Book Burning

A place to discuss your favorite authors and poets, Christian and secular

Book Burning

Postby TopazRaven » Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:30 am

I'm just kind of curious, what do you guys and girls think on the matter of book burning? I was reading a few websites that seem to think it is the right thing to do to burn certain books in the name of God. Harry Potter is a very popular choice it seems. Poor Harry...
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

NIV, Romans 8:38-39.
User avatar
TopazRaven
 
Posts: 2186
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 2:51 pm
Location: Somewhere in Pennsylvania.

Postby Nate » Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:42 am

It's stupid, but it's legal, so whatever. Plus the books they burn have to come from somewhere, meaning they're buying the books to put money in the author's pocket, so it's self-defeating. It's just a symbolic thing that shows hatred and ignorance and if they want to look like a bunch of jerks that's their business I guess.
Image

Ezekiel 23:20
User avatar
Nate
 
Posts: 10725
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: Oh right, like anyone actually cares.

Postby Cognitive Gear » Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:48 am

I am opposed to purposeful book burning in all circumstances. There was a time when doing such a thing was symbolic of a desire or effort to not only kill your enemy, but to wipe any and all traces of their existence from the world.

Even if we ignore that and only focus on it as a moral statement, I really feel that it is more likely to strengthen your opposition than it is to change anyone's mind as to whether they should read that book or not. And of course, when you burn a bunch of copies of a book like Harry Potter, all you are doing is ensuring that even more copies of the book are eventually sold. That seems quite counter-productive to me. :lol:

Overall, I really don't see the point. There are better and more effective ways to show your moral opposition to the contents of a book.
[font="Tahoma"][SIZE="2"]"It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things."

-Terry Pratchett[/SIZE][/font]
User avatar
Cognitive Gear
 
Posts: 2381
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 9:00 am

Postby Atria35 » Tue Jan 25, 2011 12:11 pm

I'm very much opposed,

A) because buying it puts money in the author's pocket
B) because it garners publicity for the book, making more people read it
C) it makes you look like an intolerant idiot that can't handle someone having a different opinion/viewpoint, and it being availible to the public.

And like Cog says, there are other ways to protest the content of a book without burning it.
User avatar
Atria35
 
Posts: 6295
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:30 am

Postby mechana2015 » Tue Jan 25, 2011 12:12 pm

I think it's an act of violence against culture and personal expression and participation in such an act is a vote in favor of censorship and the disallowing of ideas being expressed. You can say what you want about a book, but actively expressing a desire to wipe it from existence through fire is delving into a much more dangerous level of criticism.

Need it be said that I work in a bookstore?
Image

My Deviantart
"MOES. I can has Sane Sig now?"
User avatar
mechana2015
 
Posts: 5025
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2003 12:33 am
Location: Orange County

Postby Davidizer13 » Tue Jan 25, 2011 12:42 pm

I believe Christian book burners get their support from a story in Acts (chap. 19, it would appear) where Paul convicted people who were practicing magic of their sins, and they burned the books they had about magic. It was more about a public repentance and a complete turning away from their temptation, like how someone who's addicted to porn might get rid of their computer; clearing out the things that were holding them back.

Nowadays, though, burning books has different connotations: rather than simply someone trying to remove their temptations, it's symbolic of destroying the ideas in the books. Since most of us live in democratic countries, where it's absolutely necessary to allow all ideas to be expressed in order for that to continue, I strongly oppose book burning of that kind.
We are loved even though we suck.

Psalms 37:37 (NHEB)
Mark the perfect man, and see the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.
User avatar
Davidizer13
 
Posts: 1080
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:27 am
Location: VIOLENT CITY

Postby mechana2015 » Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:10 pm

[quote="Davidizer13 (post: 1454457)"]I believe Christian book burners get their support from a story in Acts (chap. 19, it would appear) where Paul convicted people who were practicing magic of their sins, and they burned the books they had about magic. It was more about a public repentance and a complete turning away from their temptation, like how someone who's addicted to porn might get rid of their computer]

Many of the more common book burnings now aren't even books that the group owned, so the concept has been lost in favor of trying to make a statement. Shame none of these people can think to treat their neighbor as they would like to be treated.
Image

My Deviantart
"MOES. I can has Sane Sig now?"
User avatar
mechana2015
 
Posts: 5025
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2003 12:33 am
Location: Orange County

Postby Nate » Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:25 pm

I bet the same people who burn books would get really angry and try to protest or get the police involved if a bunch of non-Christians got together and burned Bibles.
Image

Ezekiel 23:20
User avatar
Nate
 
Posts: 10725
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: Oh right, like anyone actually cares.

