I first heard it as a “Jewish” joke. I found an explanation here - I wonder if it has been washed with Politically Correct Detergent and recycled. The fact of the matter however is that Christian churches have had this happen as well. For many years, my parents each got into their own cars and went to two different Episcopal churches every Sunday until my Mom passed away.
Any time humans are involved, things get complicated.
+1 That last sentence says it all. It’s not a distinctly Christian or Jewish or anything else trait, it’s a human trait. The ironic part is that the Christian Bible warns us “Those who compare themselves among themselves are not wise.”
There are over a dozen Christian churches within a half mile of where I live and none of them is anywhere near full. The nearest one operates at about 2-3% of it’s capacity. The largest one has parking for about 200 cars but you hardly ever see more than 10 there. I’ve been to dozens of churches of many denominations but I no longer go and I ain’t missing anything worthwhile in my choice.
Sorry …I heard the joke and then went to the internet to find it …i had 3 or 4 versions and cut and pasted a really lengthy and poor version without reading it before posting …
i hesitate to even post a better version since lots of people really didn’t think it was funny …after beating it to death i think the funniest part is having to explain it
A ship was sailing past a remote island and discovered a man who had been stranded there for several years. They went ashore to rescue the man and noticed he had built three big buildings. They asked him, “What are they for ?”
He said, “That’s my house.”
“Ok, so what’s the second building?”
“That’s the church I go to every Sunday.”
“Ok, so what’s that other big building on the left ?”
“Oh… that. That’s the church I used to go to.”
or
Six men end up stranded on an island. Two are Jewish, two are Catholic, and two are Baptists.
After a while, the Jewish men set up a synagogue.
Then, the Catholic men built a fine cathedral.
Not long after, the Baptists built First Baptist Church and Second Baptist Church.
Children..... You spend the first 2 years of their life teaching them to walk and talk.... Then you spend the next 16 years telling them to sit down and shut-up.
Some people are like Slinkies ... not really good for anything, but you can't help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs.
Did you know that dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish?
The church joke (which I liked) was simply about if the guy wanted a “new” church all he had to do was change it in his head. he’s the only one on the island, no need to build a third building.
But hey the “alone” folks look for things to do so maybe being stranded alone, the dirvision of making a third building makes sense in a bordom sort of way.