Spin-off thread: what do you do w/ Protestant books?

[Tablefor9]

Spinoff on the “New Age” thread. Over the years, we’ve been given a ton of “Hebrew roots” type books, Perry Stone, evangelical/fundamental study materials, etc. The thought of selling them without a “caveat emptor” in the listings or on the materials themselves seems wrong, almost as if I’m encouraging the theology presented. It’s hard to think donating or selling this stuff to well meaning but poorly taught folks is a kindness.

What say ye? The trash heap? Or buyer beware stickers?

 

[1neophyte]

Burn them at the stake, obviously.

 

[HungerNThirst4R]

Donate them to the public library. That’s what I did with the Protestant Bible I bought, after I realized it wasn’t Catholic.

 

[RPRPsych]

If I’m not mistaken, if it’s a Protestant Bible, you need to discuss the matter with a priest and hand it over to him (I could be remembering it wrong, though.)

If it’s not a Bible, but simply a Protestant work of fiction or non-fiction, it can be disposed of just as any other unwanted book would be. As Catholics, even if we are not actively evangelizing, we cannot be involved in propagating error. So - trash it. Unless you’re an apologist and using it for research.

 

[HungerNThirst4R]

If I’m not mistaken, if it’s a Protestant Bible, you need to discuss the matter with a priest and hand it over to him (I could be remembering it wrong, though.)

If it’s not a Bible, but simply a Protestant work of fiction or non-fiction, it can be disposed of just as any other unwanted book would be. As Catholics, even if we are not actively evangelizing, we cannot be involved in propagating error. So - trash it. Unless you’re an apologist and using it for research.

I would never throw out the Word of God, even if it was missing 7 books.

 

[revert_jen]

If I’m not mistaken, if it’s a Protestant Bible, you need to discuss the matter with a priest and hand it over to him (I could be remembering it wrong, though.)

I don’t understand–are you saying Catholics aren’t allowed to have a Protestant Bible (I have about six), or are you just talking about the need to dispose of any Bible reverently? If it’s the latter, I’d be grateful if someone could confirm or deny for sure whether special disposal requirements exist. I admit I threw away one once, because it had gotten drowned by accident and was completely falling apart. I didn’t mean to be irreverent, but I’d like to know if I have to do something special if a similar situation should arise again.

When I came back to the Church and thinned out the Protestant Bibles to make room for some Catholic ones, I gave the unwanted Protestant Bibles to Protestant friends. You could do that, or give them to a local Protestant church.

If it’s not a Bible, but simply a Protestant work of fiction or non-fiction, it can be disposed of just as any other unwanted book would be. As Catholics, even if we are not actively evangelizing, we cannot be involved in propagating error. So - trash it. Unless you’re an apologist and using it for research.

Only trash it if it is a hardback. If it is a paperback, recycle it!

–Jen

 

[chaunceygardner]

Spinoff on the “New Age” thread. Over the years, we’ve been given a ton of “Hebrew roots” type books, Perry Stone, evangelical/fundamental study materials, etc. The thought of selling them without a “caveat emptor” in the listings or on the materials themselves seems wrong, almost as if I’m encouraging the theology presented. It’s hard to think donating or selling this stuff to well meaning but poorly taught folks is a kindness.

What say ye? The trash heap? Or buyer beware stickers?

Who gives you these and why?

In any case, being a person who treasures books, I would refrain from destroying them, especially if they would be of value to someone. Donate them to a library or other organization holding a used book sale. In my former home town, an Episcopal church holds a huge book sale every year. All the proceeds go to local food pantries. The Catholic Seminary library in the area receives a lot of donated books as well, and what they can’t use or put on their sale shelves they send to the Episcopal church for the book sale.

If it is a pamphlet or booklet that is just propaganda, I have no problem discarding it.

 

[Usige]

Only trash it if it is a hardback. If it is a paperback, recycle it!

I run the spine of a hardback through a band saw with a little jig to hold the pages together. Take it out of the jig and toss the spine and front/back boards and recycle the rest. Who says a conservative can’t be environmentally conscious?

