"Interesting..." Young Sheldon murmured, his curiosity piqued after hearing the basic tenets of Taoism.
Since Mike's explanation hadn't been detailed enough for his liking, Sheldon was already plotting where he could find more comprehensive information on the subject.
Just then, Mary walked in from outside. having taken on the task of planning the Pastor's wedding, her face was glowing with excitement.
"Mom, can you tell me about Christianity?" Sheldon seized the opportunity to ask.
"Of course!" Mary, thinking her little boy was finally coming around to the Lord, happily launched into a detailed introduction of the faith.
However, after listening to Mary's explanation, Sheldon still wasn't satisfied. He felt his understanding of organized religion was still lacking data.
"Dad, can you drive me to the library? I need to look up some materials on theology..." Sheldon turned to his father for help.
George was lying on the couch, comfortably nursing a beer. He glanced out the window at the darkening sky and lazily replied, "Shelly, it's too late. How about I take you when I have some free time?"
In reality, George's new job at the sporting goods store had him working practically non-stop; even his weekends were booked. His answer was mostly just a way to brush his son off.
---
Sheldon, however, was planning to debate Pastor Jeff the very next day. He didn't have time to wait.
Seeing how anxious her Moonpie was, Meemaw chimed in. "Don't worry, Moonpie. I know a library that stays open twenty-four hours. I'll take you right now."
"Really?" Sheldon's face lit up with surprise.
"You bet." Meemaw smiled and patted her grandson's head, then turned to Mike. "Mike, you go on back and get some rest. I probably won't be home until late."
After letting George and Mary know, Meemaw took Sheldon and Mike and left the Cooper house.
It wasn't until the three of them were gone that Mary realized the truth: her son didn't want to learn about Christianity to accept Jesus; he wanted to gather ammunition to argue with Pastor Jeff tomorrow.
The realization left Mary deeply disappointed.
Meanwhile, the trio split up shortly after leaving.
Mike, after watching Meemaw drive Sheldon off toward the library, went straight back to his own place. The intense physical training this week was something his body could handle, but he was mentally drained. All he wanted was a good night's sleep.
Over at the library, Sheldon went on a research binge. He did a deep dive into Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and even skimmed through Voodoo, Satanism, Catholicism, and Mormonism.
It had to be said, Sheldon's IQ of 187 was incredibly efficient. In just over half the night, he had synthesized all the knowledge he needed.
After being baptized by the knowledge of countless faiths, Sheldon felt fully prepared for tomorrow's debate.
Once he had what he needed, the adrenaline that had been keeping him going finally wore off. Physically, he was still just a nine-year-old boy, after all.
Seeing her grandson asleep on the library desk, Meemaw didn't have the heart to wake him. She gently carried him to the car and drove back to the Cooper house.
In the living room, Mary was still awake, worried about her son. When she saw Meemaw return, she quickly took the sleeping Sheldon from her arms.
After Mary tucked him into bed, Sheldon stirred and woke up.
He blinked, looked at his mother, and asked, "Mom, if I don't believe in God, will you be mad at me?"
Hearing her son's sleepy, muffled voice, Mary's heart melted. She stroked his hair and reassured him, "No. Whether you believe or not, Mom will always love you."
"Thank you," Sheldon mumbled, before drifting back into a peaceful sleep.
---
Sunday morning at church.
Sheldon, armed with his new knowledge, noticed that Pastor Jeff was acting a little strange today.
"What is wrong with him?" Sheldon wondered, analyzing his opponent's state.
While preaching today, Pastor Jeff kept pausing to giggle foolishly in a specific direction. Sitting right in his line of sight was the female police officer, Robin.
Meemaw, who had heard from Mary that Pastor Jeff was getting married, looked back and forth between the couple. "I hear the sound of a candy wrapper tearing open. It's disgusting."
To Meemaw, Pastor Jeff's behavior was practically public display of affection. This kind of "lovey-dovey" behavior was very unfriendly to a single woman like herself.
"Candy... where's the candy?" Missy, who had been dozing off, suddenly perked up at the word.
Seeing her daughter's confused face, Mary shook her head. "There is no candy."
While Mary was scolding Missy, the noise woke up Georgie, who was also catching up on sleep.
"Is it over? Can we go?" Georgie rubbed his eyes, standing up in a daze.
That was the last straw. Mary was officially annoyed.
---
Watching his family cause a scene, Sheldon, who had started the questioning, leaned back in the pew with a look of disdain, pretending he didn't know Georgie or the others.
Fortunately, Pastor Jeff's attention was elsewhere, so the Coopers managed to get through the service without total humiliation.
After the service, Pastor Jeff announced his wedding date to the congregation.
Once the crowd dispersed, Pastor Jeff brought Robin over to personally thank Mary. After a brief chat, Jeff walked Robin out, then took Sheldon and Missy to Sunday School.
There, Sheldon saw two familiar faces: the neighbor's kids, Billy and Bobbi Sparks.
Both of them had given Sheldon plenty of bad memories in the past. As a result, his opinion of Sunday School dropped even lower. He dragged a desk and chair to the far side of the room, putting a significant distance between himself and the other children.
"Quiet down, everyone," Pastor Jeff said once Sheldon had settled. "Today, I'm going to tell you about the origins of Christianity..."
The goal of Sunday School was to get kids interested in the faith, so Jeff tried to keep the stories simple and engaging.
Obviously, "simple" was not going to satisfy Sheldon.
After Jeff finished a short intro on the basics, Sheldon raised his hand.
"Sheldon, do you have a question?" Pastor Jeff asked, unaware of the storm that was coming.
"Yes. I have conducted research on Christianity, Taoism, Judaism, and several others..." Sheldon rattled off his list before concluding, "Therefore, I have synthesized the philosophies of various faiths and decided to found a new religion—Mathology."
"What?" Pastor Jeff doubted his own ears.
"Mathology. It is a religion I have evolved by combining science and advanced mathematics." Sheldon stood up and walked to the front of the room, asking solemnly, "Who would like to join the Church of Math? I can teach you profound mathematical truths."
Sheldon was actively recruiting.
While the other kids were still trying to figure out what was happening, Billy Sparks raised his chubby hand.
"Excellent, Billy. You are now a member of Mathology," Sheldon nodded with satisfaction. "Now, do you have any questions?"
"I wanna know, can we eat Mathology?" Billy asked with a goofy grin.
"No. Our church only dispenses knowledge regarding mathematics..." Sheldon explained, looking distressed.