What shall I do with a Protestant book?

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Magnusqc

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Hello my friends,

Before converting to Catholicism, I was an Anglican. In the end of my path in that place, I bought a book in which they defend Anglicanism and in some parts even offend the Catholic Church. This book was one of the things that helped me to understand that Anglicanism wasn’t for me. I threw this book in a trunk. The time passed and I am incredibly happy in the Catholic Church after studying VERY MUCH with some friars before finally being received here.

Happened that today I was cleaning up my bedroom when I opened this trunk. There it was. This is the only Protestant book I own. I have no idea of what to do with it. I thought:

“If I donate, will I be helping someone to get interested in a non-Catholic faith?”
“If I throw it in the trash, will it represent a lack of respect for other religions or authors?”
“If I ‘burn it’, will it be quite Medieval?”

Anyway. I don’t know what to do with it. I was reading parts of it and I can see that it clearly has many historical flaws and offences to my beloved Church.

Thus, I ask for your help. What should I do with it? What is the morally correct way of getting rid of it?
 
Despite my protestant-ness, I vote to get rid of it in any way you feel is more respectful. Burn it if you want. Most books that I don’t want others to read wind up in the dumpster, but if you feel that would be disrespectful burning could work. If there is a recycling center in your area that takes books you could take it there.

There are people like me, only in the RCC that study other faiths for dialogue or teaching purposes and they might want it for apologetics reasons? 🤷
 
I’d either just throw it in the trash along with anything else when I’m cleaning, or I’d keep it for personal reference. A Catholic that can recite and explain all things orthodox is a good Catholic; a Catholic that can recite and explain all things orthodox and unorthodox is an even better one. I wouldn’t necessarily toss the book just because you’re jumping the fence, but if you really think it’s just going to collect dust forever, then go for it.

Flamboyantly burning books that disagree with you in public is harmful to the Church’s charitable and evangelical mission. Throwing away private property isn’t.
 
I have been in your situation also. I am a revert to the faith and had many protestant books. I tossed them or sent them to the recycle bin because I felt that if someone picked them up and read them, possibly a struggling Catholic or even a protestant it could lead them down the wrong path. If you feel you have no use for it and it doesn’t sound like you do because it has sat for so long, I would throw it away. That is not disrespectful to the other authors if what they are saying is harmful to someone’s walk of faith.

God bless. 🙂
 
What I did with some Protestant books when I became Catholic was I gave them to the county jail. I suppose I did the wrong thing. (Wouldn’t surprise me none!)🤷
 
why don’t you wrap it up and give it to a protestant for a xmas/birthday present they
would like it.
 
I was Protestant as well and I converted to Catholicism. I have kept every anti-Catholic and Protestant book that I own because I use them as reference when I am debating apologetics with protestants.

Keep the book, use it for reference whenever you need it.

Blessings!
 
Magnusqc said:
Hello my friends,

Before converting to Catholicism, I was an Anglican. In the end of my path in that place, I bought a book in which they defend Anglicanism and in some parts even offend the Catholic Church. This book was one of the things that helped me to understand that Anglicanism wasn’t for me. I threw this book in a trunk. The time passed and I am incredibly happy in the Catholic Church after studying VERY MUCH with some friars before finally being received here.

Happened that today I was cleaning up my bedroom when I opened this trunk. There it was. This is the only Protestant book I own. I have no idea of what to do with it. I thought:

“If I donate, will I be helping someone to get interested in a non-Catholic faith?”
“If I throw it in the trash, will it represent a lack of respect for other religions or authors?”
“If I ‘burn it’, will it be quite Medieval?”

Anyway. I don’t know what to do with it. I was reading parts of it and I can see that it clearly has many historical flaws and offences to my beloved Church.

Thus, I ask for your help. What should I do with it? What is the morally correct way of getting rid of it?
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Why don’t you donate it to the nearest Anglican Church and their library?
 
Magnusqc said:
Hello my friends,

Before converting to Catholicism, I was an Anglican. In the end of my path in that place, I bought a book in which they defend Anglicanism and** in some parts even offend the Catholic Church. **This book was one of the things that helped me to understand that Anglicanism wasn’t for me. I threw this book in a trunk. The time passed and I am incredibly happy in the Catholic Church after studying VERY MUCH with some friars before finally being received here.

Happened that today I was cleaning up my bedroom when I opened this trunk. There it was. This is the only Protestant book I own. I have no idea of what to do with it. I thought:

"If I donate, will I be helping someone to get interested in a non-Catholic faith?"

Anyway. I don’t know what to do with it. I was reading parts of it and I can see that it clearly has many historical flaws and offences to my beloved Church.

Thus, I ask for your help. What should I do with it? What is the morally correct way of getting rid of it?
Click to expand...
I would NOT donate it. You just said they said offensive things to the Catholic Church. If you donate it, it makes it look as if you are okay with this.

The only way to handle it is to destroy it, either put it in the trash or burn it. I got into some things that were against the Catholic Church, and medieval or not, I tore them up and put them into a fire. For me, it was actually symbolic, and I wanted to send myself a message of the gravity of it so I wouldn’t ever repeat that situation.

If you donated them and someone else was caused to fall into them, learn to offend the Church, could you be held liable in judgment? Possibly.

