Is there a respectful way to dispose of old or worn out scriptures? [closed]

Question

I'm finding myself accumulating various copies of the scriptures, and honestly, I don't need all of them laying around. Nowadays I study, read, and mark them electronically.

So now I'm looking to declutter my living space. Throwing them away feels kind of weird... donating them does too, since some are marked up from my studies, have personal notes in them, or have my name engraved on the front.

I'll probably just keep one or two nice printed copies for guests or convenience.

Is it bad to throw scriptures away? Is there a better way?

^{Note: I live in a rural area and it's common to burn our own trash, since we don't have a sanitation service here. But I'm definitely open to options that don't involve burning. :) -- And actually, an option that doesn't involve burning, if there is one, would be good so that the answer applies to more people.}

Answer 1

Mary Fairchild belongs to the Calvary Chapel denomination, and she writes:

There are no specific scriptural instructions on how to dispose of an old Bible. While God's Word is holy and to be honored (Psalm 138:2), there's nothing sacred or hallowed in the physical materials: the paper, parchment, leather, and ink.

She suggests that, instead of discarding or disposing it, a person should consider donating it to a ministry or someone who wants one.

Christian, Protestant, conservative, evangelical, fundamental, and non-denominational people on gotquestions.org (I think they're Fundamentalists.) write:

There is no "biblical" way to dispose of an old/damaged/ruined Bible, as the Bible itself does not address this question. It is, therefore, a matter of personal conviction. It is important to understand that it is not the paper, binding, and ink that are "sacred" or "holy." It is the Word of God that is holy, not the material it is printed on. We are not to worship or idolize the Bible. The purpose of the Bible is to teach us about Jesus the Savior and the salvation He provides and to point us to worship Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The paper and ink of a Bible are merely the means through which God communicates His Word to us.

Like Mary Fairchild, they advise donating to the donator's descendants or others who want it.

Catholics agree! I will let them speak for themselves.

There is no specifically mandated means of disposing of old Bibles. Some Catholics follow a custom of disposing of religious articles that have been blessed either by burying or burning them, but even that is not mandated by law. If the Bible has been blessed you might choose to follow that custom. If not, dispose of it as you would any other book. If it’s still in fair condition, you might put it on a book donation table to benefit someone else.

Jon M. Sweeney does not really mention the LDS Church, but he does have a rather strong opinion of what to do about any type of holy book -- be it Christian, Jewish, Muslim, whatever -- that the asker may find helpful, for the reason that the asker belongs to the LDS denomination:

You don't burn them. You never, ever burn them.

You bury them.

Answer 2

Before I lost my sight I was involved in Prison Ministry, and they are constantly in need of Bibles. Also they can and do supply things such as books, periodicals, and such to Chaplains for use in their libraries. Also any teaching aids you may have would be greatly appreciated.

You might find a Ministry through Google or if you live near a prison a call to the Chaplain will give you some great guidance.

If your efforts add just one person to the Kingdom it is well worth your efforts.

Answer 3

I don't think I have ever thrown away a Bible in my life, but I would donate them to Goodwill or Salvation Army because the other day I bought a study edition '84 NIV bible for $5. It was a steal because usually they go for $100 or so. Just donate them all to Goodwill and give them the burden.