Thursday, May 24, 2007

Here's a Question For You.

Again, thanks everyone for your words of comfort, support, and most importantly, your prayers for all involved.

Okay, new topic now.

My husband and I are having a disagreement. Is it ever okay to throw away a book if you don't want to subject anyone to the bad, bad theology contained within its pages? What if it was sent to you unsolicited?

Whatcha think?

9 comments:

Amy said...

If you don't want someone to suffer for the book, at least sell it on amazon or ebay, so a person gets it willingly. And you get a little cash.

Cause, beleive me, the person who reads bad theology WILL PAY! In more ways than one.

Backwoods Rev said...

Don't throw- recycle!

Di said...

I have definitely thrown away some books that I thought were awful. I'm a big believer in this. In my case, yes, it's been theology that made my bones cringe. Mr. M went through a purging period a little over a year ago too, where he threw out a number of movies/shows/video games, because he was no longer comfortable with violence in his entertainment.

I don't believe in censorship, I would never want to burn every copy of something I didn't agree with. But I don't want to be a part of its propagation, either. Recycling is good-- unless by that you mean giving it to someone else.

more cows than people said...

umm... having received some dreadful books from folks trying to save me, i get this dilemma, and... with due respect to mrs. m's concerns about censorship my question is "Do you have a fireplace?" or "Will you and your husband be camping any time soon?" (hee. hee. i was thinking private campfire, but... camping toilet paper... also a good thought). i've never done it (burned or intentionally desecrated a book), but could be quite satisfying for you, and so long as you don't publicize your actions i don't think it would be harming anybody.

sure, sell it if you want, but... you've got my two cents.

PPB said...

Ah, my answer was the same as backwoods rev: recycle.

Magdalene6127 said...

I do think it's ok to throw away a bad book on the logic that no one should be subjected to it... Go for it Iris.

Peace,

Mags

Anonymous said...

ooh, tough question. i don't think i could throw it away...books are a sacred thing to me, somehow, even the bad ones...so...recycle? donate?

Diane M. Roth said...

That's tough. I love books and am knee-jerkingly opposed to defacing them in any way. I get what you mean, but on the other hand, there are people who feel that way about Huckleberry Finn. So.. I guess recycle.

Iris said...

Great conversation, everyone! I think I'm going to recycle- it'll feel like throwing them away. The trees would not have died in vain and perhaps the pages can come back as a Barbara Kingsolver book in another life!