House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is catching some flak for a "Bible" quote that some people say never actually appears in the Bible.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is fond of quoting a particular passage of Scripture. The quote, however, does not appear in the Bible and is "fictional," according to biblical scholars.

In her April 22 Earth Day news release, Pelosi said, "The Bible tells us in the Old Testament, 'To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.' On this Earth Day, and every day, let us pledge to our children, and our children's children, that they will have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and the opportunity to experience the wonders of nature."

Cybercast News Service repeatedly queried the speaker's office for two days to determine where the alleged Bible quote is found. Thus far, no one has responded.

They then go on to quote Biblical "scholars."

John J. Collins, the Holmes professor of Old Testament criticism and interpretation at Yale Divinity School, said he is totally unfamiliar with Pelosi's quotation.

"(It's) not one that I recognize," Collins told Cybercast News Service. "I assume that she means this is a paraphrase. But it wouldn't be a close paraphrase to anything I know of."

Claude Mariottini, a professor of Old Testament at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, told Cybercast News Service the passage not only doesn't exist - it's "fictional."

"It is not in the Bible," Mariottini said. "There is nothing that even approximates that."

They're all wrong. Pelosi's quote is from the second chapter of Hezekiah, one of the so-called minor prophets.

Here are the first and second chapters of Hezekiah.

Chapter 1:
[1]Woman, be thou assured that mine dinner must be ready whensoever I arrive home. [2] Makest thou not the loaf of meat, for it doth wreak havoc on my ulcer. [3] Instead makest thou a slab of the flesh of the sacred cow. [4] Medium-rare. [5] Also preparest thou a large potato. [6] With sour cream.

[7] Iron my shirt.

[8] Votest thou not for the party of the donkey, for it is evil in mine eyes.

Chapter 2:
[1]To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. [2]To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.

More Biblical exegesis after the jump.

Yes, the book of Hezekiah is an all-purpose source for any "biblical" quote that you may need, whenever you may need it. Hezekiah is the greatest book, because it's always conveniently on your side -- whichever side that is.

On a more serious note: I think most regular churchgoers would be able to catch the stink on that so-called Bible verse. Here it is again:

The Bible tells us in the Old Testament, 'To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.'

This sounds a heck of a lot like idol-worship, with the plants and animals as the idols. In fact, it sounds a lot like what Paul warned people not to do.

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. -- Romans 1:25

It's understandable how Pelosi might've missed this verse, seeing as it comes right before Paul's condemnation of homosexuality -- a verse many on the left try their best to ignore.