What to do with Bibles?

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
When I cleaned out my uncle's apartment, I saved several boxes of Bibles of various translations. No one takes them at my garage sale even for free. I've offered them to several people in church if they wanted them for their ministries (hospice, prison, homeless missions). The consensus of response there is that they can get new Bibles for free so why would they want used ones. The SA here will not accept religious literature. It seem sacrilegious to put them in the recycling bin.
 

Still have those bibles from three years ago? As Manatee said, and I've suggested in the past, donate them to Goodwill other second hand thrift stores in your area. If you get desperate, maybe put them out in front of your house with a Free sign?
 
I wouldn't worry too much if they have been sitting in a corner unused for several years they have already lost any purpose and meaning that they may have once had.

If they are damaged, mildewed, etc... then I would dispose of them.

Some people believe that it is all right to recycle them, burn them or bury them. The main issue seems to be treating them with some measure of respect by wrapping them, saying a prayer over them, etc...

If they are in good condition I would box them up and donate them to a charity shop. I don't know what the policy is but my local SA stores have religious books for sale and they give away any bibles that come in free of charge.

Good luck!
 
To me, the Bible is just a book, not a miraculous sacred object. Treat it the same as you would any other old book.

My late husband was an inveterate book collector. When he died, I was left with hundreds of books that I had no use for, or interest in. I became an Amazon seller. I've gotten rid of most of the books I didn't want to keep, though some were "given" away at 1 cent each. Amazon provides a certain amount for shipping costs, so if I ship the books using media mail, I might clear a dollar or so on even the 1 cent books.

But it's certainly not worth the trouble of running down to the post office to make a dollar. I like the feeling that I'm sending each book to a person who really wants that book, almost as a gift to the person. That is my main satisfaction out of doing this, plus the fact that I've cleared out all those books that I didn't want.

The Bibles could probably be given away the same way. Plus, since you say they are in various translations, some of them could actually be worth money.
 
Just like the fire stations and some fraternal organizations will dispose of worn out American flags for you, some churches will take your bibles for proper disposal. Some burn them, some bury them in their cemetery. Try an Episcopal Church if you have one near you; they have a lot of rites for this sort of thing.

It's not really the physical Bible itself that is holy.....it's the words and the meaning of those words. I feel that any respectful disposal is proper.
 
Rescue Missions (they offer free meals, food, clothes, counsel, prayer, and a message of hope...Bibles are welcomed). In New York, they have one in Albany (Capital City Rescue Mission). Also Syracuse and NYC.

Franklin Graham's "Samaritan's Purse" Donate like-new small pocket-size New Testament Bibles Nov. 12-19 for volunteers to pack into large Christmas Shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies, and hygiene items, to be sent overseas for children who wouldn't otherwise receive any gifts. Most churches participate. 9 Million boxes were sent worldwide last year.

Used Bookstores (some are run by Christians)
 
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Over the years, I have bought many Bibles from estate sales, including a nice large print Bible that I really appreciate having now that I'm older.

.
 
I 'goggled' it. It seems there are variations of 'proper' & 'respectful' depending on the denomination .

I found this.........

https://www.wikihow.com/Dispose-of-a-Bible.

There are others as well.


 
Speaking of bibles.....about 50 years ago I bought a huge old bible for my dad from a junk shop because my dad had been interested in reading the Apocrypha, which is not found in the King James Version. The bible was from the early 1800's and was in terrible shape. It smelled really bad, too.....musty and mildewy.

When he died, Mom gave it back to me. I tried to donate it to a museum. No luck; they had all the smelly old bibles they wanted. So, I wrapped it up tightly in plastic and put it away.

Because the family that originally owned the bible was so well identified in the registry pages, when I started doing my genealogy research on my family, I was able to find a descendent of the patriarch. He was beside himself at the prospect of getting the bible, no matter what shape it was in, as he was the family genealogist. I packed it up and sent it on to him. I still get Christmas cards from him.

Win-win! He got the bible and I got rid of the stinky old thang. Boy, did that thing reek....
 
That was smart JuJube. I give Bibles to the thrift store whether they want them or not. I just put them in the bags and boxes I'm leaving and they never go through all the stuff before we drive off.
 
It's a pity that old bibles have no value anymore. My family had inherited a few that were almost works of art. I no longer remember what happened to them.
 
bet no one did this:

I have an old very large family bible that I have kept for many years and I put leaves from trees in the pages to keep them pressed and they are still there!!!!IMG_20180513_100921 (1).jpg
 
Keesha said:
Perfect answer:clap:
But don’t forget to take the right amount of $ to pay for the rooms. :smug1:
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Well, I s'pose you could stack 'em, put yer right hand on the stack, and swear from henceforth you'll never ever ever pick another one up, so help you God.

then

proceed to the hotels...cheap motels....motel 5s...or 3s
 
IKE said:
Better add a few rolls of quarters for the relaxing vibrating bed also :)......curious, I wonder if they even have them in hotels any more ?

View attachment 53370
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Yes, they do. My 2-year-old great-granddaughter was sitting on the coffee table in my motel room a couple of weeks ago "reading" the Gideon bible. She turned a couple of pages and then yelled "OOOOOH!!! PICTURES!!!!" There were a couple of religious tracts in the bible and she was fascinated.
 

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