Fact vs. faith is a key part of the Young Sheldon story, but some fans are now divided over its “nice” portrayal of Christianity.
From the opening moments of Young Sheldon‘s first season, the Cooper household becomes a place of facts vs. faith. While Sheldon sticks firmly to his science, his mother Mary heavily invests her time in the local Medford church.
Of course, like all good storylines, The Coopers’ Christianity is frequently tested, especially when Georgie and Mandy first get together.
Some Young Sheldon fans are completely divided by how the show presents Christianity – but is there really a right answer?
Young Sheldon divides Christian fans over “nice” portrayal of religion
Christian Young Sheldon fans are divided over the “nice” portrayal of religion over the course of its six seasons, with others slamming efforts as “dismissive.”
Even against Sheldon’s will, the Cooper family spends a great deal of time in their local church. This even goes as far as Sheldon praying for his father’s health after George‘s heart attack in Season 1.
“As a Christian, I really like how YS shows a family that is Christian and isn’t portrayed as complete buffoons who are mean to everyone around them. Most shows today make fun of Christians and make them look like terrible people,” one fan posted on Reddit.
However, others state that as Young Sheldon progresses, Christianity becomes the butt of the joke, with storylines “accurately” calling out the hypocrisy of religion.
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A second fan weighed in “I have some issues with how it’s portrayed because their brand of religion in the rural South at the time is how I grew up, and people WERE hateful. They were super judgmental (which will come up later), and much of Sheldon’s behavior would not have been tolerated. The whole concept of interrupting sermons or the pastor just smiling over Sheldon saying he’s an atheist repeatedly absolutely is not how church services work and wouldn’t be acceptable in a Southern Baptist church.
“I thought they were far too kind in their presentation of it. They should’ve made them Episcopals or something else if they were going to present them that way.”
A third referred back to The Big Bang Theory, explaining “I will say that in The Big Bang Theory, Mary’s religion is only ever brought up in the context of it being a joke or an obstacle Sheldon had to overcome to get where he is.”
For many Young Sheldon fans, the issue surrounding Christian representation stems from Mary, though others believe her dedication can only be a good thing.
“To me, Mary’s faith is shown in a positive light,” another fan sums up. “She gets a lot of her inner strength from her faith and isn’t afraid to show it. It is her way of coping with the world. She also encourages others because she believes it would help them. But, she isn’t one to shun those who aren’t.
Young Sheldon Season 7 continues on CBS until May 16, 2024. Catch up with plenty more great TV shows to stream this month here.
