# Is it wrong to read the Bible in the bathroom? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 16, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-read-the-bible-in-the-bathroom/285082 "2005-01-16T21:27:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-read-the-bible-in-the-bathroom/285082/21 "2005-01-17T16:55:52Z")
Fascinating story, **Eve**. Thanks for sharing. I watched “Luther” this past weekend and, for some reason, that tidbit was omitted. If I were on the toilet long enough to compose the 95 Theses, I’d definitely see a doctor about it. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-read-the-bible-in-the-bathroom/285082/22 "2005-01-17T19:37:25Z")
I don’t often write verse (and probably still shouldn’t, I’m sure you’ll agree!) but this just popped into my head (almost wrote _pooped_) so I thought I’d share: Is it wrong to read the Bible in the bathroom? Is it wrong to study Scripture in the can? To contemplate the Holy Word While breaking wind or dropping turds? Guess we’d better hope the Lord will understand! (I hear it in my head to a vaguely “Oscar Mayer weiner” tune…) /one ticket to hell, please… ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-read-the-bible-in-the-bathroom/285082/23 "2005-01-18T05:21:34Z")
Kinky Friedman once met Jesus in a men’s room near L.A… Does my mentioning that mean that we’re both going to hell? My wife used to have an NIV in the bathroom, but I don’t think I’ve ever read the Bible while… indisposed. Knowing my luck I’d need to refer to some other book and wouldn’t be able to stand up and get it. ---
**Author:** ![DWToml815](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DWToml815](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWToml815)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-read-the-bible-in-the-bathroom/285082/24 "2005-01-18T10:00:01Z")
Only if you are eating a bowl of chili… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-read-the-bible-in-the-bathroom/285082/25 "2005-01-18T15:13:13Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > I don’t often write verse (and probably still shouldn’t, I’m sure you’ll agree!) but this just popped into my head (almost wrote _pooped_) so I thought I’d share: > > Is it wrong to read the Bible in the bathroom? > Is it wrong to study Scripture in the can? > To contemplate the Holy Word > While breaking wind or dropping turds? > Guess we’d better hope the Lord will understand! > > (I hear it in my head to a vaguely “Oscar Mayer weiner” tune…) > > /one ticket to hell, please… I’m afraid I’ve got the next ticket… the tune to Eric Idle’s “Penis” song in MEANING OF LIFE was going through my head. I have a Jimmy Swaggart Study Bible in my bathroom reading drawer (I found it at a used book sale) & yeah, I’ve read it while otherwise indisposed. I wouldn’t take a good quality Bible in there, but I see nothing wrong with using the time constructively. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-read-the-bible-in-the-bathroom/285082/26 "2005-01-18T15:35:22Z")
“Have you ever read this thing [The Bible], Marge? It’s practically a sin to go to the bathroom.” Rev. Lovejoy ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-read-the-bible-in-the-bathroom/285082/27 "2005-01-18T15:50:47Z")
The Kinky Friedman song is “Mens Room LA.” It’s the (supposedly) true story of sitting on the toilet in the men’s room, finding a photo of Jesus and then realizing there’s no paper on the roll. Tell me, Jesus, what would you do If you were me and I were you Take a chance, save your pants Or your immortal soul? And Jesus said "Kinky…KINKY I ain’t no square. I’ve got these pictures everywhere From LA out to Frisco Bay So if you’re hung up on the pot Feel free to use my favorite shot. I found a photo yesterday in a men’s room in LA. ---
**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-read-the-bible-in-the-bathroom/285082/28 "2005-01-18T15:58:55Z")
I think it’s perfectly fine to read the Bible in the bathroom. Just so long as the pages of _Song of Songs_ don’t stick together afterwards. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-read-the-bible-in-the-bathroom/285082/29 "2005-01-18T16:07:54Z")
It depends upon your attitude and philosophy. I suspect that devout Christians wouldn’t take the Bible into the bathroom as a sign of respect and reverence. Certainly devout Muslims feel the same way about the Koran. One book I have warns westerners that Muslims might not take too well to one’s reading the book in certain circumstances – in a bathroom, or a bar, or even while eating. It properly ought to be kept higher than any other book, and certainly not shelved with other books. By that criterion, I’m certainly not treating the Koran properly – it’s shelved in with my other religious texts. (And all the bookstores in the US do that, too). I’m agnostic, so I read anywhere, and mean no disrespect to any printed text, no matter where and how I read it. I suspect a lot of folks wouldn’t mind your reading the Bible in the bathroom, since at least they get oner more person reading it. And we must remember the words of the very religious Jonathan Swift, that “…men are never so thoughtful as when they are at stool.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-read-the-bible-in-the-bathroom/285082.md?page=1)