Churches, who may in turn donate the book to the needy. Libraries, who may offer the book for checking out or sell it in a fundraiser. Thrift stores, who can offer the book for relatively cheap to someone who may need it. Christian homeless shelters, many of which offer prayer groups and bible study classes. The Gideons (Gideons International), who are a Christian group dedicated to distributing the Bible worldwide free of charge. [1] X Research source Another similar Bible-distributing charity. For example, some charities will send Bibles to countries where people are persecuted for reading the Bible.
These types of services are a great choice for when your Bible carries some sort of sentimental significance. However, because restoration fees can be somewhat pricey, they may not make sense for ordinary Bibles.
This option is a good choice when the Bible has sentimental significance but is either too costly or too difficult to repair.
To show your respect, you may want to recite a prayer (or prayers) that hold(s) special meaning for you as you dispose of your Bible, though this is by no means required. Never destroy a Bible with a method that is deliberately irreverent. Though it’s not inherently sinful to treat an object of paper and ink with disrespect, it is sinful to deliberately denigrate God.
Gathering with family members in quiet reflection Saying a prayer as the Bible is buried Enlisting the help of a priest to bless the Bible Marking the buried Bible’s location with a small marker
As above, while cremating your Bible, you may want to consider saying a prayer, reflecting in silence, and so on.
However, for many, “throwing out” the Bible in the same way as they might throw out ordinary paper trash can feel wrong, regardless of the intent of the act. In this case, you may want to create a special vessel for the Bible to separate it from the rest of the trash by placing it in its own bag or box.
In this case, follow the advice in the rest of this article only after receiving confirmation from a qualified member of your church.
If you have a pre-paid funeral plan, make sure the funeral director knows of your wishes to have the Bible buried or cremated with you.