Postby Midori » Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:47 pm

Image
User avatar
Midori
 
Posts: 1805
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2005 6:43 pm
Location: Mingling with local sentients

Postby rocklobster » Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:00 pm

Here's my thoughts: The nazis burned books. I think we shouldn't copy anything they did. It makes us no worse than them. Also, if those people would actually read Harry Potter, they'd see he's actually a good role model. He's loyal to his friends, doesn't do anything a VILLAIN would do!, and stands up for right. Plus, it's common knowledge that Rowling is actually NEWS FLASH--CHRISTIAN!!!!
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. I appointed you to be a prophet of all nations."
--Jeremiah 1:5
Image
Hit me up on social media!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007205508246<--Facebook

I'm also on Amino as Radical Edward, and on Reddit as Rocklobster as well.


click here for my playlist!
my last fm profile!
User avatar
rocklobster
 
Posts: 8903
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 1:27 pm
Location: Planet Claire

Postby Atria35 » Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:27 pm

rocklobster (post: 1454477) wrote:Here's my thoughts: The nazis burned books. I think we shouldn't copy anything they did.
Then we need to stop makeing VW Beetles now. Guess where they come from?

It makes us no worse than them. Also, if those people would actually read Harry Potter, they'd see he's actually a good role model. He's loyal to his friends, doesn't do anything a VILLAIN would do!, and stands up for right. Plus, it's common knowledge that Rowling is actually NEWS FLASH--CHRISTIAN!!!!


Yes, but that wasn't revealed until late in the game, and even so contains a lot of ideas that many Christians find offensive. Of course, since most of these people also claimed that the spells in it were real....

But yes, book-burning is offensive and wrong.
User avatar
Atria35
 
Posts: 6295
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:30 am

Postby TopazRaven » Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:29 pm

I'm very against it myself to. If I ever read a book I don't like/disagree with I ususally just donate it to the library or something instead of keeping it like I usually do with my books. I really don't see any need to burn books. Like everyone else here has said, it's an act of violence, hatred and intolerence.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

NIV, Romans 8:38-39.
User avatar
TopazRaven
 
Posts: 2186
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 2:51 pm
Location: Somewhere in Pennsylvania.

Postby mechana2015 » Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:36 pm

Atria35 (post: 1454485) wrote:Yes, but that wasn't revealed until late in the game, and even so contains a lot of ideas that many Christians find offensive. Of course, since most of these people also claimed that the spells in it were real....


It was a sad day when I realized people were taking the Onion as a real news source.
Image

My Deviantart
"MOES. I can has Sane Sig now?"
User avatar
mechana2015
 
Posts: 5025
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2003 12:33 am
Location: Orange County

Postby Atria35 » Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:39 pm

mechana2015 (post: 1454489) wrote:It was a sad day when I realized people were taking the Onion as a real news source.


No, seriously, my neighbors believed that the spells were real. They told me that vehmently, and they told their kids that. I wasn't allowed to babysit after I told their kids differently. And their church spread around my town that the spells were real. I wish I were kidding.
User avatar
Atria35
 
Posts: 6295
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:30 am

Postby Cognitive Gear » Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:45 pm

Atria35 (post: 1454485) wrote:Yes, but that wasn't revealed until late in the game, and even so contains a lot of ideas that many Christians find offensive. Of course, since most of these people also claimed that the spells in it were real....


Image
[font="Tahoma"][SIZE="2"]"It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things."

-Terry Pratchett[/SIZE][/font]
User avatar
Cognitive Gear
 
Posts: 2381
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 9:00 am

Postby rocklobster » Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:47 pm

Narnia also had magic and other things Christians don't like, and Christians everywhere adore that. Explain that logic, hypocrites.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. I appointed you to be a prophet of all nations."
--Jeremiah 1:5
Image
Hit me up on social media!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007205508246<--Facebook

I'm also on Amino as Radical Edward, and on Reddit as Rocklobster as well.


click here for my playlist!
my last fm profile!
User avatar
rocklobster
 
Posts: 8903
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 1:27 pm
Location: Planet Claire

Postby Cognitive Gear » Tue Jan 25, 2011 3:04 pm

rocklobster (post: 1454493) wrote:Narnia also had magic and other things Christians don't like, and Christians everywhere adore that. Explain that logic, hypocrites.


