[Isabella Abbey]

Re: Book burning

Do you have a source to back up your claim that "They can't make someone feel or do things they aren't already inclined to do, and they can't inspire a person to evil or abuse by themselves."?

People who eschew entire genres of books are more likely to be conformist, and this is a strong argument to maximizing the diversity of books available to everyone.

A person's character is actually fairly fixed -- it's their congenital temperament, their personality, and their inherent resilience all folded together to make them the individual they are. Books can inform, and educate, and entertain, and even enlighten, but they can't possibly alter a person's basic inclinations. If a person reads the Koran and goes on to commit crimes against humanity, they would have done so anyway -- just under different circumstances. If a person reads the New Testament and becomes a missionary, they were indeed inspired by this Book, but they weren't made a missionary when they would otherwise have committed crimes against humanity.

Accordingly, book-burning only limits potential good by narrowing the field of incoming cognitive riches from which to draw, not potential evil by taking away the inspiration.

[Pastor Isaac Peters]

Re: Book burning

If burning books is such a bad thing, why does the Bible present it as a good thing? The relevant Bible passage was cited early on in this thread, but since you evidently missed it, here it is again:

Acts 19:19-20: Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all [men]: and they counted the price of them, and found [it] fifty thousand [pieces] of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

[Isabella Abbey]

Re: Book burning

Your "theory" that Books can't inspire people to action, whether good or bad, is laughable.

What about the works of Marx? By your logic his books never inspired anyone to act on them.

What about the Koran? By your logic, no one has ever done anything because the Koran told them to.

This is why women should be silent. God told us that in Corinthians for a reason.

But books can't inspire people to manifest character that they don't already possess. It's like the old saying, "If the student is ready, the teacher will come": books can only articulate for people ideas or inspiration that already makes sense to them. In other words, books alone could never make a truly evil person good, or a truly healthy child a demented vagrant -- Marxists, Muslims and even Christians have motivations and sources of inspiration outside of books influencing them, including and especially internal ones; books are only friends to the process. How can we, even people who aren't Communists or even remotely interested in pursuing Communism, understand Marxism without reading Marx?

Reading is never a bad idea; a book can be distasteful, or obnoxious, or universally recognized as poor, but burning books only hurts the burner by devaluing written expression as a priceless source of enrichment.

[David Goldman]

Re: Book burning

May I chime in?

So far the discussion participants and the discourse are fairly homogenous, but I'm wondering if books, even those with which we disagree, could be considered as the valuable resource they are rather than as a threat or a vile pestilence of any kind. Books kindle ideas, and help articulate thoughts and feelings people have but can't quite express. They tell stories and record history. They can't make someone feel or do things they aren't already inclined to do, and they can't inspire a person to evil or abuse by themselves.

I disagree. Books by their very nature are intended to instruct and influence, a priori. Do you have a source to back up your claim that "They can't make someone feel or do things they aren't already inclined to do, and they can't inspire a person to evil or abuse by themselves."? Because Romans 12:2 says And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

By burning books, don't we discredit ourselves by being a part of a symbolic bondage of thought and voice?

No. On the contrary, we reaffirm our faith, and our bondage to Jesus Christ. Romans 6:18 -- Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

[Rev. Jim Osborne]

Re: Book burning

May I chime in?

So far the discussion participants and the discourse are fairly homogenous, but I'm wondering if books, even those with which we disagree, could be considered as the valuable resource they are rather than as a threat or a vile pestilence of any kind. Books kindle ideas, and help articulate thoughts and feelings people have but can't quite express. They tell stories and record history. They can't make someone feel or do things they aren't already inclined to do, and they can't inspire a person to evil or abuse by themselves.

By burning books, don't we discredit ourselves by being a part of a symbolic bondage of thought and voice?

You are the epitome of a pseudo-intellectual, Isabella. Behind your fancy words and long sentences lies a complete lack of logic. However, you are right in that they kindle ideas, but you stop considering the consequences there. A child reads Harry Potter and it kindles in him an interest in witchcraft. What comes next? Soon the kid is reading up on Aleister Crowley and Gerald Gardner and purchasing his first athame and pentacle from some occult shop downtown called "The Dark Dragon".

Your "theory" that Books can't inspire people to action, whether good or bad, is laughable. Take the Bible for example. Are you trying to tell me the Bible has never inspired anyone to do anything???? I can tell you, as a living testament, the Bible (a book) has inspired me to many actions and has driven my life.

What about the works of Marx? By your logic his books never inspired anyone to act on them.

What about the Koran? By your logic, no one has ever done anything because the Koran told them to.

