Advice: What should I do with these books?

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nahbios

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Hello all,

I’ve searched CAF for other threads dealing with this before and I thought that I’d just post my own twist on it. The ‘twist’ may ultimately be irrelevant, but that’s why I’m asking for bona fide advice.

A good friend of mine gave me a few books to read and to keep - they looked new. I read them, but I found material in them that did not sit well with my conscience; namely: character(s) talking badly of members of the Church / dismissing various aspects of the Church, and sexual content. I don’t want to give them away as I think they have, at least, a potential to subvert some readers. At the moment, I have them in my room.

I am not ungrateful to my friend for her generosity and her fondness for literature is something that I like about her. At the same time, I don’t feel right hanging onto these books - it’s been weighing on my conscience.

I’d appreciate advice on what to do with them. 🙂
 
Just rip them up an throw them out…

I would not give them back…for they were given to you…and they might just give them to someone else.

(though one must ask…is this friend going to look for them? among your books?..was it a special gift? Such must be taken into account (like one may want to hold on to them --put away in some place–for a while be for getting rid of them…if not near occasion to anyone. One may also “consider” mentioning the problems…)
 
Either return the books or throw them in the trash. If you choose the trash, as a matter of being tactful, do not tell the donor unless they ask you.
 
If they’re paperback, just throw them in a recycle bin, if available. Otherwise, trash them or burn them. I would’ve suggested donating them to your local library if you can, but if they bother you that much, then maybe not.
 
Bookcat said:
One could also burn them…🙂
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I’ll second that motion. Donating them only defeats your purpose of keeping them from possibly harming others. If your friend asks about them, just say you loaned them out and they were never returned. Then go to confession and tell the priest you told a white lie. 😃
 
Agape_Thom said:
Didn’t they do that in Germany back in the 1930’s and 1940’s?
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Darn ! You found us out: right when we are trying to create a fascist state. :rolleyes:

I knew it wouldn’t be long before someone brought that up.

C’mon. Use your head. In 1930s Germany, the government ordered all books with “Jewish” ideas to be burned, regardless of who owned them. There’s a world of difference between that and a free person disposing of a few of his own.
 
Oh, dear…I seem to have prompted a debate on book-burning! 😊 Never mind…I actually ‘took’ part of the advice of Bookcat and sedonaman in a separate case when I burned a few books earlier this year - mainly books that I read for English literature in college. This was done because I didn’t want to risk causing temptation for someone going through the recycle bin if I tore them up and put them in there; even if they just glanced at one of the pages, something untoward on that page could catch their eye. Burning eliminated any chance of that. :o

However, I did not want to burn these books. So, I’ll take the advice offered by Bookcat and msugeotech (tear them up so that they are no good for a resale and put them into our recycle bin). George, I am very much aware about my friend in this scenario; so, indeed, I won’t say anything about the whereabouts of the books unless she asks. I think that saying that ‘They were recycled’ sounds better than ‘They were thrown out’…certainly better than ‘They were burned’!! Bookcat, I did actually put them away for a good length of time, out of sight of my family so that they wouldn’t be likely to read them…unless they accidentally found them in a box under my bed. 😛

Thanks to everyone for your help! May God bless you and grant you all the spiritually-edifying books your souls need. 😉
 
sedonaman said:
I’ll second that motion. Donating them only defeats your purpose of keeping them from possibly harming others. If your friend asks about them, just say you loaned them out and they were never returned. Then go to confession and tell the priest you told a white lie. 😃
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Don’t lie. Just say that you passed them on and don’t mention who you passed them to. 😉
 
Thanks, Joe - no, I won’t lie in any case. I think sedonaman may have been joking in saying to tell a while lie and confess it afterwards. I’ll just try and exercise that God-given cardinal virtue of prudence if either of the books come up in conversation. 🙂
 
nahbios said:
Thanks, Joe - no, I won’t lie in any case. I think sedonaman may have been joking in saying to tell a while lie and confess it afterwards. I’ll just try and exercise that God-given cardinal virtue of prudence if either of the books come up in conversation. 🙂
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👍
 
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