In a fascinating article from earlier this year, Bear Grylls — of “Man vs Wild” fame — has endorsed a waterproof Bible that will be issued to new military recruits:

The New Zealand Defence Force is issuing new recruits with waterproof Bibles, endorsed by TV adventurer Bear Grylls, in a worldwide military first.

The act of presenting military personnel with Bibles harks back to World War I when personnel were presented with them by King George V.

This is not unlike the Presidential support that US military Bibles received in World War II.

To be fair, Bear Grylls’ full quote says he has

yet to meet an atheist in Everest’s Death Zone or in a lifeboat!

The Bibles will be handed out free of charge to servicemembers.  The chaplains said they would be more than willing to do the same with Korans or other religious texts, if other faith groups want to partner with them, just as Christian groups did.

ADVERTISEMENT