Wow, aggressive.

Honestly, there Christians who are opposed to The Chronicles of Narnia for the same reasons they oppose The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Not all of them are hypocrites. In fact, I would say that most of them are going to be opposed to all three if any of them at all.

Harry Potter might be an exception for some people because it isn't overtly Christian like The Chronicles of Narnia tends to be.
[font="Tahoma"][SIZE="2"]"It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things."

-Terry Pratchett[/SIZE][/font]
User avatar
Cognitive Gear
 
Posts: 2381
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 9:00 am

Postby ich1990 » Tue Jan 25, 2011 3:12 pm

Cognitive Gear (post: 1454437) wrote:I am opposed to purposeful book burning in all circumstances.


I am supportive of burning a book so as to not freeze to death.
Where an Eidolon, named night, on a black throne reigns upright.
User avatar
ich1990
 
Posts: 1546
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:01 pm
Location: The Land of Sona-Nyl

Postby Nate » Tue Jan 25, 2011 4:31 pm

rocklobster wrote:The nazis burned books. I think we shouldn't copy anything they did.

Okay, I'll stop wearing clothes then. GLORIOUS NUDE FREEDOM!
Narnia also had magic and other things Christians don't like, and Christians everywhere adore that. Explain that logic, hypocrites.

There are plenty of Christians who are opposed to Narnia and hate it, claiming it to be full of lies and false gospel. The magic is part of it, yes, but also they cite Lewis' beliefs (i.e. Lewis himself believed some pretty "heretical" things as far as Protestantism goes) as well as what they claim are anti-Christian teachings in the books. A good example is The Last Battle and Aslan's speech about "If you do good in the name of Tash, it's actually doing good to me so even though you didn't believe in me you can still enter paradise." They believe Lewis to be claiming you don't need to believe in Christ to get into Heaven, which is held as extremely heretical in many denominations.
Image

Ezekiel 23:20
User avatar
Nate
 
Posts: 10725
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: Oh right, like anyone actually cares.

Postby Davidizer13 » Tue Jan 25, 2011 5:00 pm

Cognitive Gear (post: 1454496) wrote:Honestly, there Christians who are opposed to The Chronicles of Narnia for the same reasons they oppose The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Not all of them are hypocrites. In fact, I would say that most of them are going to be opposed to all three if any of them at all.


You would be correct, sir! None other than Jack Chick has called C. S. Lewis and Tolkien "occultists" in at least one of his tracts. One assumes there's more that hold his views out there.
We are loved even though we suck.

Psalms 37:37 (NHEB)
Mark the perfect man, and see the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.
User avatar
Davidizer13
 
Posts: 1080
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:27 am
Location: VIOLENT CITY

Postby Blacklight » Tue Jan 25, 2011 10:50 pm

ich1990 (post: 1454499) wrote:I am supportive of burning a book so as to not freeze to death.


This is actually what I was thinking.

I am otherwise opposed to the burning of books.
[color="Blue"]@)[/color][color="Green"]}~`,~[/color]
[font="Book Antiqua"][color="DeepSkyBlue"]Carry This Rose In Your Sig, As Thanks, To All The CAA Moderators.[/color][/font]

[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

[color="Pink"]chatbot 03:36 - Blacklight asks, are you sane?
My answer: It's hard to say, really.[/color]
User avatar
Blacklight
 
Posts: 360
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2009 5:45 pm
Location: Nowhere...

Postby ShiroiHikari » Tue Jan 25, 2011 10:57 pm

Book burning is a flagrant display of ignorance and hatred and I wish people wouldn't do it, but I mean, what are you going to do about it? Only thing we can do is try to educate people better, but people only hear what they want to hear, so...
fightin' in the eighties
User avatar
ShiroiHikari
 
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed May 28, 2003 12:00 pm
Location: Somewhere between 1983 and 1989

Postby Shao Feng-Li » Wed Jan 26, 2011 9:23 am

Even Twilight? Wait, talking about books here...

