Every major news site I visited today had a story about.. you know what. And I'm not going to give that cretin any additional publicity, but it started me thinking.
How does one properly dispose of a Bible? Qur'an? Talmud?
I suppose the initial response is that when the owner of a religious text dies, the item passes to relatives, who then cherish and preserve it. Or they are donated to libraries, missionary services and suh. But all things must end, and books wear out or become damaged beyond use. I think in antiquity some holy texts were recycled as palimpsests, but what happens nowadays?
Are they burned? That's the fate of tattered American flags, when it's done in a dignified way by respectful persons. But I wonder what a book publisher does when its run isn't sold, or what a store does when it is hopelessly overstocked. Are the holy books pulped? Shredded?
I'm not trying to start a controversy or offer any justification for disrespecting religions. Just curious. Anyone out there in the book business with an answer? Or any clergy with relevant experience?
Aren't they just left in hotel/motel desks?
ReplyDeleteOne option is to make the Cairo Geniza! (Not entirely holy books, but still the coolest historical find ever.)
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_Geniza
There is a wiki about genizah here:
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genizah
I don't know how long they sit there until they can be properly 'buried' though. One of the synagogues in my neighborhood has a drop box for anyone to use.
Forget properly discarding holy books... the Qur'an is treated with reverence when it's new. And always thereafter. None of this toting-the-dog-eared-Bible-to-church-in-your-purse crap for Islam - it actually treats the holy book like it's, well, HOLY. (Not that I'm saying it's sacrilegious to carry around the Bible- I do it myself. I'm just saying that it's certainly indicative of the respect for which they hold the contents of the book).
ReplyDeleteWhich, of course, makes the whole burning-the-Qur'an concept that much worse.
Interesting (although I realize quoting Wikipedia is tacky and it's hardly an authoritative source, it's the neatest summary I could find on this subject):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qur'an
I understand the reverence part, Laura, but suppose the Bible/Qur'an becomes unusable. Damaged in an earthquake/flood/fire, with 3/4 pages gone or damaged. Unreadable. Text obscured by mud, ash, whatever.
ReplyDeleteWhat happens to it when keeping it "alive" may actually be more disrespectful than destroying what's left?
Stan, sounds like you're advocating for creating a living will or DNR document for these holy texts! =P
ReplyDeleteAs far as large chain bookstores go, they'd get the same treatment as any other books. A hardcover would be sent back for clearance pricing and then returned to stores as a bargain book. A paperback would have its front cover torn off for inventory purposes. The book itself is then usually torn again to prevent people from picking it from the trash and reselling.
ReplyDeleteI used to work in a bookstore. I don't remember doing this for any "holy" books. I'm an atheist, so it wouldn't have bothered me more than any other book. It's all irritatingly wastefull.
how about recycle bin?
ReplyDeleteI've disposed of a few Bibles in my time. I am a Baptist, and see the Bible as God's Word, but the book I hold in my hands is just a physical book--there's nothing meta-physical about it. If there was no other Bible available, I'm sure I'd do what I could to salvage the old one. Since I am able to purchase another Bible, the old one can go into recycling.
ReplyDeleteOne problem comes when people venerate things made by man over a personal relationship with the Creator. We then start worshipping the creation instead (just look at the prayer to statues of saints, or bowing to Mecca, or offerings to giant Buddhas)
I also don't worship the flag, though I respect deeply what it stands for.
hannah, my personal view would align pretty much with Mike's above, that a Bible is a physical book.
ReplyDelete@Stan, I agree. It's an interesting concept, though... I've never thought about it. I'll ask some religious folk in Istanbul to see what they think.
ReplyDeleteIt seems oddly idolatrous to worry too much about the physical book. Reverence is fine, until it's taken to the point where the symbol replaces the reality: then it's nothing but a "graven image."
ReplyDeleteJewish religious texts are buried when they can no longer be used. They are often buried into the foundation of new synagogue, schools or even homes as a strong "foundation" upon which to build.
ReplyDeleteIn Israel, the municipal Rabbinate is responsible for collecting sacred pieces of paper and burying them according to the Jewish Hallachah (law).
ReplyDeleteThe question of "what is a paper that needs Gnizah" is an interesting one. I will not develop the answers here because like any other parts of the Jewish law, it's complicated.
One amusing and relevant fact is that the Orthodox Jews feel the burden of properly disposing paper with the holy name in them.
Leaflets that are distributed in synagogues make sure that they are printed with not enough mentions of the name of god so they don't need to go to Genizah.
Is it a sacrilege to delete a digital copy of the Qur'an?
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: If it is, that's the best (worst?) computer virus EVER. Brick people's hard drives by filling them up with Qur'ans. Not truly bricked, but only out of a demented manipulation of their faith.
ReplyDeleteWHOAAAAAA.
You could always do what he did:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.news.com.au/national/lawyer-alex-stewart-smokes-pages-from-the-koran-and-bible-and-says-we-should-get-over-book-burning/story-e6frfkvr-1225919970728
Personally, I think it's just a physical book and I wouldn't have a huge problem with recycling it and purchasing a new one when needed. Having said that, I do have an old bible with the cover falling off that I've yet to recycle...