# I pit churches that exist to attack other churches **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 8, 2012, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835 "2012-08-08T07:26:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/1 "2012-08-08T07:26:09Z")
It reminds me of MBA class and all this talk about competitive market positioning. There’s nothing wrong with saying you’re the true church of Christ or God but saying flat out that other churches are pagan or, at the least, not of God or Jesus is, I think, un-Christian. And before some people turn this into a Great Debate thread, I would like to say that I’m agnostic, bordering to Atheism. But I continue to practice the religion my parents brought me up in and I don’t take kindly to so-called objective criticisms by people who read bible verses at the high school level and pronounce anything contrary as demonic or pagan. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/2 "2012-08-08T07:39:39Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > It reminds me of MBA class and all this talk about competitive market positioning. There’s nothing wrong with saying you’re the true church of Christ or God but saying flat out that other churches are pagan or, at the least, not of God or Jesus is, I think, un-Christian. I agree it’s shitty, but what do you really expect them to do? “This thing is really important, and I’ve got the truth in my possession, but hey, _so has everybody else!_” ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/3 "2012-08-08T07:45:41Z")
Here in my country at least, they can stop posting online cartoons of demonic popes and bishops. They’re also mis-informed about stolen blessed sacraments. A church doesn’t automatically close down if consecrated matter is stolen. The whole parish simply goes into prolonged penance. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/4 "2012-08-08T08:07:35Z")
Some detail might have helped. I haven’t a clue what incidents you’re referring to. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/5 "2012-08-08T10:43:40Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Here in my country at least, they can stop posting online cartoons of demonic popes and bishops. They’re also mis-informed about stolen blessed sacraments. A church doesn’t automatically close down if consecrated matter is stolen. The whole parish simply goes into prolonged penance. What? Can you elaborate? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/6 "2012-08-08T11:18:55Z")
To me all churches and religious structures are somewhat demonic, it is a mix of God and Satan that is allowed to exist for a time till God’s children realize this get up and leave. I know you said you didn’t’ want a GD, but that was just a background of my reply to your pitting, which is Satan operates at that church what else would you expect? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/7 "2012-08-08T11:54:23Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Here in my country at least, they can stop posting online cartoons of demonic popes and bishops. They’re also mis-informed about stolen blessed sacraments. A church doesn’t automatically close down if consecrated matter is stolen. The whole parish simply goes into prolonged penance. What country is that? Do you have links to any news stories about this plague of thefts? The rightness of others’ beliefs are not for us to judge, but criminal actions must be prosecuted. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/8 "2012-08-08T14:01:50Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > To me all churches and religious structures are somewhat demonic, it is a mix of God and Satan that is allowed to exist for a time till God’s children realize this get up and leave. > > I know you said you didn’t’ want a GD, but that was just a background of my reply to your pitting, which is Satan operates at that church what else would you expect? Well, there you have it! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/9 "2012-08-08T18:55:09Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > To me all churches and religious structures are somewhat demonic, it is a mix of God and Satan that is allowed to exist for a time till God’s children realize this get up and leave. What the fucking fuck? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/10 "2012-08-08T18:59:31Z")
DNFT Lunatic. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/11 "2012-08-08T19:34:18Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > It reminds me of MBA class and all this talk about competitive market positioning. There’s nothing wrong with saying you’re the true church of Christ or God but saying flat out that other churches are pagan or, at the least, not of God or Jesus is, I think, un-Christian. That sounds like witch talk to me! ---
**Author:** ![buckgully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/12 "2012-08-08T19:54:59Z")
The title of this thread makes me think “predatory churches”. That leads me to the mental picture of a Tyrannosaurus Rex wearing a pope hat and carrying a papal staff in his otherwise useless forearms running around eating smaller, plant-eating churches. Just wanted to share that image, because it’s too awesome to keep in my own head. ETA: Egad!: [T-rex-Pope | Monado | Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/monado/6082134010/) ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/13 "2012-08-08T19:58:57Z")
In my experience, churches reproduce by fission, driven by internal strife. Two cliques in the congregation decide they can’t stand each other, and force everyone else to take sides. They snipe and feud for a while, then pick some petty point of doctrine to disagree over; they make this point the deciding factor as to whether or not the other side counts as Christian. Whichever side has less power–because they’re smaller, have less control over the purse strings, or have less pull with the priest/minister/whatever–gets pushed out and forms another church down the road. (Regrettably, this does not generally involve blackjack and hookers.) They’ve already painted the other group as unbelievers in order to rationalize the breakup; this attitude gets reinforced over time, then passed along as tradition. Of _course_ they’re going to malign each other. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/14 "2012-08-08T20:04:51Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > What the fucking fuck? You’ve been around here long enough to know that **kanicbird** is fucking loony tunes. Why so surprised? ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/15 "2012-08-08T21:38:56Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I agree it’s shitty, but what do you really expect them to do? “This thing is really important, and I’ve got the truth in my possession, but hey, _so has everybody else!_” Each church as its own ‘truth’. The job of other churches is to sneak into the other religion’s sanctuaries, steal the truth, and bring it back to their own inner sanctum. If the church is caught doing that, the truth goes back to the original alter and the missionaries trying to get the truth are ‘out’ for a set period. If either church successfully brings the other’s truth back to their home base, they are declared the winner. Tribes are then broken up and the selection process starts all over again. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/16 "2012-08-08T21:42:57Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > To me all churches and religious structures are somewhat demonic, it is a mix of God and Satan that is allowed to exist for a time till God’s children realize this get up and leave. > > I know you said you didn’t’ want a GD, but that was just a background of my reply to your pitting, which is Satan operates at that church what else would you expect? Or, conversely, you might be a crazy person. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/17 "2012-08-08T21:51:01Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > DNFT Lunatic. What does this acronym mean? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/18 "2012-08-08T22:19:50Z")
> [@campp](#): > > What does this acronym mean? 😕 Do not feed the lunatic. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/19 "2012-08-08T22:33:58Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Each church as its own ‘truth’. The job of other churches is to sneak into the other religion’s sanctuaries, steal the truth, and bring it back to their own inner sanctum. If the church is caught doing that, the truth goes back to the original alter and the missionaries trying to get the truth are ‘out’ for a set period. If either church successfully brings the other’s truth back to their home base, they are declared the winner. Tribes are then broken up and the selection process starts all over again. Yeah, but it’s all really about the sponsorship, and extended penance. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835/20 "2012-08-08T22:45:27Z")
> [@buckgully](#): > > The title of this thread makes me think “predatory churches”. That leads me to the mental picture of a Tyrannosaurus Rex wearing a pope hat and carrying a papal staff in his otherwise useless forearms running around eating smaller, plant-eating churches. > > Just wanted to share that image, because it’s too awesome to keep in my own head. > > ETA: Egad!: [T-rex-Pope | Monado | Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/monado/6082134010/) [Rival Pope-rexes! Run for your lives!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15084452#post15084452) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-churches-that-exist-to-attack-other-churches/630835.md?page=2)