Actually, I'm not sure what to think about it. It doesn't have to stem from ignorance or hatred. I suppose back in the '40s people happily burned Hitler's book, hating the ideas it contained. Though these evil men like to tell us exactly what they're evil plans and ideas are, which is a useful tool. Calling anyone who burns a book in protest an ignorant hater just seems... ignorant and assuming.
User avatar
Shao Feng-Li
 
Posts: 5187
Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2003 12:00 pm
Location: Idaho

Postby Yamamaya » Wed Jan 26, 2011 11:09 am

Davidizer13 (post: 1454524) wrote:You would be correct, sir! None other than Jack Chick has called C. S. Lewis and Tolkien "occultists" in at least one of his tracts. One assumes there's more that hold his views out there.


Yes that was in his tract Dungeon of Bondage, which was already hilarious enough with its misconceptions about D&D. I heard he removed the reference to Tolkien and Lewis in later track editions. :P
User avatar
Yamamaya
 
Posts: 1609
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: Azumanga Daioh High school

Postby TopazRaven » Wed Jan 26, 2011 11:36 am

This Jack Chick fellow sounds rather amusing. Is it sad I've never heard of him before now?
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

NIV, Romans 8:38-39.
User avatar
TopazRaven
 
Posts: 2186
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 2:51 pm
Location: Somewhere in Pennsylvania.

Postby mechana2015 » Wed Jan 26, 2011 1:22 pm

No, consider it a blessing. Jack chick only seems amusing when you've never met people that actually believe what he says in his tracts.
Image

My Deviantart
"MOES. I can has Sane Sig now?"
User avatar
mechana2015
 
Posts: 5025
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2003 12:33 am
Location: Orange County

Postby Rusty Claymore » Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:00 pm

I don't think books have a high enough BTU rating to work well as fuel...
(For those of you who don't know, BTU stands for British Thermal Unit, a measurement of how many Britans you have to burn to raise one cubic centimeter of water one degree celcius.) XP
Proverbs 31:32 "...when she watches anime, she keeps the room well lit and sits at a safe distance."
User avatar
Rusty Claymore
 
Posts: 1258
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2010 2:18 pm
Location: Alaska

Postby Mr. Hat'n'Clogs » Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:32 pm

ich1990 (post: 1454499) wrote:I am supportive of burning a book so as to not freeze to death.
Heat is a crutch. A true man needs only the good of his own heart to keep himself warm.

Though, on topic, it was actually kind of funny for me to have to get in an argument this past weekend with someone who claimed their goal in life was to restore censorship in films. It was in a small group discussion, but it was interesting to me to see how many of the people I thought I knew well enough think this was a noble goal. Thankfully, our small group leader was not crazy and didn't think that the world needed a return to the Hays Code, but it still surprised me how many people think that censorship is the way to go, people who seem rational after years of knowing them.

As far as book burning goes, yeah, it's pretty stupid for all the reasons everyone has mentioned before this.

Also, it's interesting to see how accepted Harry Potter has become in the church. Maybe there's still pockets of hate lurking in places I don't visit, but I remember when I would go to summer camp to hear most of the children and adults spewing crap about how J.K. Rowling actually created Harry Potter to introduce kids to witchcraft, while, at least at my church, you can now bring a Harry Potter book to church and openly discuss it.
User avatar
Mr. Hat'n'Clogs
 
Posts: 2364
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2009 2:16 pm
Location: The Roaring Song-City

Postby Hiryu » Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:48 pm

It's pretty silly, and is a worthless gesture. It should stay in medieval times. Burning the books will not change anything, unless you burn every single copy. Hence why I was against the burning the Koran. Sure, as christians we view it as a false religion, but burning the book won't cause people to suddenly convert to christianity.
User avatar
Hiryu
 
Posts: 457
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:09 pm
Location: Pansey,AL

Postby rocklobster » Wed Jan 26, 2011 4:36 pm

Hey, the Bible's been burned in some places too, from what I hear.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. I appointed you to be a prophet of all nations."
--Jeremiah 1:5
Image
Hit me up on social media!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007205508246<--Facebook

I'm also on Amino as Radical Edward, and on Reddit as Rocklobster as well.


click here for my playlist!
my last fm profile!
User avatar
rocklobster
 
Posts: 8903
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 1:27 pm
Location: Planet Claire

Next

Return to Book Corner

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 26 guests