Of all the possible subs, r/atheism, flips out when a Secret Santa cut up a bible to hide the real gift inside (np.reddit.com)
SubredditDrama
119 ups - 37 downs = 82 votes
96 comments submitted at 00:20:10 on Dec 16, 2013 by chrilo
Of all the possible subs, r/atheism, flips out when a Secret Santa cut up a bible to hide the real gift inside (np.reddit.com)
SubredditDrama
119 ups - 37 downs = 82 votes
96 comments submitted at 00:20:10 on Dec 16, 2013 by chrilo
> yes. dont ruin books. simple as that.
I love how some people hold books sacred like this. Want to bust up a table and burn it? People might not get it, but who's going to flip out? Cut up a book? Hey act like you murdered knowledge.
I do agree though. Where they're burning books, soon they'll be burning people.
Maybe it just doesn't sit well with me because I hold books, regardless of content in rather high regard.
> Where they're burning books, soon they'll be burning people.
Really? Don't you see how that's a completely different situation? OPs secret santa didn't desecrate the Bible in order to censor it in the name of a fascist regime.
It's rather hard to explain. There's a certain amount of symbolism associated with deliberately destroying a book-- and don't tell me that they randomly chose the Bible. That'd be rather convenient, would it not?
To me, it simply represents a fundamental lack of respect for whatever views are held within. I'm not even a Christian and I think it's wrong. You don't go around destroying books because you disagree with their contents.
It's tasteless.
> There's a certain amount of symbolism associated with deliberately destroying a book
You attribute way too much symbolism to the act of cutting/messing with a book. This is exactly /u/Nerdlinger's point, what makes the book so sacred?
> You don't go around destroying books because you disagree with their contents.
I don't think that's why it was destroyed. It was destroyed to make room for a bottle. I assume they chose the Bible because OP is a known atheist, so it would be funny to him to receive a Bible. It's not some political statement.
It's harmless.
You're asking what makes books sacred? For over a thousand years, they've represented repositories of information, knowledge, and views, opposing or not. By destroying it, you're expressing disdain for the contents of said book.
I don't know man, it just messes with me. I like books. Libricide is one of the worst things you can do, imo.
Once again, you're attributing some great symbolic (bullshit) message to a pretty mundane act. I can think of far worse things than ripping up a Harry Potter book.
I'm sure we can all think of worse things to do, but that doesn't excuse the act, now does it?
I never saw it as 'wrong' in the first place.
You exaggerate their side, but the wrongness is their due to the symbolism regardless. It's sad that you get upset over people having a different opinion than you, but I'm sure if you go outside and interact with real people more, that will go away.
I know. I'm merely pointing out that that was a rather ineffective piece of rhetoric.
Besides, we can argue all day on what is "wrong" or "right". Good and evil don't let themselves be defined that easily. We've clearly hit a philosophical barrier that can't be overcome. I'm still standing by my original position that I feel it's wrong, however.
I don't know why you're being downvote, but I agree completetly. It's the willingness to do the act itself, regardless of the book, or even how unimportant the act is. Books are never anything more than ways to communicate, and when someone wants to destroy one, it's telling of a more disturbed personality.
Edit: and harry potter is great, don't burn those books because you're a smug asshole.
WORSE THAN MURDER
exaggerate their point for stupid circlejerking...
Why would you want to shout that at a person? Are you angry at them?
Nobody shouted anything
Caps lock is cruise control for cool.
> It's rather hard to explain.
Maybe 'cause it's bullshit, especially the part where you equate being 'tasteless' with burning people. I'm sure you too can manage to hold back your tears if your least favourite publication is destroyed. It could, at the limit, be construed as rude if someone destroyed your favourite book in front of you, but that doesn't even seem to be at play here.
It's an observation about society and how when people start censoring what they don't like, they also start murdering lots of people.
The act is symbolic of that lesson that we have learned from history.
I was merely quoting. It seemed appropriate for the occasion.
Besides, it's still relevant. Burning books is disrespectful. Disrespect fosters hate. Hate begets murder. It may only have happened once before, but I'd prefer if we'd learn from our actions instead of ignoring them.
me and my brother once purposely burned a book out of malice when we were kids...
though to be fair it was "1001 cool jokes for kids" and we thought the world would be better off without it