When Did Going to Church Become Taboo?

I grew up the way I imagine lots of midwestern Catholic kids grow up. My family dutifully attended church on major holidays like Christmas and Easter, or on the rare Sunday when my mother succeeded in wrangling us into appropriate outfits and into a pew.

My parents weren't Bible thumpers or anything, but they saw raising their children Catholic as a key part of a healthy upbringing. Like making sure we drank our milk and did our homework.