--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My mother attended the local church…" description: "\"My mother attended the local church, Saint Nicolas, and consequently, I attended that church and its Sunday School. My only prizes from the Sunday Scho..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/366/michael-smith-57448_although_my-mother-attended-the-local-church-sain_145612.jpg" --- # My mother attended the local church, Saint Nicolas, and… ![“My mother attended the local church, Saint Nicolas, and consequently, I attended that church and its Sunday School. My only prizes from the Sunday School were 'for attendance,' so I presume my atheism, which developed when I left home to attend university, although latent, was discernible.” quote by Michael Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/366/michael-smith-57448_although_my-mother-attended-the-local-church-sain_145612.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/366/michael-smith-57448_although_my-mother-attended-the-local-church-sain_145612.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/366/michael-smith-57448_although_my-mother-attended-the-local-church-sain_145612.jpg) > “My mother attended the local church, Saint Nicolas, and consequently, I attended that church and its Sunday School. My only prizes from the Sunday School were 'for attendance,' so I presume my atheism, which developed when I left home to attend university, although latent, was discernible.” [Michael Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religious rituals can unintentionally highlight personal belief shifts when external rewards are minimal. **In simple terms:** Church attendance showed lack of faith through trivial rewards. Key Takeaway Seek intrinsic motivation beyond external validation. Themes faith education identity social influence Mood contemplative thoughtful Type personal reflective When to use this quote - school experiences - family traditions - college transition - belief formation Key Concepts sociology psychology religion Questions to Reflect On - How did your environment shape your beliefs? - What role do community rewards play in belief systems? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex reasons for atheism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Consequently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequently/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Presume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presume/) [Saint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saint/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sunday/) [Sunday school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sunday-school/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) ## Related quotes > [We lived in a suburb of Birmingham where I attended the local state school from the age of five. I then went on to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-vane/we-lived-in-a-suburb-of-birmingham-where-i-attended-the-local-state/) [John Vane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vane/) > [It felt good, the whole family together on a sunny morning in a wholesome environment. If it hadn't been for the warshiping God part,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/it-felt-good-the-whole-family-together-on-a-sunny-morning-in-a/) [Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/) > [“The thought came to me that if God, as my mother said, was a vengeful God, he couldn’t be a loving God. I wasn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alcoholics-anonymous/the-thought-came-to-me-that-if-god-as-my-mother-said-was-a-vengeful/) [Alcoholics Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alcoholics-anonymous/) > [Although my family attended the same church as everyone in our town, our religion was not the same. I could stand with my family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/although-my-family-attended-the-same-church-as-everyone-in-our-town/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [Avan was as religious as the next young dragon with his way to make in the world-which is to say that he held many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-walton/avan-was-as-religious-as-the-next-young-dragon-with-his-way-to-make/) [Jo Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-walton/) > [“I have attended church regularly since I was less than a week old. I've listened to sermons about virtue, sermons against vice. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-attended-church-regularly-since-i-was-less-than-a-week-old-i/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [We attended stables, as we attended church, in our best clothes, thereby no doubt showing the degree of respect due to horses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osbert-sitwell/we-attended-stables-as-we-attended-church-in-our-best-clothes-thereby/) [Osbert Sitwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osbert-sitwell/) > [I never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. I had never attended church, was never raised in a religious home, never had any insight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/i-never-heard-the-gospel-of-jesus-christ-i-had-never-attended-church/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [“We attended church Sunday as a family, and it was an even balance as to who was harder to keep still, the four Elliot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/we-attended-church-sunday-as-a-family-and-it-was-an-even-balance-as/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [I grew up in rural Alabama, 50 miles from Montgomery, in a very loving, wonderful family: wonderful mother, wonderful father. We attended church; we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-grew-up-in-rural-alabama-50-miles-from-montgomery-in-a-very-loving/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [“Pulpits today are full of preachers telling one-legged people to jump higher and run faster. Musician Rich Mullins once wrote, “I have attended church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/pulpits-today-are-full-of-preachers-telling-one-legged-people-to-jump/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [“Although my parents never attended church or mentioned Jesus except when they screamed at each other—and then they used his full name, 'Jesus Fucking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/although-my-parents-never-attended-church-or-mentioned-jesus-except/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [In my growing-up years in Germany, I attended church in many different locations and circumstances - in humble back rooms, in impressive villas, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/in-my-growing-up-years-in-germany-i-attended-church-in-many-different/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [Maybe you've attended church for five, ten, or even twenty years, but you've never cracked open the Bible to prepare yourself for effectiveness as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/maybe-you-ve-attended-church-for-five-ten-or-even-twenty-years-but/) [Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/) > [It turns out that the God whose word will stand forever does not exist to insure our fantasies that we will not have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/it-turns-out-that-the-god-whose-word-will-stand-forever-does-not/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) ## More by Michael Smith > [In 1986, I was asked by the then-Dean of Science at the University of British Columbia, Dr. R.C. Miller, Jr., to establish a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-smith/in-1986-i-was-asked-by-the-then-dean-of-science-at-the-university-of/) [Michael Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-smith/) > [I