Offering People a Place to Stay: Churches as Models for a Way Crack through the Corporate Crust

In my years on earth, I have seen more businesses come and go enough to scare me from ever wanting to go into business.  However, I have noticed one trend, as far as businesses that have been able to able to compete such that they are able to stay in business despite that big box stores have put so many Ma and Pa stores out of commission.  As far as I can see, big box stores may offer everything but the atmosphere that may enable other businesses to succeed.  The fact is, if you sell items only and provide to place to stay for an extended period of time, chances are that your days are numbered even if your business may be considered as a part of corporate America.  Sports store, computer stores, pet stores, office supply stores, appliance stores, and stores like these probably have their days numbered, and that is because they usually can’t compete with big box stores.  Large stores can offer everything except having the feel of a small store, well maybe.

Church is probably the first example of a successful business, though it may have been a restaurant, etc, I don’t know if anyone really knows for sure, but so far as I know the drive to worship Gd is essentially what created civilization as we know it.  When I say worship, I mean houses of worship that might be called temples that have priests or other religious authorities that facilitate religious experiences, such as going to church on Sundays.   Most religions seem to like to designate at least one day of the week as special day of the week where one goes to visit a pastor, priest, rabbi, or some other religious figure.  Religious training that occurs at these churches is usually centered of the offering of euphoria by the church through the worship of Gd.  For example, Christianity teaches people how to have a euphoric experience through having faith and a relationship with Jesus.  The names of the deities change in religious circles, but the idea essentially remains the same.  For example, if you are a Jew then generally the name rof Gd is forbidden to say, especially in certain instances, such as if one is defecating.  One possible way Christianity may branch off is to have some people refer to Jesus as Yeshua, should its popularity wane.  There are all sorts of ways of getting people to worship the Gd that they like best, and some religions even say that evangelism is forbidden.

Based upon the model of churches, taverns that specialized in the sale of alcoholic beverages is another example of the same type of business that a church offers.  For example, at church euphoria is often sold through psychological conditioning, and in the same way at bars alcohol provides a religious experience for an alcoholic.  The use of drugs to facilitate a religious experience is common to many religions.  Another way places like churches, synagogues, and taverns are sometimes attempt to provide a religious experience is through providing music.  Even at a Orthodox synagogue where music may be forbidden during a service, the rabbi’s voice might be likened to a musical instrument.  And, as such there is usually special holidays which provide a special excuse to worship.  For example, perhaps the most important religious day of the year if you go to taverns is New Year’s Eve.  If you are Jewish, then the Torah teaches that Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year, which may vary in the secular humanist denomination, such that it is difficult to use words like all.  If you are Christian, then you have probably designated Sunday as a special day of worship.  For Christian’s the explanation of Jesus is like that of a drug, where if you accept Jesus into your heart, then at sometime in the future or perhaps immediately you will experience euphoria.  If you are Satanic, then perhaps Halloween provides that excuse to dress up and achieve euphoria through wearing a costume.  Thus, taverns are similar to what churches provide, especially for those that may not believe in Gd and may be seeking a euphoric experience while not having to be concerned about Gd.  For example, taverns and restaurants generally don’t make people drink alcoholic beverages, or smoke cigarettes, or maybe watch prostitutes take off their clothes but often those options are available should one want to participate in them.

Coffee shops are generally considered to be more respectable places of worship by people that attend church, but nevertheless all coffee shops that I know of deal in selling euphoria in a social setting, which is essentially the idea of a church.  Thus, the religious officials at a coffee shop might be called cashiers, trainers, and managers, etcetera.  The particular type of euphoria sold is often the drug caffeine, which is a mild stimulant, and or sugar, such that the use of these drugs is usually less harmful if not beneficial compared to drinking alcohol, especially on a regular basis in large quantities.  There may even be some forms of prostitution at these areas as well that might tempt men to sin.  Thus, there is the concept of the coffee shop as a place where people can congregate and have a fun time, much like they might at a restaurant, especially where most of these stores have some sort of vice that a religious person might indulge in so that they can get the religious experience of being forgiven by a God, depending on what God.

One of the more recent ideas, as far as I know, that has the same modal as a church are game stores.  Some games stores are arcades, where money can be paid in order to play a video game, while others are more comparable to hobby stores, such as stores that provide space for people to play card games like Magic the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, and Yu-Gi-Oh and other games.  These stores are primarily the descendents of chess clubs, bridge clubs, and card games associable with casinos.  Thus, the concept of store which has space for playing games is very comparable to the experiences offered or sold by churches, but that belief in Gd is not required in order to play.

Of all the businesses above, generally what they provide that makes them special is a unique atmosphere.  For example, it would be very difficult for a big box store to compete with one of these chains because usually what makes these businesses special is that they are unique and also provide ways for people that are generally like minded to associate with each other.