Soul's Code

A camouflaged bible may be hard for deer to see, but this product’s path to profitability certainly isn’t. The $50 publication is sold by Christian Outdoorsman, a site that caters to Bible-thumping hunters.

A big market, apparently. A survey of licensed hunters and anglers last year commissioned by the U.S. National Wildlife Federation found half of those polled identified themselves as evangelical Christians, as Reuters reports. Add that to the fact that profit margins on bibles are generally on the order of 90% since there are no royalties to pay an author or copyright issues.

But more than a lucrative business idea, the camo-bible is a reminder of how linked hunting and evangelism have become. (As Leonard Cohen sings, Jesus was a fisherman). People of other religions may have a tough time understanding the connection. Buddhists, for example, go out of their way not to hurt animals. But Christian hunters often hunt to cultivate their appreciation of life and with a deep respect for the animals they kill. There is even an unwritten law, among most hunters, that one must eat what one kills. It’s done in deference to the animal that gave its life and helps reaffirm the valuable gift of life.

Still, one has to wonder if camoflaged beer cans aren’t on the drawing board at Anheiser-Busch.

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