Timeline for How powerful would the church become if demons regularly visited Earth?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
13 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jan 17, 2017 at 16:43 | comment | added | Evil Dog Pie | In capitalist societies, market forces may well drive churches into a rapid decline, as private, sectarian 'mercenary' companies form and recruit all the effective exorcists (think G4S Secure Solutions, but with bell, book and candle instead of firearms), leaving the churches with the ineffective preachers, but robbed of most of the true believers. | |
| Jan 17, 2017 at 12:29 | comment | added | Holger | What makes up a “church”? Anyone can found a church. (Unless, there’s a hard restriction, but the question doesn’t mention one) Where’s the monopoly? Even if there are prerequisites necessary to be a “real religion” that can ban demons and make holy ground, it would imply that the existing religions have to give up all the other rituals and rules to compete with other, stripped down to the necessary minimum, religions. People are only interested in getting their home consecrated. Your religion wants me to change my life for that? You are out of business… | |
| Jan 17, 2017 at 1:02 | comment | added | a4android | @Oskuro The ability of religions to defend against demons gives them real power in a way religions haven't enjoyed in the past. Why would any government take up arms against their best defence from demon attacks? The institutions will merge, because that what institutions do to survive. Religions as sociopolitical conglomerates? It's not for wont of trying. Given the chance, they will take it. | |
| Jan 16, 2017 at 14:18 | comment | added | Oskuro | @a4android History begs to differ, try as the might (and they have), Churches have historically more often than not been integrated into governments, rarely the other way around. In any case, nowhere in the OP does it say their newfound power defends them against conventional weaponry, which, unless said churches had a pre-existing army, would leave them open to assimilation. And if they had an army, then they already were more than just a church (I understand churches in the OP as strictly religious organizations, not sociopolitical conglomerates). | |
| Jan 16, 2017 at 12:30 | comment | added | a4android | @Tom I was using "Churches" generically to cover all religions not merely Christianity. Of course, there will be competition. The spoils are wealth, power, and influence. | |
| Jan 16, 2017 at 12:03 | comment | added | Tom | The Churches will have a monopoly until someone spots that a lot of other religions work just as well. Then there will be a very hot competition. | |
| Jan 16, 2017 at 11:44 | comment | added | a4android | @JollyJoker A monoploy on malicious intent? Heavens to Murgatroyd! Church people are too nice for that. :) | |
| Jan 16, 2017 at 11:43 | comment | added | a4android | @Oskuro Those with the real power call the shots. Perhaps the Churches will integrate the military and emergency services unto themselves. The financial institutions will soon follow. | |
| Jan 16, 2017 at 11:39 | comment | added | a4android | @SRM Very good, that's a really nifty couple of ideas. They really make sense. | |
| Jan 16, 2017 at 11:25 | comment | added | JollyJoker | Does this mean the churches would also have a monopoly on malicious intent? ;) | |
| Jan 16, 2017 at 10:44 | comment | added | Oskuro | Alternatively, governments might seize churches and integrate them into military and emergency services, as they've become a vital tool for survival. | |
| Jan 16, 2017 at 8:06 | comment | added | SRM | Every corp will need to be part of some church or have one as landlord to avoid liability claims. | |
| Jan 16, 2017 at 7:20 | history | answered | a4android | CC BY-SA 3.0 |