This is why women should be silent. God told us that in Corinthians for a reason.

[Isabella Abbey]

Re: Book burning

May I chime in?

So far the discussion participants and the discourse are fairly homogenous, but I'm wondering if books, even those with which we disagree, could be considered as the valuable resource they are rather than as a threat or a vile pestilence of any kind. Books kindle ideas, and help articulate thoughts and feelings people have but can't quite express. They tell stories and record history. They can't make someone feel or do things they aren't already inclined to do, and they can't inspire a person to evil or abuse by themselves.

By burning books, don't we discredit ourselves by being a part of a symbolic bondage of thought and voice?

[Meek and Humble]

Re: Book burning

I LOVE a good bonfire. It's always fun to have one. May I just suggest that you add the book "Pride and Prejudice" to the list of books to burn. I had to read that book in high school , and I couldn't even finish it. It was so damn boring that I actually fell asleep reading it. Please burn it for me...PLEASE!!!!!!

I wouldn't mind it, to be honest. That Jane Austen was such a FEMINAZI!

[H. Montague Worthington]

Re: Book burning

I usually use a wood chipper or a sulphuric acid bath to destroy offensive material. I suppose burning could work also-- I just don't like to offend my neighbors with the distinctive smell.

[apple9]

Re: Book burning

Why would we travel to Europistan to watch you light a Bible on fire and toss it in your Hibachi?

i will not burn my bible id sooner burn myself than my bible

[Rev. M. Rodimer]

Re: Book burning

so Il have the book burn at my place feel free to come over you can add books we can have lots of fun okay

Why would we travel to Europistan to watch you light a Bible on fire and toss it in your Hibachi?

[apple9]

Re: Book burning

so Il have the book burn at my place feel free to come over you can add books we can have lots of fun okay

[Rev Leroy Jenkins]

Re: Book burning

Truly halcyon, old friend.

We brought them votes. They looked the other way.

Perhaps, I have said too much.

[Rev. Jim Osborne]

Re: Book burning

Those were beautiful days! We had them burning Atari consoles, games, D&D manuals and laminated maps. Decks of cards.

Parents were actively encouraged to go through their children's things and find stuff that was offensive to The Lord.

The fire we built one night in Memphis took 5 days to put out! Shout Glory!

I miss the Reagan years so badly, Jim.

Weren't those the glory years, brother? Everything was so right and perfect. Conservative Christianity was "in", tax rates on those of us who earn more than $200,000 a year were at all-time lows, the Communist Iron Curtain was faltering, and my television program was at its peak. Sweet Lord Jesus, how I miss those halcyon days of the 1980's.

Nothing like cruising Pacific Coast Highway in my 1985 Ferrari Testarossa with dear brother Jim Bakker in the passenger seat, getting honked at by a bunch of college girls in a '79 Pontiac, with them screaming "We know you! Give us your autographs! Woo-hoo!"

Good times, my brother, good times.

[Rev Leroy Jenkins]

Re: Book burning

Book burning is wonderful because it makes not only a symbolic statement, but a practical one as well. By destroying heretical texts and books that can lead people to sin, you are making a proud display that you are a True Christian™ who will not tolerate such filth in your community, heeding Paul's words that nothing fruitful can come out of light and darkness yoked together, as well you permanently destroy these works of Satan permanently so that no one is ever tainted by them.

I also enjoy burning music records because the vinyl looks very beautiful the way it slowly melts and flows into one other, like some hippie lava lamp. I remember back in the mid-1980's, we had a public music bonfire. People brought all the Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, Metallica, Michael Jackson, Bee Gees, Lionel Ritchie, Carole King, Menudo, Kenny Loggins, Phil Collins, and other Satanic music "artist" records and made a huge bonfire out of them. I swear the flames must've got about 30 feet high. It was a huge event, covered by all the local Southern California news media and actually made a story on 20/20 hosted by that shrew of a Jew Barbara Walters. It was a success!

Those were beautiful days! We had them burning Atari consoles, games, D&D manuals and laminated maps. Decks of cards.

Parents were actively encouraged to go through their children's things and find stuff that was offensive to The Lord.

The fire we built one night in Memphis took 5 days to put out! Shout Glory!

I miss the Reagan years so badly, Jim.

[Conrad Jenkins]

Re: Book burning

I LOVE a good bonfire. It's always fun to have one. May I just suggest that you add the book "Pride and Prejudice" to the list of books to burn. I had to read that book in high school , and I couldn't even finish it. It was so damn boring that I actually fell asleep reading it. Please burn it for me...PLEASE!!!!!!