Buddhism books: throw, recycle, donate, pass on, burn?

[Neshemah]

A year ago I would never have thought I'd ask a question like this! But in clearing out my book shelf I am faced with issues about passing on the Buddhist philosophy, or the worship of other idols. What are we Christian's supposed to do with these things?
I mean ... book burning? No way! But really - if Jesus is the Way then why would I pass on books about any other "way"? Yet it feels disrespectful to dispose of these books. I threw out a couple of Buddha statues from my garden though ... so what would you do and what do you think? What does the bible say?
Some guidance here would be helpful.

 

[Petros2015]

Maybe donate to a local library? Or a local Buddhist monastery might appreciate them; the monasteries often have their own little libraries. You could even include a Christian book in with the Buddhist books you donate to the monastery, and who knows, it might make its way onto their monastery shelves with the others and do some good.

Many Buddhists consider Christ to be a type of Buddha or enlightened one so they might accept it gladly along with your donation depending on the type of book you choose. In some Buddhist traditions or thought or speculation, the "three wise men" who come to visit Christ from the East at his birth are themselves Buddhist and he goes to train with them during some of the missing years of his earlier life.

 

[HTacianas]

A year ago I would never have thought I'd ask a question like this! But in clearing out my book shelf I am faced with issues about passing on the Buddhist philosophy, or the worship of other idols. What are we Christian's supposed to do with these things?
I mean ... book burning? No way! But really - if Jesus is the Way then why would I pass on books about any other "way"? Yet it feels disrespectful to dispose of these books. I threw out a couple of Buddha statues from my garden though ... so what would you do and what do you think? What does the bible say?
Some guidance here would be helpful.

If you've read them and gotten from them what they're worth, why not just leave them on the shelf?

 

[Andrew77]

A year ago I would never have thought I'd ask a question like this! But in clearing out my book shelf I am faced with issues about passing on the Buddhist philosophy, or the worship of other idols. What are we Christian's supposed to do with these things?
I mean ... book burning? No way! But really - if Jesus is the Way then why would I pass on books about any other "way"? Yet it feels disrespectful to dispose of these books. I threw out a couple of Buddha statues from my garden though ... so what would you do and what do you think? What does the bible say?
Some guidance here would be helpful.

Well I just think to myself..... What if, because of something I did, a book ends up in the hands of someone who then turns away from G-d? It's bad enough when a Christian does not witness and share the Lord.... but to actually do something that leads people away from the Lord, even if unintentional...

What would I say to the Lord when he asks about that at the White Throne Judgement? What answer would I give? "Well I really wanted a tax write off Lord!" "Well it just seemed like such a waste Lord!" "Well I support more people reading Lord!"

No, when I think about it, the answer becomes very clear to me.

Hope that helps.

 

[Dansiph]

A year ago I would never have thought I'd ask a question like this! But in clearing out my book shelf I am faced with issues about passing on the Buddhist philosophy, or the worship of other idols. What are we Christian's supposed to do with these things?
I mean ... book burning? No way! But really - if Jesus is the Way then why would I pass on books about any other "way"? Yet it feels disrespectful to dispose of these books. I threw out a couple of Buddha statues from my garden though ... so what would you do and what do you think? What does the bible say?
Some guidance here would be helpful.

My advice would be throw them away. If there's too many just get rid of a few each time. If you have a suitable place to burn them I don't see the problem with doing that.

 

[Endeavourer]

Throw into the recycling or the garbage... or, if you need fuel for a fire, burn.

No need to aid others to grow in a false religion that will point them away from the one thing that is needful.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Just because they are not explicitly Christian does not mean that there isn't wisdom in the pages. The Tao de Ching is one of my favorite reads along with Seneca and other Stoic wisdom.

 

[xtitech]

The classic method is to burn them, as in Acts chapter 19. You could also recycle them, so they get shredded and the paper is mashed up and made into new paper.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

The classic method is to burn them, as in Acts chapter 19. You could also recycle them, so they get shredded and the paper is mashed up and made into new paper.

So burn everything you dont agree with.... Ahhhh here's to

 

[RaymondG]

My advice would be, if you desire for those who do not agree with Christianity, to burn all the bibles they are in possession of, or come in contact with......you should start burning the books from religion you dont agree with...... remember not to refer to prophesy or "end times" when bibles are starting to be burnt...... for we will only be reaping what we have sown...

