoe Perry, who plays Mary, once described this side of the character by saying,

"I like how passionate Mary is. She really cares about what she cares about and she’ll let you know! Least favourite is probably her rigidity, because it is not only metaphorical but literal!"

Young Sheldon can be streamed on Netflix.

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