C’MON, I thought, this just HAS to be a joke. But no, the “recipe” for properly disposing of a bible on a “how to” website appears to be completely genuine.

According to Wikihow:

In the middle ages it was a deadly sin to dispose of a bible in any way, but in modern times there is a very defined procedure that very few people know about because disposing of a bible is so rare. You will need a few things besides the bible itself; holy water, a cross and a self-lighting match. (This does not apply to King James Bibles).

Errr … Why?

At any rate, here is the procedure:

1. First you will have to take the bible and cross and go outside and find an area where you can dig a hole.
2. Dig a hole about 4-6 inches deep and lie the bible in the newly made ‘grave’.
3. Place the remaining dirt over the bible and place the cross at the head of the grave.
4. Say a prayer and remember what Jesus did for you.
5. Water the grave with holy water for exactly six days, these days should be Monday thru Saturday; do nothing on Sunday.
6. Remember who created this beautiful world.
7. During the days that you water the bible, make sure you share your experience with anyone who walks into your home. Show them the grave.
8. At any point after these seven days you may dig the bible back up, and clean it very well.
9. The cross is no longer needed, you should light it with the match until it is ashes. Use the ashes to draw a cross on the bible. (Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.)
10. Display the bible in your home for a week to show that you are not ashamed of the bible or your religion. Show it to anyone who enters your home.
11. You will then need the bible to be blessed. At this point you can proceed to dispose the bible in any way you see fit and respectful.

And here are some tips:

* Do not burn the bible, this is a sign of disrespect.

* If you no longer want the bible, why not give it away to someone who does, or perhaps a church or other religious organization? If you do not know of any, you may want to find a local freecycle group and post it there for someone to pick up from you.

* Some believe that it is the contents of the bible that makes it holy, not the paper and ink, and therefore the bible can be disposed of like any other book.

And here are things you’ll need

* holy water
* cross
* match

Other useful “how-tos” on Wikihow include how to:

* Fold a Napkin Into a Pyramid
* Sew a Cloth Baseball
* Make Chiles Rellenos
* Drive a Golf Ball
* Make Fried Kasseri Cheese with Cucumber Sauce
* Avoid a Rattlesnake Attack
* Make Beef Jerky
* Leash Train a Cat