was not proficient in Latin and so was not able to go to Oxford or Cambridge. However, I did enter the first-rate chemistry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-smith/i-was-not-proficient-in-latin-and-so-was-not-able-to-go-to-oxford-or/) [Michael Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-smith/) > [My parents, Mary Agnes Smith and Rowland Smith, both had to work since their early teens, she in the holiday boarding house of her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-smith/my-parents-mary-agnes-smith-and-rowland-smith-both-had-to-work-since/) [Michael Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-smith/) > [We, Homo sapiens, destroyed the majority of the large mammalian species in North America and Australasia just over 10,000 years ago. We, Homo sapiens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-smith/we-homo-sapiens-destroyed-the-majority-of-the-large-mammalian-species/) [Michael Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-smith/) > [“Cooper was frequently asked to take part in interrogations of pilots. The first time he did this, he and two other interrogators were sat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-smith/cooper-was-frequently-asked-to-take-part-in-interrogations-of-pilots/) [Michael Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-smith/) [Explore all 6 Michael Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-smith/) ## More Although quotes > [Everything I write is highly personal, but put in such a way that it's not dropping everything in someone's lap. Although sometimes I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-siberry/everything-i-write-is-highly-personal-but-put-in-such-a-way-that-it-s/) [Jane Siberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-siberry/) > [In France they spend six months training policemen, then they give them a gun and put them on the streets, and I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-kassovitz/in-france-they-spend-six-months-training-policemen-then-they-give/) [Mathieu Kassovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-kassovitz/) > [There are some things that I like, like education, wine, and I'd like to be a good cook, although I'm a pretty good eater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wagoner/there-are-some-things-that-i-like-like-education-wine-and-i-d-like-to/) [Rick Wagoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wagoner/) > [When Apple introduced its game-changing iPhone in 2007, Nokia was caught sleeping on the job. Although it had actually developed an iPhone-style device -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/when-apple-introduced-its-game-changing-iphone-in-2007-nokia-was/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [You can't do every movie - although I do a lot of them - and the thing I'm longing to do is... it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-henriksen/you-can-t-do-every-movie-although-i-do-a-lot-of-them-and-the-thing-i/) [Lance Henriksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-henriksen/) > [Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it comes out of being the opposite of that - feeling isolated or lonely, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimistic-and-upbeat-it-comes-out-of/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [I was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1969, in a time and place where no one was saying, 'Look how far we've come,' because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-stockett/i-was-born-in-jackson-mississippi-in-1969-in-a-time-and-place-where/) [Kathryn Stockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-stockett/) > [Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won't, for he sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/although-we-might-settle-for-less-heavenly-father-won-t-for-he-sees/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) > [Although it is still important to develop an HIV vaccine, we have significant tools already at our disposal that can make a major impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-it-is-still-important-to-develop-an-hiv-vaccine-we-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All trembling, I reached the Falls of Niagara, and oh, what a scene! My blood shudders still, although I am not a coward, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-james-audubon/all-trembling-i-reached-the-falls-of-niagara-and-oh-what-a-scene-my/) [John James Audubon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-james-audubon/) > [I love the little garden in the back of my family's brownstone in Brooklyn. Digging out there in the dirt is a joy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/i-love-the-little-garden-in-the-back-of-my-family-s-brownstone-in/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [I knew from very early on that I wanted kids. I wasn't one of those women who goes, 'Well, if it happens, it happens.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-knew-from-very-early-on-that-i-wanted-kids-i-wasn-t-one-of-those/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I definitely hand myself over to the hair and makeup gods of 'Girls.' Our look on the show is very specific, and it's different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-williams/i-definitely-hand-myself-over-to-the-hair-and-makeup-gods-of-girls/) [Allison Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-williams/) > [I'm not very well known. However, the more well known you get, the more people are going to have expectations of you. Although that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-hawkins/i-m-not-very-well-known-however-the-more-well-known-you-get-the-more/) [Sally Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-hawkins/) > [I would spend hours absorbing every intonation, every inflection - how the singer would convey a sentiment and how it would sound coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-edmonson/i-would-spend-hours-absorbing-every-intonation-every-inflection-how/) [Kat Edmonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-edmonson/) Browse all 578 Although quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My mother attended the local church, Saint Nicolas, and consequently, I attended that church and its Sunday School. My only prizes from the Sunday School were 'for attendance,' so I presume my atheism, which developed when I left home to attend university, although latent, was discernible.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-smith/my-mother-attended-the-local-church-saint-nicolas-and-consequently-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Although" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-smith/my-mother-attended-the-local-church-saint-nicolas-and-consequently-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/366/michael-smith-57448_although_my-mother-attended-the-local-church-sain_145612.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/366/michael-smith-57448_although_my-mother-attended-the-local-church-sain_145612.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/366/michael-smith-57448_although_my-mother-attended-the-local-church-sain_145612.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My mother attended the local church, Saint Nicolas, and consequently, I attended that church and its Sunday…” — Michael Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My mother attended the local church,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-smith/my-mother-attended-the-local-church-saint-nicolas-and-consequently-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-smith/my-mother-attended-the-local-church-saint-nicolas-and-consequently-i/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```