Old Pagan Literature Post Reverting

[MrNemo]

I came back to the church a couple years ago, but for several years before that I fancied myself an “eclectic pagan” and panthiest. Now I have a large collection of books on divination, magic, and astrology… I was wondering if I should throw these books out or find some other way to dispose of them. I don’t need them and I don’t have much desire for them to linger around until they catch the eye of my children.

I hate throwing things away… so its not easy for me to throw away a book collection

 

[Stephen_says]

You don’t have to throw them away.

The nights are getting colder…maybe a fire would be nice

 

[Bookcat]

Destroy them…(though you may wish to consult an exorcist etc for the best and safest way to do so…especially with some of em perhaps).

So others do not get ahold of them and head down the wrong path…

See: Acts 19:19

 

[dmar198]

I came back to the church a couple years ago, but for several years before that I fancied myself an “eclectic pagan” and panthiest. Now I have a large collection of books on divination, magic, and astrology… I was wondering if I should throw these books out or find some other way to dispose of them. I don’t need them and I don’t have much desire for them to linger around until they catch the eye of my children.

I hate throwing things away… so its not easy for me to throw away a book collection

I was also going to playfully suggest burning them, in imitation of Acts 19:19 – “And a number of those who practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.”

But I don’t really think you should do that without approval from your priest. From the Book of Acts it looks like this book-burning was done as a discipline in public view of the ecclesial community in order to impress upon the faithful the wickedness of magical books, and I doubt any priest would want to arrange such an event in modern times. It would be weird.

Anyway, I don’t have any Realistic suggestions about what to do with your books. I wouldn’t want them to spread their errors to others, so I don’t suggest donating them to your library. Maybe privately burning them isn’t such a bad option, but I think they might make a useful addition to the library of a budding apologist, who could use them as reference books for what modern paganist religions believe in.

 

[Irishmom2]

Put out in the trash, or burn them. The latter being my preference.

 

[Bookcat]

But I don’t really think you should do that without approval from your priest. From the Book of Acts it looks like this book-burning was done as a discipline in public view of the ecclesial community in order to impress upon the faithful the wickedness of magical books, and I doubt any priest would want to arrange such an event in modern times. It would be weird.
.

Huh?

No it was not a public discipline -it was a *spontaneous *act of the persons who received the Gospel and turned to the Lord. And of course if such is done it need not be public -yes that would not be the norm today.

(see my post above about even consulting an exorcist etc first).

 

[Bookcat]

Put out in the trash.

People get books from the trash…and resale them…

 

[Irishmom2]

People get books from the trash…and resale them…

I guess that all depends on where you live and on your trash collection. Our trash goes into the truck and is squashed up. No one is going to the landfill to pick out the books.

 

[Bookcat]

I guess that all depends on where you live and on your trash collection. Our trash goes into the truck and is squashed up. No one is going to the landfill to pick out the books.

People can pick through long before such occurs.

In the past when I have had a book that contained error that would mislead someone -and I through it out -I at least ripped it apart.

 

[dmar198]

Huh?

No it was not a public discipline -it was a *spontaneous *act of the persons who received the Gospel and turned to the Lord. And of course if such is done it need not be public -yes that would not be the norm today.

(see my post above about even consulting an exorcist etc first).

It says they “burned them in the sight of all.” (Acts 19:19) That sounds pretty public. By “discipline” I meant that it isn’t something we have to do because of any doctrine, it falls on the “discipline” or “custom” side of the line between “doctrines” and “disciplines.” I think we might actually be agreeing and just using different words to express the same things.

 

[Bookcat]

It says they “burned them in the sight of all.” (Acts 19:19) That sounds pretty public. By “discipline” I meant that it isn’t something we have to do because of any doctrine, it falls on the “discipline” or “custom” side of the line between “doctrines” and “disciplines.” I think we might actually be agreeing and just using different words to express the same things.

Yes I did not say they did not do it in public.

I said it was a spontaneous act of the persons who received the Gospel and turned to the Lord.

No discipline of any sort here

• a spontaneous act-

 

[Vera_Ljuba]

Book burning is one of the most hideous and barbaric acts. Donate them to a library. How would you feel if someone suggested to burn the Bible? Don’t do unto others that you would not want them to do unto you.

