Those who come to church with a predisposition to religious

[RBBmba@2014]

Those who come to church with a predisposition to religious belief will be happy in an auditorium or even a storefront, and there is no doubt that religion is sometimes better served by adapted spaces of this kind instead of by some of the buildings actually designed for it.

(A) adapted spaces of this kind instead of by some of the buildings actually designed for it
(B) adapted spaces like these rather than some of the buildings actually designed for them
(C) these adapted spaces instead of by some of the buildings actually designed for it
(D) such adapted spaces rather than by some of the buildings actually designed for them
(E) such adapted spaces than by some of the buildings actually designed for it

OA: E

P.S: I got this one right with no issue. But I've a question to clarify for option D.Had D been - such adapted spaces rather than by some of the buildings actually designed for IT - would it have been a correct option on its own ?

[prachi18oct]

Those who come to church with a predisposition to religious belief will be happy in an auditorium or even a storefront, and there is no doubt that religion is sometimes better served by adapted spaces of this kind instead of by some of the buildings actually designed for it.

(A) adapted spaces of this kind instead of by some of the buildings actually designed for it
(B) adapted spaces like these rather than some of the buildings actually designed for them
(C) these adapted spaces instead of by some of the buildings actually designed for it
(D) such adapted spaces rather than by some of the buildings actually designed for them
(E) such adapted spaces than by some of the buildings actually designed for it

OA: E

P.S: I got this one right with no issue. But I've a question to clarify for option D.Had D been - such adapted spaces rather than by some of the buildings actually designed for IT - would it have been a correct option on its own ?

I think still it wouldn't be correct due to construction "rather than by".
It would be fine if it were such adapted spaces rather than some of the buildings actually designed for it.

Experts please shed some light.

[MartyMurray]

Those who come to church with a predisposition to religious belief will be happy in an auditorium or even a storefront, and there is no doubt that religion is sometimes better served by adapted spaces of this kind instead of by some of the buildings actually designed for it.

(A) adapted spaces of this kind instead of by some of the buildings actually designed for it
(B) adapted spaces like these rather than some of the buildings actually designed for them
(C) these adapted spaces instead of by some of the buildings actually designed for it
(D) such adapted spaces rather than by some of the buildings actually designed for them
(E) such adapted spaces than by some of the buildings actually designed for it

OA: E

P.S: I got this one right with no issue. But I've a question to clarify for option D.Had D been - such adapted spaces rather than by some of the buildings actually designed for IT - would it have been a correct option on its own ?

I think still it wouldn't be correct due to construction "rather than by".
It would be fine if it were such adapted spaces rather than some of the buildings actually designed for it.

Experts please shed some light.

In D, the use of the word rather does not make sense.

In prachi18oct's version, partly because by is left out, there is a parallelism issue because by such adapted spaces is compared with buildings actually designed.

Look at this simple sentence. You need by in both places for the sentence to make sense.

Religion is better served by this than by that.

An alternative version would include the understood it is.

Religion is better served by this than it is by that.

If you leave out the second by the clause almost seems to compare religion and buildings.

[GMATGuruNY]

P.S: I got this one right with no issue. But I've a question to clarify for option D.Had D been - such adapted spaces rather than by some of the buildings actually designed for IT - would it have been a correct option on its own ?

Your proposed revision of D:
Religion is sometimes better served by such adapted spaces rather than by some of the buildings.
This sentence is not viable: rather cannot be used in conjunction with a comparative such as better.
Incorrect: X is better served by Y rather than by Z.
Correct: X is better served by Y than by Z.
Correct: X is served by Y rather than by Z.