Disposing Of A Bible

Someone recently said they had an old Bible that they needed to dispose of and didn't know what to do with it, and so they contacted me. To be honest, I didn't know what the proper method was either. So, I did a little research.

Jacquelyn Sapiie, Library Services Supervisor at the American Bible Society offered this advice, “There is no Christian ceremony or procedure for the disposal of old, worn Bibles. Although everyone agrees that if a book is worn and no longer usable, it should be discarded; discarding a Bible is a difficult act for many people...."

Here are several different recommendations:

1) The first is to try and make the Bible usable. It can be rebound or reglued if necessary, or it can be given to others who may need a Bible. If it is an old Bible (more than 100 years) and the pages are in good condition, it is possible that a local library, college/university, or historical society may be interested for their rare book collection (especially if it is of significant interest for the area). However, having worked for the BPL in the area that dealt with donated books, do not assume that it will go into their collection. They might dispose of it as well. I say this having thrown thousands of books into dumpsters because the library did not want them.

2) If the Bible is not in good condition and not salvageable, according to the American Bible Society, the best thing to do with it is to recycle it. "It should be remembered that a Bible is a book. It may be helpful to think of the ways we discard books. It would be a good thing to make it useful, and one way to do that is to recycle it. Recycling is an honorable act and that is fitting for a book such as a Bible." In recycling it, we remain good stewards of the earth. It is better to have the fibers reused then lost. In this manner God's word continues. It is recommended that you wrap the Bible in clean paper and then taken to a paper recycling location. Make sure that it will be recycled and will not end up in a landfill somewhere.

3) Another way of recycling that is a little more controlled is to bury the Bible. You may dig a hole somewhere, wrap the Bible in a clean clothe, and then put it in the hole. You can also build, or buy, a small wooden box that will fit it to bury it in. Nature will then recycle it, and have it return to the earth. This is how it is done in Judaism, although they are usually buried in cemeteries, often with a body.

4) The final disposal method is similar to how flags are properly disposed of, which is to burn it. This is what the Catholic Church calls for. This one does have some issues, because of other times books are burned. However, like with the flag, if done appropriately it is a respectful way to dispose of the Bible. Make sure that the fire is hot enough so that there are no pieces left, and then scatter the ashes back into nature.

In all of these cases, please check the Bible for sentimental or other important materials. You do not want to destroy several generations worth of birth, baptism, marriage or death records, which many family Bibles contain. If it is a Bible from a former church it too may contain similar information.

Whatever means you choose, when disposing of the Bible do so respectfully offering a prayer or a liturgy of thanksgiving and remembrance. But also remember, that we do not worship the Bible, we worship God. It is the content of the book, not the ink, paper or cover that make it sacred. Finally, whatever means you use, someone may be offended with what you did. So don't simply say, "I burned my Bible this morning," give some background about why, what you did before hand, what you did with the ashes, etc. to make sure the other person knows the seriousness with which you addressed the issue.