Why is the bible bought and sold?

[Rubia Warren]

I have wondered this for a long time... why are bibles bought and sold in stores? I know there are people and places who give them freely or at a small cost, but why are they sold for profit? I could see why people would sell them at a price like to cover their printing costs..... but why 41.99 for a bible?

[DivineOb]

It takes very skilled scholars a significant amount of time to produce a new translation of the bible.

Though myself I've never bought a bible. I figured they would cost somewhere between $8-15 for a typical one. Are they really as expensive as $40?

[Rubia Warren]

yeah, for the fancy ones. They even go higher than that. I paid like 35 bucks for mine, which is in english and spanish on the same page.

[BeHereNow]

The key part of your question is "for profit". Obviously, costs would need to be recovered, but I'm assuming there's a profit margin involved.

Easy answer: consumer Christianity. Ever heard of the Family Book Store, renamed as Family Christian Store? This is the den of consumerism for Christians. It disgusts me to walk in and see how many people are capitalizing on Christianity; worse is how the people shopping don't even realize what they are supporting.

Like all the daily devotionals that come out. They are all essentially the same, pathetic scheme to make money. My Utmost to His Highest, is one example. How much further could they stretch that to make more money? Remember the WWJD fad, complete with pens, bracelets, necklace charms, shirts, ballcaps, books, and flavored condoms?

Reminds me of the story where Jesus went in to the temple and kicked over the tables of the money changers.

[Jimmy Higgins]

It takes very skilled scholars a significant amount of time to produce a new translation of the bible.

Man, if intentional, that's probably one of the best subtle digs ever against the Bible. Two thumbs up!.

[AtheistArchon]

The key part of your question is "for profit". Obviously, costs would need to be recovered, but I'm assuming there's a profit margin involved.

Easy answer: consumer Christianity. Ever heard of the Family Book Store, renamed as Family Christian Store? This is the den of consumerism for Christians. It disgusts me to walk in and see how many people are capitalizing on Christianity; worse is how the people shopping don't even realize what they are supporting.

Like all the daily devotionals that come out. They are all essentially the same, pathetic scheme to make money. My Utmost to His Highest, is one example. How much further could they stretch that to make more money? Remember the WWJD fad, complete with pens, bracelets, necklace charms, shirts, ballcaps, books, and flavored condoms?

Reminds me of the story where Jesus went in to the temple and kicked over the tables of the money changers.

- Exactly. There's a market for it. There is a demand, so there will be a supply. Publishers are businesses just like any other. Now, put a lot of fancy gold crap on it, bind it in leather, whatever, and yeah, it'll go for 50 bucks.

- The Christian stores trip me out too... I want to start one. (But for nefarious reasons!! MUAHAHAAHAHAAAAAA!!!)

[Queen]

Yep, there is a market. When I was going to buy my bible, I had no idea they had so muchs versions and so much different sizes....So I payed $20 for they bigger one...yow the one I write in as well, trying to keep in mind how it made me feel when I wrote it and the little handbag size thingy of $20 as well........

Anyway, I also have one that has pix of Rembrandt paintings and sketches in it but I bought that years ago for the art, not the text....

The Dhammapada was much cheaper!!!!!

Lots of love and sunshine,
Queen

[Rubia Warren]

I am surprised that more christians have not responded to this thread.

[nomad]

why? if people didn't sell bibles, i wouldn't be able to buy one. the other economics of business are pretty complicated too. of course there is abuse as well. but who do you fault... the store who charges $40 for a bible, or the makers of testamints, or the person who buys them (and therefore validates that they can charge that much, or that such things are worth buying)? i mean, you paid $35 for yours, which means you thought that it was worth that. and there's always http://www.christianbook.com :)

[Rubia Warren]

why? if people didn't sell bibles, i wouldn't be able to buy one.

As I said before, many people charge just enough to cover costs, not to make a profit, and others GIVE them away....

the other economics of business are pretty complicated too. of course there is abuse as well. but who do you fault... the store who charges $40 for a bible, or the makers of testamints, or the person who buys them (and therefore validates that they can charge that much, or that such things are worth buying)? i mean, you paid $35 for yours, which means you thought that it was worth that. and there's always http://www.christianbook.com :)

I guess it's partially the fault of everyone involved..... I hated to pay that much for mine, and the reason why I did was so that I could translate in church for my husband without fumbling around with 2 bibles AND having to interpret what the preacher is saying at the same time. Makes it easier when english and spanish are on the same page. The down side to that, is that my husband is not a christian, and this is one of the reasons he gives for christianity being a joke- that the Holy Scriptures are sold and marketed for profit, and by many, even pimped like a prostitute. Go figure. I think he's got a point.

