Burning prayer books...

[mejane]

This morning I was told by a charity shop worker that Catholic prayer books, bibles etc must never be given away but should instead be burned

Has anyone else heard this (I hadn't - and my Mum's a practising Catholic)?

The only reason I can think of for such a policy is that such things would have been dangerous possessions during the Protestant Reformation and therefore shouldn't be given to strangers... or is there another reason?

Any help would be appreciated!

Jane.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, my parents are RC, and I was brought up as one (RC primary, and secondary schools), and I've never heard of anything like this. Which side of the divide was the charity shop worker? (RC, CofE, etc.)

 

[JamesWhitehead]

Perhaps they were referring to the value of such things to
anyone except the family.

Old religious books are generally not worth the storage space.

But anything occult gets a premium price slapped on it.

Booksellers, we know which side you are on. :devil:

 

[James_H]

it's the psychedeluic mushrooms in the books, turns em bad

 

[Beakmoo]

I suspect this person may have been one of those born again nutters who think Catholics are all evil and will burn in Hell.
(I do too of course but for wildly different reasons)
Beak "trying to get excommunicated" Boo

 

[Anonymous]

Apparently a similar ritual applies to decommissioning old US flags. Ironically, the correct method of disposal is to burn them

 

[James_H]

it's all those US army generals getting gripped by reefer madness after breathing in on a brisk morning stoll down the fillmore

 

[mejane]

Apparently a similar ritual applies to decommissioning old US flags. Ironically, the correct method of disposal is to burn them

That's interesting - another thing I didn't know (the list is endless!). I'm guessing that it is a "don't let this fall into the hands of the enemy" thing.

As for the beliefs of the charity shop lady - I didn't ask (it was the RSPCA shop - I was given the job of carrying a bag of old books and odds & ends belonging to an old lady who had recently died to a charity shop and this happened to be the nearest - the old dear liked cats, so I hope she wouldn't mind).

Beak - all you need to do to get excomunicated is blaspheme against the holy spirit. Or so I was told when I was about 6. (I've no idea how you do this btw - but apparently I did, so I will rot in hell. Ain't nuns wonderful )

As always, I don't mean this to be anti-catholic, or anti-christian, or anti-religion... just an honest question.

Jane.

 

[ElishevaBarsabe]

This morning I was told by a charity shop worker that Catholic prayer books, bibles etc must never be given away but should instead be burned

I believe she's got her religions confused. If you are Jewish, the only proper way to dispose of worn-out books of that contain any scripture is to burn them. Burning them ensures that no one can use them to blaspheme against G-d.

At least that's what the Rabbi said in Sabbath school.

 

[Anonymous]

Bibles, flags and other venerated objects are burnt only as a sign of respect for the object. Although I had never heard any prohibition about giving them away, the idea of burning old prayer books is to keep them from being thrown on the rubbish pile. Same for the flag. These iconic items are never to be treated merely as excess garbage. It makes sense - one should at all times treat the purported 'word of god' with more respect than is accorded to worn-out underwear.

 

[Anonymous]

I've heard of the respect thing too. Supposedly burying your old bible is okay too, as long as it's done in a solemn manner. Kind of like a bible funeral I guess.