The Bible is the most sacred book in Christianity. Because of its sacred status, many Christians (and even non-Christians) are hesitant to dispose of the Bible in the same way they dispose of their daily trash. In general, Christian churches do not have definite rules about how to dispose of Bibles - the main concern is that they are treated with respect and, where possible, used to serve God's greater good.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using the Old Bible
Step 1. Donate
If the Bible is in good condition, consider donating it to someone or a charity that will use it. This allows others to dive into the words of God who, otherwise, would not have had the opportunity. Below are just a few ideas to whom you might want to donate your Bible:
- Church, which may in turn donate the book to people who need it.
- The library, which may offer the book to borrow or sell it for a fundraiser.
- Thrift stores, which can offer the book at a relatively low price to someone who might need it.
- Christian homeless shelters, many of which offer prayer groups and scripture study classes.
- Gideons (Gideons International), which is a Christian group dedicated to distributing Bibles around the world free of charge.
- Other similar Bible-sharing charitable foundations. For example, some charitable foundations will ship Bibles to countries where people are being punished for reading the Bible.
Step 2. Restoring the Bible
Just because a Bible is old and dingy doesn't mean it has to stay in that condition. Professional book repair and restoration services offer the expertise to get the oldest or most damaged books back at the highest quality (at a cost). Some of these services even allow you to send your books to a restoration for repair.
This type of service is the best choice for a Bible that has sentimental meaning to you. However, because restoration costs are likely to be high, this method may not make sense for an ordinary Bible
Step 3. Save the Bible
Alternatively, you may want to keep the Bible, safe and secure so it doesn't get worse. Although the Bible is no longer practical for everyday use, it may become a family heirloom for you to pass on to your children.
This option is good for Bibles that have sentimental meaning but are too expensive or difficult to repair
Method 2 of 3: Respectfully Dispose of the Bible
Step 1. Show respect for the Bible
The Bible itself does not contain specific instructions on how to dispose of it. Although the words of God are judged by Christians as sacred and eternal, the physical documents containing those words are not judged as either. However, with its thousands of years of history, billions of followers, and rich spiritual traditions, it is important to show proper respect for the Bible, even if you are not a Christian. Almost any reasonable method of disposing of the Bible is feasible as long as it is with good intentions and respect.
- To show respect, you may want to say a prayer (or prayers) that has special meaning to you when you throw away the Bible, although this is not mandatory.
- never ever destroying the Bible in a deliberately impolite method. While it is not fundamentally a sin to treat objects made of paper and ink with disrespect, it is indeed a sin to deliberately harass God.
Step 2. Bury the Bible
One way to dispose of old Bibles is to return them to the ground in a solemn burial. Funerals can be as "complicated" as you'd like (within reasonable limits), although simple burials are just as legitimate as ceremonial burials and more grandiose. The following are just a few ideas you may want to consider for your Bible burial:
- Gather with family members in quiet contemplation.
- Saying a prayer while the Bible is buried
- Ask a priest for help to bless the Bible
- Marking Bible burial sites with a small mark
Step 3. Cremation the Bible
Another way to dispose of Bibles is to honorably cremate them (similar to many retired national flags). Although some people who wish to belittle or denigrate God's words do so by burning the Bible, there is nothing inherently wrong with burning the Bible physically as long as it is done with respect and reverence. In general, burning a Bible means making a bonfire or pile of wood large enough to burn the book completely, then placing the Bible in the fire carefully and respectfully watching it while the Bible burns.
As above, while cremating your Bible, you may want to consider saying a prayer, meditating in silence, and so on
Step 4. Recycle the Bible
Finally, since Bibles are made of paper, you may want to recycle them. This is a great choice especially if you are interested in serving God by preserving the natural beauty of His created earth, because recycling reduces the need to cut trees to make new paper.
However, to many people, "throw away" the Bible in the same way they throw out regular paper waste can feel untrue, no matter the good intentions of the act. In this case, you may want to make a special container for the Bible to separate it from the rest of the trash by placing it in a separate bag or box
Step 5. For special cases, follow the advice of your pastor or private pastor
While most Christian churches will accept almost any method of disposing of the Bible as long as it is done with good intentions and due respect, certain churches may judge that it is a sin to destroy the physical form of God's words, no matter how and why it is done. If you subscribe to this type of church belief, you may need to consult with a member of the clergy of the church to make sure you dispose of the Bible according to your church's unique rules.
In this case, follow the advice elsewhere in this article only after receiving confirmation from a qualified member of your church
Method 3 of 3: Burying or Cremation of the Bible
Step 1. Leave specific instructions in your will regarding the disposal of your Bible
Make sure your family knows where these instructions are.
If you have paid funeral plans, make sure the funeral director is aware of your wish to bury or cremate the Bible with you
Step 2. Be sure to determine where the Bible in question is located in your home
This is especially important if you have more than one Bible.
Step 3. Arrange for the corpse to hold the Bible in the coffin at the event before closing the coffin
Step 4. Instruct the Bible to be buried (or cremated) with you at the funeral
Tips
- Many Christians believe that it is the content of the Bible that makes the book holy, not the paper and ink, and therefore, the Bible can be discarded like all other books.
- If you no longer want the Bible, why not give it to someone who wants it, or maybe a church or other religious organization? If you don't know anyone who might want a Bible, you may want to find a local recycling group and let them know so someone can take the Bible from you.
- Before throwing away your Bible, take the time to go through it briefly, for records or family history. Many people record important family events, such as births, marriages, and deaths in their family Bible, and you may want to keep this information, if it is in your Bible.
- Some feel that the Bible should be disposed of with the same honor as the national flag.
- Jacquelyn Sapiie, Library Services Supervisor at the American Bible Society offers this advice, “There is no Christian ceremony or procedure to throw away an old and ragged Bible. Although everyone agrees that if a book is worn out and can no longer be used, it should be thrown away; throwing away the Bible is a difficult act for many…. It's a good thing to make use of old Bibles, and one way to do that is to recycle them. Recycling is an honorable act and that is fitting for a book like the Bible.” Source
Warning
- Remember, don't start worshiping the Bible, God should be your main focus (if you are a Christian).
- The Bible is a very sacred book to millions of people and they may be offended in whatever way you choose to dispose of it.
