What to do with unorthodox books?

[japhy]

I probably already know the answer to this question…

I have acquired some books over the years which are not good at teaching the faith. I don’t want to keep them around (they take up valuable space on my bookshelf). I don’t know how much money I spent on them, but part of me wants some fraction of that money back… but that would most likely mean selling them to others, but that seems to be morally wrong, giving them a book likely to lead them astray or confirm them in a misunderstanding of the faith.

So what is the responsible thing to do with these books? Just throw them out?

Another idea has just entered my head, which is to go through them and mark them up, indicating where they diverge from the Catholic faith and the sources of showing that (e.g. Catechism #s, documents, etc.), and then either offer them for sale or donate them to my parish library.

Any ideas?

 

[Dolphincrc]

I would either keep them for my personal library to gather dust or just throw them out. Probably better to throw them out if it’s teaching is way out there.

If not too bad also you can donate to public library, could at least get a tax break. But I would definitely not donate it to my parish library.

 

[Bennie_P]

Burn them, they belong to you and you can do whatever you want. I am against burning books in general, like going to the public liberal and picking out books I object to etc. But if they belong to you and you find them to be offensive or false, burn them. It is only wrong to take and destroy others property but your own property it is your business and if you want to destroy them, do so.

Myself, I have many non-Catholic Christian books and Catholic books which are “ify” I make notes in them pointing out parts I see troubling. Then I have many different books by many secular writers, philosophers, historians and non-Christian text. Some I would give to others which I feel are able to discern the good from the bad, so to speak. But if a book is so troubling and I decide not to keep them I throw them in the trash.

I’m careful of what I pass on to others… but that doesn’t make all “unpure” and non Catholic writings “evil”, depending on how the knowledge and/or material is used…

But if you feel it would led someone astray burn it, but make sure it is not some highly collectable 1st edition, if it is then sell it and give the money to a good charity or yourself, the collectors never read the highly prized collectables anyways… they keep them locked away as an investment…