 

[Bookcat]

Book burning is one of the most hideous and barbaric acts. Donate them to a library. .

No it is not. It an example of charity - protecting others from grave harm…as your note on your posts likes to suggest even- “Do no harm” and “Do not allow harm to happen, if you can prevent it.”

Such can thankfully be prevented with a few matches.*

I understand your not answering as a Catholic…but please again this is a form where Catholic seek advice from other Catholics (among other things) on moral issues.

(*readers …again on this read my posts above…one may wish further counsel on certain books…on how to best destroy them)

 

[Irishmom2]

Book burning is one of the most hideous and barbaric acts. Donate them to a library. How would you feel if someone suggested to burn the Bible? Don’t do unto others that you would not want them to do unto you.

Wow. Hideous and barbaric.

What a flair for the dramatic.

 

[Vera_Ljuba]

No it is not. It an example of charity - protecting others from harm…as your note on your posts likes to suggest even- “Do no harm” and “Do not allow harm to happen, if you can prevent it.”

Such can thankfully be prevented with a few matches.

I understand your not answering as a Catholic…but please again this is a form where Catholic seek advice from other Catholics (among other things) on moral issues.

There is no harm in being exposed to ideas different from your own. Would you suggest to burn all the other non-Christian books. too?

Wow. Hideous and barbaric.

What a flair for the dramatic.

Yes. Just like the burning the library of Alexandria was a barbaric act. Who would have done it???

 

[Bookcat]

There is no harm in being exposed to ideas different from your own.

Not a question of being exposed to different idea from ones own. Just as books encouraging abuse of others are not just ideas different from ones own.

One is dealing with dangerous evil. Destroying them is more along the lines of destroying cocaine or books encouraging the abuse of children or the destruction of some ethnic group…

They seriously harmful…in the area of sin and even other areas of danger.

Just ask exorcists.

Catechism

2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity.

scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc.htm

This is a Catholic Forum where a person has come asking question of Catholic Moral life.

 

[RosyAnne]

I’ve ripped out random sections of books then hand shredded those pages and threw them in two separate garbage bags before throwing out.

I’ve poured kitchen grease on open books and then tossing them in the garbage.

Burning them is the best option if you can manage it (fireplace or outdoor fire pit).

The idea is to do what’s necessary to them so that they are completely invaluable and unreadable to anyone who may pinch them from the garbage.

Selling or giving them away or tucking them away in storage is not an option since it keeps the door open for the false or dangerous information they contain to be passed on to others.

I believe it was an exorcist I once heard say that by burning these types of things, any bind they may have on you is released. The ashes are to be buried and not poured down the drain.

 

[BornInMarch]

Maybe privately burning them isn’t such a bad option**, but I think they might make a useful addition to the library of a budding apologist, who could use them as reference books for what modern paganist religions believe in.**

This is the best idea I’ve heard so far.

I’m surprised how many people here are jumping right to book burning. Just because something a book says is wrong doesn’t mean the book itself has no value.

I think a good use for these books would be to as research tools for understanding why modern paganism is wrong and/or why Christianity is better. If you have no interest doing that yourself, then you could look around as someone else might be doing such research.

 

[BornInMarch]

No it is not. It an example of charity - protecting others from grave harm…as your note on your posts likes to suggest even- “Do no harm” and “Do not allow harm to happen, if you can prevent it.”

Such can thankfully be prevented with a few matches.*

I understand your not answering as a Catholic…but please again this is a form where Catholic seek advice from other Catholics (among other things) on moral issues.

(*readers …again on this read my posts above…one may wish further counsel on certain books…on how to best destroy them)

I think burning the books is still a bit wasteful.

What if someone is writing a paper/documentary/giving a speech on why modern paganism is wrong? They could use books like these as research. If someone was trying to evangelize to modern pagans, than knowing what the target audience already believes will be vital to explaining why Christian Beliefs are better.

 

[Bookcat]

I think burning the books is still a bit wasteful.

What if someone is writing a paper/documentary/giving a speech on why modern paganism is wrong? They could use books like these as research. If someone was trying to evangelize to modern pagans, than knowing what the target audience already believes will be vital to explaining why Christian Beliefs are better.

We are talking about* one person* destroying their particular books…to keep others from grave sin and other spiritual danger.

Nothing wasteful in such destruction.