Have you ever burned books?

cheshiregator · Post by **cheshiregator** » 02 May 2014, 23:09

Norma_Rudolph wrote:I must confess, once when back packing, my friend and I didn't want to carry out the trashy paperbacks we had read so we used them to stoke the campfire.

Well you were SORT OF recycling...

Etario · Post by **Etario** » 03 May 2014, 01:25

I've never burnt any books, if they were in such a state that it was unreadable I would recycle it, otherwise I would give it away.

nan m · Post by **nan m** » 03 May 2014, 01:30

Never. I wish I had enough space to purchase paperbacks and have a library of my own instead of buying ebooks. But one day I will make my own library. I dont have a heart to burn or throw books or even recycle. I have a habit of keeping all all books that I have. (Of course parents started giving them away once I was out of sight)

Bookworm0266 · Post by **Bookworm0266** » 03 May 2014, 16:04

Oh my gosh no lol.

itskategee · Post by **itskategee** » 04 May 2014, 07:24

Oh gosh, never. I never thought of burning a book no matter how much I hated it. I'd just donate it or lend it to someone interested

NekrotikKannibal · Post by **NekrotikKannibal** » 04 May 2014, 10:03

I could never burn a book. When I think of it, Fahrenheit 451 comes to mind in that books were burned in that particular novel as a form of banning/censorship. Historically, books were burned due to political and/or moral/religious reasons. Personally, I don't think anyone, whether it be a government official, or the friendly church lady down the street, has the right to tell me and those around me what we can and cannot read. It's my personal choice to read something. If you don't like a particular book because of the values (or lack thereof) expressed in the book, that's fine. But, it is not your place to impose your values/morals on me or anyone else and tell us what we can and cannot read. As another poster mentioned, I think it supremely arrogant of an individual to decide to take a book out of circulation because he/she found it so abhorrent that others need not read it. What gives you (a general you) the right to decide what is morally right or wrong for me to read (which is essentially what is being done when a person burns a book because they find it morally reprehensible and would rather destroy the book than leave it somewhere that another person could pick it up and judge for themselves)? With that said, I don't believe it is the right of anyone to decide what I should and should not be allowed to read.

debbie smith · Post by **debbie smith** » 04 May 2014, 14:59

NekrotikKannibal wrote:I could never burn a book. When I think of it, Fahrenheit 451 comes to mind in that books were burned in that particular novel as a form of banning/censorship. Historically, books were burned due to political and/or moral/religious reasons. Personally, I don't think anyone, whether it be a government official, or the friendly church lady down the street, has the right to tell me and those around me what we can and cannot read. It's my personal choice to read something. If you don't like a particular book because of the values (or lack thereof) expressed in the book, that's fine. But, it is not your place to impose your values/morals on me or anyone else and tell us what we can and cannot read. As another poster mentioned, I think it supremely arrogant of an individual to decide to take a book out of circulation because he/she found it so abhorrent that others need not read it. What gives you (a general you) the right to decide what is morally right or wrong for me to read (which is essentially what is being done when a person burns a book because they find it morally reprehensible and would rather destroy the book than leave it somewhere that another person could pick it up and judge for themselves)? With that said, I don't believe it is the right of anyone to decide what I should and should not be allowed to read.

I agree. Maybe I misunderstood the thread. As I understand the question, we are not asked if we agree that burning books as a society or as a group is ok but asking what we do with our own personal property. Since we are all readers my assumption is that we would not condone burning a book as a society to keep others from reading the book (like the Nazis and other oppressive societies have done throughout history). However, just as we would not impose our morals on you (general you) neither should the general you impose morals on what I do with my property. If I have misunderstood the thread then I certainly agree with you NekrotikKannibal. Good job pointing it out, thank you.

NekrotikKannibal · Post by **NekrotikKannibal** » 04 May 2014, 19:27

DEBBIE SMITH wrote:
NekrotikKannibal wrote:I could never burn a book. When I think of it, Fahrenheit 451 comes to mind in that books were burned in that particular novel as a form of banning/censorship. Historically, books were burned due to political and/or moral/religious reasons. Personally, I don't think anyone, whether it be a government official, or the friendly church lady down the street, has the right to tell me and those around me what we can and cannot read. It's my personal choice to read something. If you don't like a particular book because of the values (or lack thereof) expressed in the book, that's fine. But, it is not your place to impose your values/morals on me or anyone else and tell us what we can and cannot read. As another poster mentioned, I think it supremely arrogant of an individual to decide to take a book out of circulation because he/she found it so abhorrent that others need not read it. What gives you (a general you) the right to decide what is morally right or wrong for me to read (which is essentially what is being done when a person burns a book because they find it morally reprehensible and would rather destroy the book than leave it somewhere that another person could pick it up and judge for themselves)? With that said, I don't believe it is the right of anyone to decide what I should and should not be allowed to read.
I agree. Maybe I misunderstood the thread. As I understand the question, we are not asked if we agree that burning books as a society or as a group is ok but asking what we do with our own personal property. Since we are all readers my assumption is that we would not condone burning a book as a society to keep others from reading the book (like the Nazis and other oppressive societies have done throughout history). However, just as we would not impose our morals on you (general you) neither should the general you impose morals on what I do with my property. If I have misunderstood the thread then I certainly agree with you NekrotikKannibal. Good job pointing it out, thank you.

I was basing my response on the OP's responses wherein she gave her reasoning behind creating the thread. Her explanation was that she had amassed a collection of occult books that she later burned when she found God. She considered those books to be so vile and evil that she didn't want them to fall into the hands of another person So she decided to permanently take them out of circulation by burning. My post wasn't directed at anyone who burned journals, etc., as a cathartic, healing experience.

