Poll: Would you ever burn a book?

[LostTimeLady]

I wouldn't do it for several reasons:

Burning one book might not distroy an idea but who am I to decide what get's read and what doesn't. The destruction of even one book might have stopped someone learning something new about themselves or the world.

I love books. To me they are not property but possessions they belong to the owner as much as the person who first wrote those words.

Faranhit 451 scared me a lot. That's a book about a dystopia that burns books. It's freaky stuff but a classic.

Finally... Nazis... Need I say more? The Nazi's sucessfully distroyed almost all of Gemany's literary heratage the burning of a book is only two steps away from burning them all.

By the by, yes, if it was cold and I needed heat and there was no other fuel source sure, I'd burn a yellow pages or something similar but you wouldn't ever catch me reaching for Lord of the Rings or His Dark Materials even though they've got about as much paper in them as two yellow pages. (Sometimes you've got to be pragmatic...)

 

[Altanese]

All smart-ass comments about burning them for warmth or some means other than protest or wishing to get rid of them aside...

No. You may as well be asking me if I would ever relieve myself on a painting or break a sculpture. Even if I personally find a book distasteful, abhorrent, offensive, rude, crude, disgusting, and even mediocre, I would defend it's existence. Doesn't matter what book it is. Going Rogue, Twilight, Green Eggs and Ham, Catcher in the Rye, Oranges Aren't the Only Fruit, the Bible, Mein Kampf, the Anarchist Cookbook (or was it Handbook?), the Communist Manifesto, Choke, Johnny Got His Gun, or the one Snookie from Jersey Shore wrote.

 

[badgersprite]

Well, now that I've finished my exams, I'm going to be burning the metric motherfuck-ton of paper, books and general shite from English. Does that count?

Do it. It's worth it. Invite your mates 'round and have a bonfire.

Be sure to take the plastic cover off your text books if you burn them though. That shit stinks when it burns.

 

[Fwee]

The bible. Considering all the irreparable damage its misconstrued message has done to society, the environment, and human progress I consider it well worth the effort to eradicate.
Personally if one seeks stories with a moral, try Aesop's Fables. You'll get much the same level of ethic quality, if not better.
Not trying to troll, just stating an OPINION that has HISTORICAL and FACTUAL backing. If you're deeply offended by my remarks, I suggest you strengthen your religious foundation. It will certainly will help you better than anonymously trying to silence someone on a forum.
Edit: P.S.
I wanted to take time to thank you for the warning. I realize that my original post could be taken as trolling, but was merely pneumonia-induced laziness on my part. I had more of my thoughts to contribute, but in my fevered haste I decided to deal with further quotes or comments to build upon.
That and I was in a hurry to watch Escape to the Movies.
Not trying to dispute the warning, just wanted to explain.

 

[MrGFunk]

I don't see a situation where I'd have to. I wouldn't do it out of spite certainly.

 

[Hgame]

If I had a logical reason to and it didn't hold any sentimental value then sure. In the end books are just bound paper, I don't see why you would with hold burning them more than anything else.

Because when you burn a book, you not only destroy the paper, you destroy all the knowledge contained within. This does not apply to those mass-produced paperback thrillers you see in every newsagent. I would happily burn those.

 

[sora91111]

Fire wood or if It's algebra related, I hate algebra.

 

[Killertje]

Yes, but it would have nothing to do with the book itself. I also don't think I will ever be in a situation where I need to burn paper to not freeze to death. However if I ever get so pissed at some religious people I feel like shouting at them won't be enough, I would make my point by burning "their" book.

 

[shadowsoul222]

When it comes to staying warm? You bet I will, starting with textbooks to doubt.

For the sake of just burning a book symbolically? No, not ever. John Milton was a little preachy when he said this, but it is one of my more favorite quotes of the issue.

"For books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are; nay, they do preserve as in a vial the purest efficacy and extraction of that living intellect that bred them. Unless wariness be used, as good almost kill a man as kill a good book. Who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image; but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself, kills the image of God, as it were in the eye." -John Milton

Warned you it was preachy, but it gets the point across.

Thanks haha I was looking for this quote to post

OT: I would never burn a book for any reason. I find that kind of thing just...idk. I would never do it to any book. Not Mein Kampf, not Twilight (srsly people it has a specific audience it was targeting get off it's back. and at least it's written with good grammar), and especially not any religious or otherwise Holy text, regardless of whether or not I believed in what that book said. To me burning a book is destroying an idea, and if I REALLY hate a book, i'll just pass it on to someone I don't like, or donate it to a library, hell someone will like it...probably.

 

[steeple]

never if its out of idealogical reasons, of course if its just as a neccesary replacement for fire-wood

 

[Zanakanishi]

This question is too vague and kinda silly... i mean it's just paper, if it is burnt just buy another one?

 

[Scott Guthrie]

i did it onece but thats because i was drunk and thought it was funny at the time

 

[Trippy Turtle]

no, because why would you. i mean i would if i had to but otherwise no.

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

Yup if it was an old school book which I didn't need and weren't meant to be returned, if it is absolutley freezing and I need some heat or if the book just really sucks.

 

[Darkwhite]

My school books when i finished. Also if i needed a fire then yes I would.

 

[MrGalactus]

I might get in trouble for this.

I once actually did burn a bible. It wasn't symbolic or representative of anything to do with religious beliefs in particular, I just did it because we were having a bonfire and I had a bible, and paper burns.
I was about 10, and went to catholic school. They gave us all a little red bible, and we all resented being given it, not because we were anti-Christian, but because we just resented everything the school did for/to us. We all just fucking hated school, so we'd express it in the pettiest of ways whenever we could.
So I got home, and...oo look, we're having a bonfire....Oo, look, I have this book, which, I suppose, represents what school want's of me, so my 10 year old brain will automatically and spitefully do the opposite...Oo, look, we don't get graded on how singed our bible isn't.
So I did it. Chucked it on there like it was nothing, because to me it was nothing. Religion wasn't, and still isn't relevant in my life, so throwing a little bible on the bonfire has never been something I'm ashamed nor proud of.
It's weird to think about, really. I had forgotten about it until now.

 

[Nerfherder17]

yeah,if I needed to make a fire. I'd keep certain books if I didn't think I'd get to have another copy.

 

[Ithera]

Well, not out of political or religious reasons. If faced with a practical problem that can be alleviated by book burning, then i will consider this option.

 

[AWAR]

I don't know, would you ever break a ruler?

[sub][sub]I don't get it....[/sub][/sub]

It's because nazis did it and it's evil and if you do it too you are a nazi.. kinda..

O.T.
Why even bother burning a book?

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

I already have done.
I went to a catholic high school you see. I hated it.
So, me and some like-minded friends, stole around 12 bibles and gospels from the RE class.
Went into the near by woods, and burnt the shit out of them in a pile. Teenage rebellion! The funniest kind of rebellion.