 

[Dansiph]

Just because they are not explicitly Christian does not mean that there isn't wisdom in the pages. The Tao de Ching is one of my favorite reads along with Seneca and other Stoic wisdom.

Why risk reading about buddhism just to possibly get a bit of wisdom? Also, I thought about:

Proverbs 1:7 King James Version
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Doesn't this mean wisdom comes from God and The Bible? Also,

Psalm 119:104 King James Version

104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

Wouldn't Buddhism be a "false way"?

 

[Kerensa]

Just give them to your local op shop (I see you're a fellow Aussie... that's "charity shop" to the rest of the world ). They're not "occult" and they're not going to harm anyone. As GreekOrthodox says, there is often good and helpful wisdom in books of other faiths even though they don't lead all the way to Christ. I got a lot of inspiration out of the Tao Te Ching myself at a time when I was really searching and it ultimately helped to lead me back to Christianity for good. I still have a copy of it back in Australia; I haven't read it for years, but I would never destroy it and I would happily pass it on to anyone else who might find it helpful where they are on their own journey.

Or if you truly feel you must destroy these books, do the right thing by the planet and put them in the recycling. Although the Golden Rule might be useful here: how would you feel if you saw someone of another faith burning, throwing away or otherwise destroying a Bible? Right — so why is it OK to do the same to their sacred books, however much one disagrees with their teachings? Seeing Christians treating other faiths with such contempt and disgust is not going to make followers of those faiths feel drawn to Christianity at all. Quite the opposite, actually.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Why risk reading about buddhism just to possibly get a bit of wisdom? Also, I thought about:

Proverbs 1:7 King James Version
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Doesn't this mean wisdom comes from God and The Bible? Also,

Psalm 119:104 King James Version

104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

Wouldn't Buddhism be a "false way"?

And if I believe that the KJV Bible or Rick Warren (okay, especially Rick Warren) is heretical, I should therefore burn them because they are false ways!

 

[archer75]

I wouldn't be a Christian if I hadn't looked into Buddhism...

 

[samwise gamgee]

I mean ... book burning? No way! But really - if Jesus is the Way then why would I pass on books about any other "way"? Yet it feels disrespectful to dispose of these books.

Acts 19:19 says, "And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all." If you burned them you would be following their example.

Maybe donate to a local library?

If you've read them and gotten from them what they're worth, why not just leave them on the shelf?

And run the risk that others will read them and be influenced by their false teaching?

Just because they are not explicitly Christian does not mean that there isn't wisdom in the pages.

They may have some wisdom in them but it is mixed with false teaching. Are you willing to take the risk that the next reader will be able to separate the truth from the errors?

how would you feel if you saw someone of another faith burning, recycling or otherwise destroying a Bible?

We might not see it but a lot of Bibles are destroyed by unbelievers.

When I find books that teach error in thrift stores or yard sales I buy them so I can destroy them and keep others from being deceived by them. It is a sin to promote false teaching; isn't it equally wrong to allow others to promote error when you have the opportunity to prevent it?

 

[archer75]

Buddhism is not a magic art.

 

[RaymondG]

Wouldn't Buddhism be a "false way"?

Is it possible to know that your way is correct without following it to it's end? Would be do that with a set of directions to a store?????? Would you exclaim that one set is correct and burn the rest without having successfully followed them to that store?

 

[Kerensa]

Acts 19:19 says, "And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all." If you burned them you would be following their example.

"Magic arts" — occultism and witchcraft. Buddhism has no relation to those.

We might not see it but a lot of Bibles are destroyed by unbelievers.

Of course they are. What did Jesus teach? How does he command us to behave in response to others' wrongs? "An eye for an eye"? No, actually...

 

[RaymondG]

We might not see it but a lot of Bibles are destroyed by unbelievers.

Is this not only right and just, seeing as how some here suggest the burning or disposal of writings from other religions? How could it be right for us and not right for others?

 

[samwise gamgee]

"Magic arts" — occultism and witchcraft. Buddhism has no relation to those.

Of course they are. What did Jesus teach? How does he command us to behave in response to others' wrongs? "An eye for an eye"? No, actually...

Buddhism may not have anything to do with occultism but it is still false teaching that can lead others to Hell. Jesus commanded us to return good for evil and it is certainly good to destroy those things that could mislead others.