 

[Edmundus1581]

I would never throw out the Word of God, even if it was missing 7 books.

Indeed!

I have several Protestant Bibles from my childhood as a Protestant, including ones given to me by beloved relatives. It has never occured to me to do anything other than treasure them and preserve them.

As to what to do with the other Protestant books, I would ask not so much whether they have errors, but whether they have some merit apart from the errors. There are certainly Protestant books which have scholastic and theological merit, despite some differences from Catholic teaching. Catholic writers, including Pope Benedict are happy to reference Protestant theologians in their writings - so presumably their libraries include these books.

So, if the books have some scholastic or theorogical merit, then keep them or dispose of them respectfully, such as donating or selling them. Also, they might have some personal importance to you, eg. given by a friend, in which case keep them.

I retain many books by Protestant writers which pass some of these tests. eg. *The Hiding Place *by Corrie Ten Boom, and Hind’s Feet on High Places.

I also have a few Protestant books (and Catholic ones!) which have little value to me now, but have sentimental value simply because they are part of my journey. When I see them on my bookshelf I am happily reminded of where I was years ago.

If, after this, you would feel most comfortable with disposing of them, then I recommend that, rather than disposing of them, you give them to a Catholic friend to retain for, say, a year, while you think about it.

This is similar advise to that I give to people who are unsure about what to do with the pre-conversion DVD collection, ie. if you are uncertain then delay the decision by depositing them with a friend.

Continuing the analogy with unwanted DVD’s, then there may be some items which you have no doubt must go. In that case, do dispose of them. This is less likely to be the case with your books than some DVD’s.

 

[Tablefor9]

Who gives you these and why?

**My two best decades-long friends are both wives of former Protestant pastors. The know I am a bibliophile. My husband’s parents, Protestant pastors, same. Another friend, which aI have distanced myself from somewhat, is heavily into the messianic church branch of non-denominationalism–she gifts books like some friends gift candy. **

In any case, being a person who treasures books, I would refrain from destroying them, especially if they would be of value to someone. Donate them to a library or other organization holding a used book sale. In my former home town, an Episcopal church holds a huge book sale every year. All the proceeds go to local food pantries. The Catholic Seminary library in the area receives a lot of donated books as well, and what they can’t use or put on their sale shelves they send to the Episcopal church for the book sale.

**See, that’s the question I have. Others certainly would see value in them, but would perhaps be encouraged to continue to or begin to embrace error through them. These aren’t works of Christian fiction, but study aids and devotional books, “teaching” books. **

 

[Regina7]

My priest told me to burn Protestant books. He said that we should not perpetuate the hearsy by donating the books to others.

 

[RPRPsych]

I don’t understand–are you saying Catholics aren’t allowed to have a Protestant Bible (I have about six), or are you just talking about the need to dispose of any Bible reverently? If it’s the latter, I’d be grateful if someone could confirm or deny for sure whether special disposal requirements exist. I admit I threw away one once, because it had gotten drowned by accident and was completely falling apart. I didn’t mean to be irreverent, but I’d like to know if I have to do something special if a similar situation should arise again.

The latter. (Of course, in the pre-Vatican II era, things were much stricter. Both Gregory XVI (1844) and Bl. Pius IX (1846) prohibited the use of Bibles translated by Protestants. Even post-Vatican II, strictly speaking, we are allowed to use only “translations approved by the Church, even if these are made in collaboration with separated brethren” (I’m paraphrasing here).

Here’s an answer from EWTN on the subject:

ewtn.com/v/experts/showmessage.asp?number=411081&Pg=&Pgnu=&recnu=

I remember reading the bit about giving it to a priest on some website, but I can’t find the reference now. If I do, I’ll post it here.

When I came back to the Church and thinned out the Protestant Bibles to make room for some Catholic ones, I gave the unwanted Protestant Bibles to Protestant friends. You could do that, or give them to a local Protestant church.

I have both Protestant and Orthodox Bibles, for study purposes. However, if the OP feels that such Bibles could be an occasion of doubt or sin, giving them away seems like the sane alternative.

 

[Tablefor9]

Thanks, everyone. BTW, these are not Bibles. Keeping those.