[themuzicman]

It takes money to produce and print a bible. If it includes work, such as study bibles or commentaries, those people are worth their work, as well.

I don't think we ought to muzzle the ox while he is treading out the grain.

Michael

[nomad]

As I said before, many people charge just enough to cover costs, not to make a profit, and others GIVE them away....

yep. and even in the big bookstores, there are usually cheap bibles that are 10 bucks or even cheaper. on christianbook.com they have several that are $5 or less. so it's not like those are not available. if people wanted those, they would buy them. the other ones may not be high volume items (meaning overhead for them is higher per unit), or other things may be involved, i dunno.

i think it's great that people will give them away, then again, i like getting thing for free. i think it's wrong to expect them to give it away. now, whether they are abusing it or not... i don't know how much money christian bookstores actually make, or what ethics they really have. i think that it's wrong to think they are necessarily fleecing the christian public, just because they are for sale though. i mean, if you really think it should be given away, who should give them away? if 100 people came to you needing a bible, could you afford to buy them all one? it's easy to say that they should be free, but there are practical aspects of it that make it not so. i don't need a free bible, i make enough money to buy one. but i would glad to buy one for someone who couldn't afford it, if i had the opportunity (and there are always opportunities, if not someone you know, then through missions programs or that organization that does bible translations to lesser-known foreign languages). i think that model is probably the right one, to ensure free ones are available.

not attacking you personally, i hope you know that, just that money is sort of an illusion anyway. it's just a representation of exchange, a way to parcelize your labor or production such that you can exchange a few hours of your time for an english-spanish translation bible, and a lot of hours of your time for a rent or mortgage.

I guess it's partially the fault of everyone involved..... I hated to pay that much for mine, and the reason why I did was so that I could translate in church for my husband without fumbling around with 2 bibles AND having to interpret what the preacher is saying at the same time. Makes it easier when english and spanish are on the same page. The down side to that, is that my husband is not a christian, and this is one of the reasons he gives for christianity being a joke- that the Holy Scriptures are sold and marketed for profit, and by many, even pimped like a prostitute. Go figure. I think he's got a point.

so you had a good reason to buy it, it helps you out, and you thought it was worth paying for. aren't you glad that someone both saw a use for an english-spanish parallel bible, AND thought that they could recover their costs + operating expenses to actually produce one? because it's possible that no one could have decided it was worth the trouble. someone did, and you are benefitting from it.

like i said, there is abuse out there, but i don't think sale of the bible is one of them. we're lucky these days... in the times before the printing press, a bible could take a year for scribes to create, and often times the big bible in a catholic church was chained down, because otherwise it would get stolen (such books were also very valuable :).... now for less than an hour's worth of time at minimum wage, anyone who wants one can have one...

[Busheses]

I got mine for free from my bible study teacher. Also they got me another one in Spanish for free for my parents. They ask that we contribute with what we can, but never did I ever had to do it in front of everybody. You can grab an envelope, put some cash in it, a check or perhaps nothing and then drop it in a box. Nobody knows wheter or not you are giving them money at all. I believe that is how every single religion should work.

[Jeiel]

Part of the profit on bible's in developped nations goes to subsidize biblesi developping nations.
Atleast so I heard.
Anyway there is alot of Christian consumerism, but I wouldn't call it bad.

I want Christian books,video's, music,posters, key chains and all that.
And I don't mind paying the going rate.

If a nice leatherbound bible is too expensive for you, just buy a cheap plastic leather one or a paperback.
(The only two bibles I have bought were last mentioned, $8 (Dutch KJV, the Statenvertaling (no copyright)) and $15 (NBG,with copyright).
My other more expensive bible's were given by my parents, who can afford it.)
And if you are really desperate for cash you can always find a free bible.

[Jeiel]

Reminds me of the story where Jesus went in to the temple and kicked over the tables of the money changers.

The anology isn't right.
If you read the story (How about that, a FREE bible )
You'll see that Jesus' objection was:

Scripture Verse:

"The Scriptures declare, `My Temple will be called a place of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves!

The sin being a defilement of God's house.
And as far as I know Christian bookstores aren't in God's house.

Anyway,as I noted earlier, I hardly find anything wrong with people catering to Christians.

Obviously the people buying these products want them.
It's not as if someone has a bible monopoly. (The bible being the only essential Christian 'item' as far as I'm aware of. The rest are pure luxury items, so who cares if some company has a monopoly on one of those items.)
It's a win-win situation.
The producers win, and the consumers win.
Fair capitalism my friend.

(Now if someone had monopoly on the bible and was abusing that power, then the consumers would lose, but that ain't the case.)