CHRISTIANS: I know you HATE hypothetical questions, but here goes anyway...?

Question

If you drove your car off the road into a ditch in the middle of winter... and faced the prospect of remaining there overnight ... and had two books in your car. A first-aid manual and a Bible.

Which would you keep to read and which would you use as kindling to stay alive and warm?

By the way, I said "kindling" which is to get a fire going, not to keep you warm all night. Read the whole question before answering stupidly, thank you.

Someone (not on here) said "the first aid manual would become my Bible"... what a GREAT answer!

Answer 1

This is the best question I have ever seen.

Answer 2

A) I think it would be certain death to light a fire inside the car, if that's what you're suggesting. So I'd probably keep both intact, and turn on the heater.
B) If you're suggesting that the heater doesn't work and I need to start a fire outside....I imagine I'd tear out the pages of the first aid manual that actually pertained to what to do in an accident or in the cold.....4 or 5 pages max...and burn the rest.
C) There is also a lot of other paper in my car, as I suppose there is in most people's, that I could burn.
D) If I did ever need to burn a Bible, I know that the WORDS are from God, not the physical paper.

Answer 3

Actually, I'd look to the trees in the area for kindling and make my fire in an open spot. I have started a fire by scratching off the outer layers of bark and striking a match to them, applying the ember to a stack of kindling and logs. I wouldn't build a fire IN the car, as that would be disastrous. And the pages of a book would go up so fast that they'd be of little real use in maintaining warmth overnight. A First Aid manual would be useful in treating hypothermia, but I imagine the dry tone would put me to sleep (dangerous). I'd have to stay away from much of the Old Testament too, I suppose. You've decided me: I need to bring an *interesting* book in the car with me for such an occurrence.

Also, it might just be smarter to remain in the sheltered car out of the wind (in the ditch) without building a fire at all. The first aid manual may help in this regard, but I wouldn't destroy the Bible gratuitously.

P.S. Forgive me for answering so "stupidly" concerning kindling vs. fuel--the assumption that one needs kindling requires that one will build a full fire, which automatically means one must leave the car and probably the ditch as well, unless one "stupidly" starts a raging fire that destroys ditch, car and surrounding countryside. This automatically means you could not both kindle a fire and remain in the ditch. If I did not make this clear or answered in a manner which made you automatically pigeonhole my answer as "stupid," then I have erred. Thanks for posing the question, but I hope you understand the inherent contradiction in possible actions in this scenario as well.

P.P.S. To add to my "stupidity" in answering this question, I'm also not a Christian. I figured I didn't need to be in order to provide a hypothetical answer though.

Answer 4

I would burn the New Testament first while I read the first Aid book then burn that while I finished of the Old Testament then burn that. Then I would start on the car and burn that too.

Do you think I should burn the car first as it caused all the problems in the first place. No can't do that, I wouldn't have anywhere comfy to sleep.

So I would drain the petrol tank and drink the petrol to get warm inside then burn the lot.

This is a survival question anyway and I always can get plenty of Bibles from the second hand opp shops they are full of them.

Answer 5

The opposite of a previous answer: I'd keep the first aid manual; I already know the Bible. Besides, honestly, how is the Bible going to help in this situation? Prayer might help; reading the Bible isn't likely to. And I can always buy a new Bible if I survive (actually, in my case, I have half a dozen Bibles already -- I'm a minister).

Another thought: keeping the Bible might be tantamount to suicide.


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Answer 6

I'm assuming that this is nowhere near a city, so I must be travelling, either for business or vacation.

I probably would NOT have a first-aid manual in the car.

My Bible would be in my suitcase.

I don't believe in burning books (did you ever read the book, "Farhenheit 451"?)

Besides my Bible, I usually have a good fiction novel with me, possibly even some science fiction, but not fantasy, when I'm travelling any distance.

I would already have extra water and blankets or heavy winter jacket in the car, for just such an emergency.

I would use my cell phone to call AAA OR I would try to flag down a car on the freeway.

I would NOT stay overnight in a ditch.

Now, hypothetically, if YOU were stuck in a ditch, but (and I get to add the stipulations since it's MY hypothetical question), you are nowhere near a city, farm, building or house, and your cell phone is out of range of a tower, and you have no extra water or blanket and you do NOT have a first-aid manual, would you pray and ask God to help you? Or would you prefer to freeze to death over night?

Extra comment: I just noticed your additional comment, and I'm wondering, if you use a book for kindling, but not as the main fire, what exactly are you using to burn to keep warm? Where did you get the materials to burn (wood, for instance?), and where, exactly are you burning it - front seat, or back seat?

Answer 7

If I were cold, I would burn both of them as kindling. However, I would burn the First-Aid manual first. I know everything that's in there, because I'm a nurse and it doesn't take long to read. There's a lot more reading material in the Bible. However, if your battery were not dead and you had a light available to read, it wouldn't be prudent to use your battery up for reading. It would be better to use your battery for your heater in the car. What I'm saying is, you wouldn't have a light to read by, unless you had a flashlight.

Answer 8

You're right, I have a hard time with hypothetical questions, but since you're not a Christian, you must be ok with them....so I'll give you one. If you drove your car off the road into a ditch in the middle of winter, etc., etc. and you only had one book in your car, the first aid manual, would you keep it to instruct you in lifesaving procedures but freeze to death because you didn't have a bible to burn?

I take that back... I will answer your hypothetical question....I would keep the bible and burn the first aid manual to keep warm. (I have two books in one...the bible is my first aid manual.) Maybe you should keep the bible around. It teaches you how to prevent "burns"! (lol) Sorry, couldn't resist! (And they say Christians don't have a sense of humor!)

By the way, good question! and, hey, I said that!!!!....
bible is my first aid manual!

Answer 9

If you just can't sleep tonight without knowing if I would ever burn a Bible to stay alive, well of course I would.

However, it's probably a good idea from someone to say something about the importance of symbols and sacredness, and I have some time on hand. A symbol is not merely sacred on its own, nor is it just a sign that points beyond itself to something else. A symbol is a conduit for something beyond itself, to an extent participates in the identity of that thing to which it points (which is why people burn the flag and why people hate flag burning). The sacred cow, to misappropriate a metaphor, is not just some silly superstitious belief which you ahve outgrown - it is a fundamental aspect of being human.

Answer 10

I'm sure I'll survive overnight without burning the good book. But if I had to burn it to stay alive I would know I was already forgiven because unlike you...I have a savior named Jesus who died for my sins. What do you have except time to think up stupid jokes that are probably gonna land you in a place with more heat then you will require in a ditch!

The Miracle of this evil question is that it has brought all of us good Christians here together so that we unite as one. Just like the way the terrorism here in New York brought us all closer together. See how it works? No evil deed goes unpunished.

Answer 11

it would depend on many outling factors, If I was not injured I would not need the first aid manual for anything but warmth. If I was injured I think God would expect me to use the bible, or tear out the sections I dont need of the first aid manual and burn them.

I dont hate hypothetical questions, I just think you need to ask better ones.