Book Burning

[MinionJoe]

In my opinion, burning a book is an unforgivable atrocity ONLY if the book is no longer in print.

So long as Barnes and Noble has Korans, Bibles, and Torahs in stock, what's the big deal?

Just go buy another one.

[Davo]

would you burn the last copy of your favorite book to eat a warm meal?

[MinionJoe]

Assuming all civilization is in ruins and my book is the last piece of viable fuel on the planet? Probably not.

But if I was lost in the woods and I needed to torch my favorite hardback in order to survive the night, then yes, I'd burn it. Because once I'm rescued I can just go buy another copy.

(Also, I don't seem to have authorization to read my private messages. I seem to have received one (I got the e-mail), but it says I'm not authorized to read it.)

[Davo]

i was wondering at first what you were talking about as far as books, but just saw the news, and i am fixing the pms now...

[MinionJoe]

Yeah, the world is in an uproar because some no-name dumb-fuck in Florida is going to burn the Koran tomorrow.

Er... yeah. So? I'm sure Barnes and Noble appreciates his business. He had to buy the books somewhere, right? And it's not like stores are suddenly going to run out of stock and no one can buy a Koran anymore.

Sure, it's culturally insensitive. It's a stupid thing to do. But why give the guy any attention at all?

Now, if he managed to get his hands on a first edition signed by the Prophet himself, now THAT would be a story. But millions of tons of mass-produced consumer goods get burned or goes to a landfill every day.

[Davo]

to prepare everyone for my upcomming joke...

this is a digital book that allows you to buy books to read without the hassle of moving or flipping pages and all that stuff we've been doing for centuries.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/sto ... 1644523779


I say we get a bunch of the digital copies and form a mass get-together so we can delete our Korans!
WHO'S WITH ME!

[MinionJoe]

You actually raise a very good point!

What if someone does delete a copy of the Koran or the Bible from their Kindle? Is that sacrilegious?

What if an obsolete ereader containing a copy in memory is recycled or destroyed?

Is a holy text only holy if it's printed on paper? What about copies printed on vellum? Or metal? Or stone?

If I put all the world's holy texts onto a scrolling marquee and then pull the plug, will I instantly go to hell?

(OK, I got carried away there at the end. But you still make an excellent point.)

[Kaos]

May I say:
Epic thread is epic.
http://www.explosm.net/db/files/Comics/ ... eleven.png

[MinionJoe]

May I say:
Epic thread is epic.
http://www.explosm.net/db/files/Comics/ ... eleven.png

Win.

[arnie532]

Not to be resurecting but... While we are talking about insults to a religion one important time much like this time (for the most part) is during in ancient China. During that period legalist rulers (Shi Huangdi) not only burned all other holy books or teachings but also killed all of their scholars. Despite this great offense to the religion the country later declared it as their main religion once Shi Huangdi died

a little background on legalism:
they believed that humans were naturaly wicked and needed to be punished. They also said that you should tattle on others if they do wrong. They were closly linked to the government.

[Davo]

every topic is here to be posted in.

[MinionJoe]

Not to be resurecting but... While we are talking about insults to a religion one important time much like this time (for the most part) is during in ancient China. During that period legalist rulers (Shi Huangdi) not only burned all other holy books or teachings but also killed all of their scholars. Despite this great offense to the religion the country later declared it as their main religion once Shi Huangdi died.

China has a history of doing things just like that. Like the time the broke up their Great Treasure Fleet and turned to isolationism.

Seems like every few hundred years, a new regime comes in and tries to completely rennovate the country and its policies.