I get tons of press releases every day, but this one really irked me. Thomas Nelson, a mega-publisher of Bibles and all things Christian, announces a new "eco-friendly" edition of the Holy Book and a company-wide switch to "environmentally conscious Bible bindings and practices."

You can take a look at it here.

The Nashville-based publisher is addressing the "environmental needs" of its customers, it announce by switching from synthetic covers to "bonded leather, leather and hardcover formats" and "green" binding material. Sounds to me like high-grade paper and leather.

"In moving away from oil-based covers we're not only honoring our customers' needs, but we're also honoring our Godly calling to be good stewards of the things He has given to us," says Wayne Hastings, the group's senior vice president. The phase-out of polyurethane/oil-based covers should be complete within five years.

The publisher actually has an environmental policy that informs us that "part of God's message is to be respectful of the planet and all the resources in our care."

Other than a few verses in Genesis, where does it say that in the Bible? Nowhere. So to say that 21st-century enviro-speak is "part of God's message" is a bit of a stretch.

Plus, I didn't know my trusty bedside Bible had "environmental needs." And about that leather: Doesn't that mean the death of a horse or cow in there somewhere? How environmentally friendly is that?

— Julia Duin, assistant national editor/religion, The Washington Times