Selling the bible

[Wordleymaster1]

I don't think it appropriate that ANYONE should be forced to buy a bible if they want one. If you want one bad enough you can get one for free. But why do so many companies and outlets SELL the bible?
By these companies and outlets selling bibles, that seems to show they believe in it. But shouldn't they just give them away? If it's so real and great, shouldn't it be given out to anyone who wants it for free? No matter how awesome the cover is or how many cool tricks the electric versions have, why the need to profit off of one's need to learn about God.
To me, that seems quite disingenuous.
What do you think: should any form of the bible be sold, or should they all be given away?

[DanieltheDragon]

[Replying to post 10 by Wordleymaster1]

It is available for free though, the only people who buy them are those who want something pretty therefore what us being sold is not the message but the pretty box.

[dianaiad]

[Replying to post 3 by Wordleymaster1]

Outreach bibles are given away for free Gideon specifically manufactures bibles to give away for free. There is nothing wrong with making a fancy product and selling it to those of whom would buy it. If its not for outreach whats the issue

As said, bibles are given for free. But when it comes to selling bibles, no matter how fancy, I think it's wrong. Sell the 'fanciness' alone and give the bible for free.

Given that the bible is not copyrighted, that is exactly what is happening. People who buy bibles are buying 'the fancy.' They want the lovely binding, the place to record family events, something to write notes in; they are buying the paper and the binding....because you are correct.

The words are free. One can get them anywhere. For free. So those who purchase one are doing so 'for the fancy."

See? Problem solved.

[Wordleymaster1]

[Replying to post 10 by Wordleymaster1]

It is available for free though, the only people who buy them are those who want something pretty therefore what us being sold is not the message but the pretty box.

I know they are available for free. As I said, they should pay for the pretty box but not the bible. At least to me

[Wordleymaster1]

[Replying to post 3 by Wordleymaster1]

Outreach bibles are given away for free Gideon specifically manufactures bibles to give away for free. There is nothing wrong with making a fancy product and selling it to those of whom would buy it. If its not for outreach whats the issue

As said, bibles are given for free. But when it comes to selling bibles, no matter how fancy, I think it's wrong. Sell the 'fanciness' alone and give the bible for free.

Given that the bible is not copyrighted, that is exactly what is happening. People who buy bibles are buying 'the fancy.' They want the lovely binding, the place to record family events, something to write notes in; they are buying the paper and the binding....because you are correct.

The words are free. One can get them anywhere. For free. So those who purchase one are doing so 'for the fancy."

See? Problem solved.

See above post about 'the pretty box'.
While YES some bibles are given for free, you can also BUY the bible WITHOUT the pretty box. That to me is not right - they are profiting off of religion. I doubt Jesus would approve of SELLING any bible

[dianaiad]

[Replying to post 3 by Wordleymaster1]

Outreach bibles are given away for free Gideon specifically manufactures bibles to give away for free. There is nothing wrong with making a fancy product and selling it to those of whom would buy it. If its not for outreach whats the issue

As said, bibles are given for free. But when it comes to selling bibles, no matter how fancy, I think it's wrong. Sell the 'fanciness' alone and give the bible for free.

Given that the bible is not copyrighted, that is exactly what is happening. People who buy bibles are buying 'the fancy.' They want the lovely binding, the place to record family events, something to write notes in; they are buying the paper and the binding....because you are correct.

The words are free. One can get them anywhere. For free. So those who purchase one are doing so 'for the fancy."

See? Problem solved.

See above post about 'the pretty box'.
While YES some bibles are given for free, you can also BUY the bible WITHOUT the pretty box. That to me is not right - they are profiting off of religion. I doubt Jesus would approve of SELLING any bible

I went to Amazon.com yesterday, and bought a book that just came out. Spent $10 for it.

I was buying THE WORDS. The right to read those words. The right to store those words on my computer/kindle/smartphone. No paper, no binding, no physical book, just the words. If I want a 'hard copy,' I'd have to pay another $15 for it. "For the fancy."

If I wanted a copy of the bible, I could get it free. I can go to LDS.org and get all the books..and most of the official publications of the church for that matter, for free. I can download an app called 'the gospel library" (and I have) for my smartphone and have access to all those publications.

For free.

But if I go into the Deseret Book Store and buy a bible, I'll be paying a fair amount of money for the leather binding, the very fine paper, the silk moire ribbon bookmark, the silk moire' end papers....

And that is what I'm buying. The words are free.

It costs money to physically print words on paper, to bind them, and make them worthy of shelf space. Those who go out and buy 'hard copy' bibles do so in order to show respect for the words inside, to have a copy to hold in their hands...

And I think that an objection to this is rather silly, taken all in all.

How do you figure the folks who have to buy the paper and the leather to bind it to pay for those things?

Or are you one of those folks who don't believe in God because he doesn't do things the way you would if you were Him?

[Wordleymaster1]

[Replying to post 15 by dianaiad]

If I wanted a copy of the bible, I could get it free.

