Unread books remind us of things we don’t know – The Virginian-Pilot

Every year around New Year’s Day, Ernest Hemingway gave him some of his books. He owned those books and did so to prove to himself that they didn’t own him.

My dilemma regarding books is somewhat different. A few years ago, her wife came into my church office and she said, She realizes there are over 3,000 people, but her home can only accommodate a fraction of them. ”

I began to wonder: Which books should I keep on hand and which ones should I give to people? But that led to more complicated questions. Should I only keep the books that I read, wrote, and loved, the kind of old friends that I can pick up right where I left off after all these years? Do you also need to keep the never-cracked-cover book that strangers crave for conversation?

Like many people who cherish books, I feel a certain amount of guilt about the books I haven’t read. You don’t have one, and if you’ve never used one, you don’t have a gift card. Why would someone keep a book you’ve never read?

A friend recently pointed me to an article that eased my guilt. This article, published in the Journal of Psychology, suggests that unread books are good because they remind us of things we don’t know. It embodies grace and humility, suggesting that there is still much to learn and much that I do not know.

One area I know very little about is the recent fad regarding book bans. Across the country, people are asking school boards to ban certain books from classrooms and libraries. A quick internet search reveals that the school board has banned about 1,600 books for his 2021-2022 school year. The ban affected 138 school districts in 32 states. According to the article, Florida and Texas lead the nation in book bans.

What should I do? Like some people, I was able to ally with political and social conservatives and advocate for the banning of these books. could oppose all book bans as a violation of free speech. How many people have actually read the book? I’m wary of people (myself included) who want to believe that we already have all the knowledge we need. , which is why many of us prefer only news that reinforces what we already believe. We are rarely exposed to opinions.

My New Year’s resolution is to read these banned books for myself.Perhaps individuals and book club members will make similar resolutions. Perhaps we’ll learn what we don’t know about these banned book people and controversial subjects so we can form our own opinions instead of getting caught up in the partisan hype. .

The book I know and love more than any other book is the Bible. Along with all the noble passages, the Bible also contains “R-rated” stories of murder, incest, beheading, rape, genocide, erotic seduction, and gruesome death by crucifixion. increase. Strangely enough, no one is trying to ban the Bible from school libraries. why? Because as a society, we have learned to appreciate the goodness that the Bible speaks of rather than fear its disturbing parts. I’m happy.

Reverend Albert G. Butzer III I live in Norfolk. Prior to his retirement, he served as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Virginia Beach.