You don’t want to cause anyone to even possibly stray or lose your soul over this, so I’d destroy it, one way or another, but that’s just me.
 
Magnusqc said:
Hello my friends,

Before converting to Catholicism, I was an Anglican. In the end of my path in that place, I bought a book in which they defend Anglicanism and in some parts even offend the Catholic Church. This book was one of the things that helped me to understand that Anglicanism wasn’t for me. I threw this book in a trunk. The time passed and I am incredibly happy in the Catholic Church after studying VERY MUCH with some friars before finally being received here.

Happened that today I was cleaning up my bedroom when I opened this trunk. There it was. This is the only Protestant book I own. I have no idea of what to do with it. I thought:

“If I donate, will I be helping someone to get interested in a non-Catholic faith?”
“If I throw it in the trash, will it represent a lack of respect for other religions or authors?”
“If I ‘burn it’, will it be quite Medieval?”

Anyway. I don’t know what to do with it. I was reading parts of it and I can see that it clearly has many historical flaws and offences to my beloved Church.

Thus, I ask for your help. What should I do with it? What is the morally correct way of getting rid of it?
Click to expand...
Burn it but use the ash in compost. If this book helped you in your journey, let it retain its helpfulness 🙂
 
Magnusqc said:
Hello my friends,

Before converting to Catholicism, I was an Anglican. In the end of my path in that place, I bought a book in which they defend Anglicanism and in some parts even offend the Catholic Church. This book was one of the things that helped me to understand that Anglicanism wasn’t for me. I threw this book in a trunk. The time passed and I am incredibly happy in the Catholic Church after studying VERY MUCH with some friars before finally being received here.

Happened that today I was cleaning up my bedroom when I opened this trunk. There it was. This is the only Protestant book I own. I have no idea of what to do with it. I thought:

“If I donate, will I be helping someone to get interested in a non-Catholic faith?”
“If I throw it in the trash, will it represent a lack of respect for other religions or authors?”
“If I ‘burn it’, will it be quite Medieval?”

Anyway. I don’t know what to do with it. I was reading parts of it and I can see that it clearly has many historical flaws and offences to my beloved Church.

Thus, I ask for your help. What should I do with it? What is the morally correct way of getting rid of it?
Click to expand...
You can throw it away. It is your property and you can do what you wish with it.

It has no hold over you; you are not indebted to it nor you are obliged to have to feel responsible to it. It is just an object. Of course you have to be discreet. Burning it for the symbolism is probably not needed. If it is difficult for you, you can wrap it and just put it in a garbage bin.
 
Nobody’s allowed to pick on my mother but me and I won’t do it. I’d throw the books in the trash.
 
ClearWater said:
I would NOT donate it. You just said they said offensive things to the Catholic Church. If you donate it, it makes it look as if you are okay with this.

The only way to handle it is to destroy it, either put it in the trash or burn it. I got into some things that were against the Catholic Church, and medieval or not, I tore them up and put them into a fire. For me, it was actually symbolic, and I wanted to send myself a message of the gravity of it so I wouldn’t ever repeat that situation.

If you donated them and someone else was caused to fall into them, learn to offend the Church, could you be held liable in judgment? Possibly.

You don’t want to cause anyone to even possibly stray or lose your soul over this, so I’d destroy it, one way or another, but that’s just me.
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I second this. 👍
 
You should certainly be respectful of other people, but you have no obligation to treat this book with respect. I would throw it away. Religious errors are serious, because matters of the soul are more important than any other concerns. You don’t want to be responsible for putting this into anyone else’s hands, so I wouldn’t donate it.
 
Reuben_J said:
You can throw it away. It is your property and you can do what you wish with it.

It has no hold over you; you are not indebted to it nor you are obliged to have to feel responsible to it. It is just an object. Of course you have to be discreet. Burning it for the symbolism is probably not needed. If it is difficult for you, you can wrap it and just put it in a garbage bin.
Click to expand...
Okay. There you go. 👍
 
You should throw it out.
I own a number of books written by Protestants, and admire some of the authors greatly after reading them.
However, a book that acts to turn people away from the Catholic faith is a different matter. You are taking about the good of peoples’ souls then. Shouldn’t this normally be more important than other considerations?
 
Let me explain it this way so you can perhaps better see where I’m coming from. I was away from the Church over 10 years, and I got into all kinds of things, claiming to be the truth and attacking the Church. I’ve been led so far astray by books and such that it isn’t even funny!

Now, I have returned, and I can see, first hand, how I was led astray by things like books, which can seem so harmless.

So what I’ve learned on my journey is the power of the pen!

That’s why I would act differently. In the past, I had Protestant books donated to me which I didn’t read, donated to places. Now, for the above reason, I would no longer do that, because I see how they can really damage a person.

Now, I have even learned a few things from these books, but I still won’t save a book for that reason. If it attacks the Church, and it’s within my possession, it is getting destroyed.
 
Hey guys!

Sorry for my late reply.
I’ve decided to destroy it, as I don’t want anybody to offend the Catholic Church and treat her as it were “ridiculous”, by praising Elizabeth I and bending history.

I’ll simply destroy it, wrap it and throw it away.

Thank you for all the replies! 👍

The Lord be with you all. 👋
 
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