I suppose one could argue that the OP burned her books as a way of closing a chapter on her life prior to finding God. However, it seems to me that she did it for moral reasons and less because she wanted to close a door on her previous lifestyle choice. I think there were better options that she could have chosen even given that recycling was not an option during that period of her life. She could have left the books somewhere (a public park, a grocery store shelf, a bench at a bus stop, etc) but she instead chose to burn them because she found them morally reprehensible and didn't want others to be able to pick up the book and judge for themselves, therefore placing her morals and values on others.

samuyama · Post by **samuyama** » 04 May 2014, 21:13

don't remember if i've answered this before, but I burnt the textbook for a class I really hated once :p

debbie smith · Post by **debbie smith** » 04 May 2014, 23:20

NekrotikKannibal wrote:
DEBBIE SMITH wrote:
NekrotikKannibal wrote:I could never burn a book. When I think of it, Fahrenheit 451 comes to mind in that books were burned in that particular novel as a form of banning/censorship. Historically, books were burned due to political and/or moral/religious reasons. Personally, I don't think anyone, whether it be a government official, or the friendly church lady down the street, has the right to tell me and those around me what we can and cannot read. It's my personal choice to read something. If you don't like a particular book because of the values (or lack thereof) expressed in the book, that's fine. But, it is not your place to impose your values/morals on me or anyone else and tell us what we can and cannot read. As another poster mentioned, I think it supremely arrogant of an individual to decide to take a book out of circulation because he/she found it so abhorrent that others need not read it. What gives you (a general you) the right to decide what is morally right or wrong for me to read (which is essentially what is being done when a person burns a book because they find it morally reprehensible and would rather destroy the book than leave it somewhere that another person could pick it up and judge for themselves)? With that said, I don't believe it is the right of anyone to decide what I should and should not be allowed to read.
I agree. Maybe I misunderstood the thread. As I understand the question, we are not asked if we agree that burning books as a society or as a group is ok but asking what we do with our own personal property. Since we are all readers my assumption is that we would not condone burning a book as a society to keep others from reading the book (like the Nazis and other oppressive societies have done throughout history). However, just as we would not impose our morals on you (general you) neither should the general you impose morals on what I do with my property. If I have misunderstood the thread then I certainly agree with you NekrotikKannibal. Good job pointing it out, thank you.
I was basing my response on the OP's responses wherein she gave her reasoning behind creating the thread. Her explanation was that she had amassed a collection of occult books that she later burned when she found God. She considered those books to be so vile and evil that she didn't want them to fall into the hands of another person So she decided to permanently take them out of circulation by burning. My post wasn't directed at anyone who burned journals, etc., as a cathartic, healing experience.

I suppose one could argue that the OP burned her books as a way of closing a chapter on her life prior to finding God. However, it seems to me that she did it for moral reasons and less because she wanted to close a door on her previous lifestyle choice. I think there were better options that she could have chosen even given that recycling was not an option during that period of her life. She could have left the books somewhere (a public park, a grocery store shelf, a bench at a bus stop, etc) but she instead chose to burn them because she found them morally reprehensible and didn't want others to be able to pick up the book and judge for themselves, therefore placing her morals and values on others.

I see, I guess I missed that part of her post. However, assuming the books were not one of a kind or the only copy of the book it was still her book to do with as she pleased right? If others want to read the book and could buy it at a store or from the publisher then the one she burned would not truly impact another person's choice. She would just be making a choice for her own self, not someone else. Now, agreed, if she had gone into stores or other people's libraries and made certain to collect all the copies to burn them all so that the book en masse was destroyed, her copy and those belonging to someone else (as the Nazis did) that would be violating the right of others to pick up the book and judge for themselves and forcing her morals and values on others. Does that make any sense? Under this premise I would be violating her moral choice and value system to say what she should do with her own property, book, money, or any other material belonging wouldn't I? I do agree that books are things of value and treasures and should be cared for, but I also feel that we each have the right to handle our property as we choose. For example, if I had twenty dollars to do with as I pleased and I chose to give nineteen away to another person for food or I chose to throw it into a river that would be my choice. I might disagree with her choice but she has the right to make it. And, yes, at least where I live, I also have the right to let her know how I feel. Just not the right to force her to do something different. Thank you for the opportunity to exchange ideas on such an emotional issue. That is why I so enjoy book discussions.

boobearsman · Post by **boobearsman** » 05 May 2014, 18:29

Never why ruin something a person dedicate their time to thats just unacceptable

prarich · Post by **prarich** » 13 May 2014, 15:35

No I wouldn't ever do that. I may give them away to friends or the local library, but would not burn them.

acasto · Post by **acasto** » 13 May 2014, 15:55

Never, but I have wanted to. Especially Fahrenheit 451 just for the irony of it.

Headbanginghunny · Post by **Headbanginghunny** » 15 May 2014, 13:20

I would never personally burn a book unless my survival depended on it. I think its pretty blasphemous if you do it just because. You have to have a good reason to do it but I would not do it. It reminds me of what Nazis used to do and I thought that was tragic and horrible. I think it has too many bad connotations with it.

nikki_p · Post by **nikki_p** » 15 May 2014, 13:46

I would never ever burn a book. It feels like I am literally murdering someone, just thinking about it! I feel like burning books should be considered an unforgivable sin to be honest. Even if I don't like a book, even if I freaking HATE a book, I'll most likely still keep it just because I love to collect books. I don't know, I just feel like burning a book is an act of complete disrespect.
Acsto above mentioned Fahrenheit 451, which is my favorite book ironically. And I agree with what Headbangingbunny said, I would probably only do it if my survival depended on it. But yes, it is practically blasphemous, I just cannot wrap my head around buring a book for the heck of it, or simply because I disliked what it said.