 

[Edmundus1581]

**My two best decades-long friends are both wives of former Protestant pastors. The know I am a bibliophile. My husband’s parents, Protestant pastors, same. Another friend, which aI have distanced myself from somewhat, is heavily into the messianic church branch of non-denominationalism–she gifts books like some friends gift candy. **

**See, that’s the question I have. Others certainly would see value in them, but would perhaps be encouraged to continue to or begin to embrace error through them. These aren’t works of Christian fiction, but study aids and devotional books, “teaching” books. **

I see now. That does present more of a difficulty in that you obviously don’t want the books yourself (they are unwanted clutter, at best!) and you don’t want to pass on false teaching to people who will be influenced by it.

Personally, I would still dispose of them, but respectfully. For me, this means putting them in the paper recycling, with a little thought and prayer for the authors and gratitude for whatever truth may be in them - even the reverent mention of “God” and “Jesus Christ” and “The Word” is a truth.

 

[signit]

I see now. That does present more of a difficulty in that you obviously don’t want the books yourself (they are unwanted clutter, at best!) and you don’t want to pass on false teaching to people who will be influenced by it.

Personally, I would still dispose of them, but respectfully. For me, this means putting them in the paper recycling, with a little thought and prayer for the authors and gratitude for whatever truth may be in them - even the reverent mention of “God” and “Jesus Christ” and “The Word” is a truth.

For me, if the books were “unwanted clutter” and the only choices were disposing of them or giving them away, I might consider giving them away to a faithful Catholic, who might benefit in some way without being led away from the Church, as another suggested.

I have several Protestant Bibles from my childhood as a Protestant, including ones given to me by beloved relatives. It has never occured to me to do anything other than treasure them and preserve them.

As to what to do with the other Protestant books, I would ask not so much whether they have errors, but whether they have some merit apart from the errors. There are certainly Protestant books which have scholastic and theological merit, despite some differences from Catholic teaching. Catholic writers, including Pope Benedict are happy to reference Protestant theologians in their writings - so presumably their libraries include these books.

So, if the books have some scholastic or theorogical merit, then keep them or dispose of them respectfully, such as donating or selling them. Also, they might have some personal importance to you, eg. given by a friend, in which case keep them.

I still own the King James Version and the Revised Standard Version.

There’s no question of the merit of the KJV as a work of English literature, even though it’s not my Church’s Bible. There’s also no question of its influence (such as expressions like “land of milk and honey”).

 

[Tablefor9]

…

I still own the King James Version and the Revised Standard Version.

There’s no question of the merit of the KJV as a work of English literature, even though it’s not my Church’s Bible. There’s also no question of its influence (such as expressions like “land of milk and honey”).

Exactly. That’s part of the reason I’m for keeping them. The other is because reading the same scriptures in different translations keeps familiarity at bay. It’s so easy for the eye and mind to skim over a much read passage and miss the power of it. Switching versions every now and again helps this, IMO.

 

[Dandelion_Wine]

If it were a Bible, I’d either keep it for the translations value or burn it reverently.

If it wasn’t a Bible, I’d keep them. If you knew you were never going to use them or refer to them, I’d recycle them - I wouldn’t pass them on to anyone else.

 

[Edmundus1581]

I still own the King James Version and the Revised Standard Version.

There’s no question of the merit of the KJV as a work of English literature, even though it’s not my Church’s Bible. There’s also no question of its influence (such as expressions like “land of milk and honey”).

I agree!!!

 

[andrewstx]

I would never throw out the Word of God, even if it was missing 7 books.

The Word of God is Jesus, not the bible. See first chapter of John.

 

[revert_jen]

I run the spine of a hardback through a band saw with a little jig to hold the pages together. Take it out of the jig and toss the spine and front/back boards and recycle the rest. Who says a conservative can’t be environmentally conscious?

Great idea! Anyone have a band saw they aren’t using? Oh, and instructions on how to use it so I’m not recycling my own fingers? (Anything more complicated than a drill makes me a bit nervous )

It is a good idea, though, for people who have the facility (in two senses).

–Jen