Which is what I've said several time. BUT, you can also BUY a bible.
I don't think ANY bible should be sold period. If it's the 'word of God' selling it is profiting off of religion to me.

It costs money to physically print words on paper, to bind them, and make them worthy of shelf space.

I would debate the words 'worthy of shelf space' but besides that, of course it costs $ to do those thing. Where's God's debit card? Why isn't God paying for it?
But of course, He can't pay for his churches or preachers so it would be silly to think He would be able to pay to print His OWN book.

Those who go out and buy 'hard copy' bibles do so in order to show respect for the words inside, to have a copy to hold in their hands...

Irrelevant in the discussion because this is a WHY they would BUY it when this is about WHY it shouldn't be sold as a profit

How do you figure the folks who have to buy the paper and the leather to bind it to pay for those things?

Why do you think your god isn't capable of doing this if He can save your soul, create the universice, yadda yadda

Or are you one of those folks who don't believe in God because he doesn't do things the way you would if you were Him?

I take offense to the accusation.

[bishblaize]

I don't think ANY bible should be sold period. If it's the 'word of God' selling it is profiting off of religion to me.

I get paid to work for a charity, is that also wrong? One person might think so, another might not.

Paying for bibles allows the people that distribute bibles continue to do so. It allows people to do it full time and hence reach more people. it allows them to subsidise free bibles for those that can't afford it. It allows them to distribute it in multiple formats. It allows them to host websites of the bible, or to pay people to teach it. It allows them to pay people to illustrate children's bibles for kids, or make braille versions, or simplified versions for people with learning disabilities, or to update it to the parlance of our times.

Would it be better if all these people did it for free? Guess so. But we don't live in a world where that's possible. People gotta live. Unless you want the 1% to be the sole gatekeepers of religion, which frankly doesn't strike me as an improvement.

I agree there are many people who profit unreasonably from religion (Richard Dawkins for one). But to extract from that that all bibles should be free is a pretty flimsy argument.

[Wordleymaster1]

[Replying to post 17 by bishblaize]

I get paid to work for a charity, is that also wrong?

Would probably depend on the charity. THough a charity has little to nothing to do with the bible, the assumed word of God and way to eternal life as best I can tell

Paying for bibles allows the people that distribute bibles continue to do so.

Obviously. But where's God's responsibility here? The point is this:
If the bible is the word of God, and if the word of God helps lead to eternal life, there is NO reason to pay for it. It should be FREE.
If you want a fancy dancy bible cover? Fine. Buy the cover, get the bible for free.
God should be paying REAL $ to people to create His bible if indeed it is His word and way to eternal life. There should be ZERO profit from people who want a bible ANYWHERE. If, indeed it is truly God's word.

I don't understand why so many people let God get off easy with economics if God is the god He's said to be!?!?!
God needs a church in a 3rd world coutry? Well we have to come up with $ to fly there and build it for free, many times we have to but the materials, etc.
God wants preacher Bill to lead this church? Well we have to pay him to eat and live (God can create the universe but not support a family with $60K/year equivalent without the use of donations like tithes and offerings?)

Do we think Jesus would have sold what was written about him or given them away for free? Do we think Jesus would have come back after he died/risen/whatever and OK'd people selling his life story to those who want it or given it away for free?
Obvisouly, many people don't think enough of their God to provide His people with economic support to do His will.
All the more reason to me to discount GOd and God's religion as nothing supernatural or deity-like but a man made religion whose main concern is about getting your hard earned $

Not expecting God to provide you and your family w/o any modern economic means seems to by contradictory and hypocritical to the 'give up all and follow me' mentality. Not to mention that we can have FAITH that God will be faithful to us to save our sins, but we dont' have enough FAITH in God to provide for us through apparent supernatural means.

Didn't he provide for His people while the wondered the desert? Why can't He provide for us today in the same manner? Or can He, but we dont' have enough FAITH in Him to do so?

[bishblaize]

[Replying to post 18 by Wordleymaster1]

Well that whole argument presupposes you believe in god. Neither of us do, so its an irrelevance to both of us. As far as I'm concerned any Christian looking to spread the reach of the bible has to find a sustainable means to do so, which means finding a viable financial model to do so.

Unless you're using the whole thing to suggest that its proof god doesn't exist. In that case, frankly, there are better approaches.

[Wordleymaster1]

[Replying to post 18 by Wordleymaster1]

Well that whole argument presupposes you believe in god. Neither of us do, so its an irrelevance to both of us. As far as I'm concerned any Christian looking to spread the reach of the bible has to find a sustainable means to do so, which means finding a viable financial model to do so.

Unless you're using the whole thing to suggest that its proof god doesn't exist. In that case, frankly, there are better approaches.

Irrelevent yes, to a point. It still annoys me that people give their god an OUT while expecting others to fall in line with their beliefs when it clearly (to me at least) isn't true.
I don't care much if Mary wants to buy a bible for $2million because it doesn't effect me (unless she steals my $2million ) but it's still annoying to think people are OK with 'buying their religion' while expecting that same or similar things from others.
Just a pet peeve I guess