Every year the Marine Corps Reserve holds it’s ‘Toys for Tots‘ program. Marine reservists all over the US collect toys from people, organizations, and companies to redistribute to those less fortunate over the Christmas holiday. This program has been running since 1947 and was always geared towards Christmas.
This year, an organization called One2Believe has offered to donate 4,000 dolls to Toys for Tots. These weren’t your typical dolls though; they were 12" talking Messengers of Faith. This series contains 4 dolls: Jesus, Mary, Moses, and David. Each doll spews out biblical words of wisdom at the push of a button.
The Marines rejected the dolls, saying that they know nothing of the kid’s backgrounds or religious affiliations. Bill Grein, vice president of Marine Toys for Tots, said "We can’t take a chance on sending a talking Jesus doll to a Jewish family or a Muslim family."
Michael La Roe, director of business development for the doll company, said the following:
"I believe as a churchgoing person, anyone can benefit from hearing the words of the Bible."
Where to start with one, I’m not quite sure. Firstly, La Roe is just foolish for thinking that EVERYONE can benefit from the Bible’s teachings. Secondly, if the Marine Corps is not sure about the backgrounds of the kids they’re helping, then why are they doing this for Christmas? Aren’t there Jewish and Muslim kids? Then again, I was a kid and I really wouldn’t care what the holiday was so long as I got some toys.
So there has to be some real reason why the Marines rejected their offer. Towards the end of the article, I found it. Grein said it quite frankly, "Kids want a gift for the holiday season that is fun".
I couldn’t agree more! What kid wants to listen to some religious fairy tale creature preaching to them? Seriously, check out some of the quotes from the dolls:
Luke 1:49 - for the Mighty One has done great things for me - Holy is his name.
Luke 1:50 - His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
Luke 1:51 - He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
Every kid would love to sit around listening to this with their friends:
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
Yea, that hits the spot!
Related posts:
- Island Of Recalled Christmas Toys
- 1st Annual Aryan-Jewish Holiday Toy Drive
- Christmas Brings Out The Best And Worst
- The Jew That Ruined Christmas
- Christians Don’t Play With Dolls
November 14th, 2006 at 4:30 pm
As a former (not that there’s any such thing) Marine I’m glad they rejected this propaganda ploy. I understand many Americans associate xmas with christians, despite all of the pagan symbology, and may view this as hypocritical but it appears that an overwhelming majority of people have completely forgotten about any religious leanings.
November 14th, 2006 at 5:05 pm
Why not just go the Festivus route instead? ;)
November 14th, 2006 at 7:32 pm
Christmas isn’t a christian only holiday. It’s celebrated all over the world in countries that have little christians such as china and japanクリスマス. Pushed by the deceptive ways of capitalism!
November 14th, 2006 at 7:34 pm
To play devil’s advocate on the whole religious toys issue, how many people really don’t want a priest doll that kills the undead and screams “I kick ass for the lord!”
Too many, that’s how many.
November 14th, 2006 at 7:38 pm
You can hear the message of god in words other than the bible, and in toys other than jesus. This is just another example of christianity pushing itself onto everybody and anybody.
Why not make nice secular teddy bears talking about how you should love one another, help those in need… and I think I’ve exhausted the good part of that religion. I’m not going to put the old “tolerance” motto in because in this day and age christianity possesses none of that.
Those quotes from Luke are disgusting, they are just scaremongering and placing dangerous seeds in a child’s mind.
I am not impressed.
November 14th, 2006 at 7:47 pm
Agnöstic, I think you’re upset that you never got one for Christmas. Maybe I’ll acquire a few from them and put them up for grabs on the site :)
gasmonso
November 14th, 2006 at 8:03 pm
I am reminded of this: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/jesus.php :)
November 14th, 2006 at 8:10 pm
No need to go elsewhere for the goods:
http://religiousfreaks.com/2005/11/02/jesus-action-figure/
That was one of my first video posts :) Kick ass indeed!
gasmonso
November 14th, 2006 at 10:26 pm
I’m a Christian. I think that giving these toys to kids is wrong on so many levels. Quite apart from the insensitivity (giving these to Muslim kids) and the stupidity (like kids actually WANT them), there’s a deeper issue here.
There are, no doubt, people in the world who might benefit from a religion like Christianity. But Christianity is not a random bunch of Bible verses! Quoting a bunch of words from the Bible is not the same thing as teaching what it actually says.
“As a churchgoing person,” you should get out there and help kids who need help, not fire random out-of-context quotes with a scattergun.
November 15th, 2006 at 6:33 am
[...] (h/t to Religious Freaks.) [...]
November 17th, 2006 at 11:27 am
Hey guys, Toys For Tots reversed it’s decision and are now accepting the Babbling Bearded Guy dolls. See here-
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/17/jesus.doll.ap/index.html
No explanation on why they changed their mind or what they’ll do with the dolls. My money for the “why” is on “a whole bunch of Christians wrote them angry letters and emails, and they figured it would be less hassle just to accept the toys than do deal with all the hate mail.”
November 17th, 2006 at 11:59 am
“My money for the “why†is on “a whole bunch of Christians wrote them angry letters and emails”
When this started getting mentioned in the news i figured something like this would happen. Never underestimate the power of stupid people in great numbers.
November 17th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
“Toys for Tots has found appropriate places for these items. We have notified the donor of our willingness to handle this transaction.”
I’m hoping it’s the dumpster out back.
October 19th, 2007 at 12:22 am
THE UNITED STATES FIGHTS FOR OUR FREEDOMS WHICH INCLUDES RIGHT TO A RELIGION. THE KIDS DO NOT EVER HAVE TO JOINE THE MILITARY BUT SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT HERE IN THE MARINE CORE THEY FIGHT FOR THERE RIGHT TO BELEIVE! THEY SHOULDNT PUT THE BLAME ON THE MARINES FOR FINDING JESUS CHRIST AFTER THEY HAD PUT IN WORK FOR THERE GOVERNMENT WHO GAVE OUT THE ORDERS FOR THERE FREEDOMS!
October 19th, 2007 at 9:37 am
WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING AT US?
October 24th, 2007 at 2:18 am
yeah dude, leave the caps off. anyway, what the hell was your point?
November 13th, 2007 at 11:20 am
I think that the toys should have been accepted…it seemed to be “discrimination” against a certain “religion”. now, it would have been wise for them to accept them in the beginning, and in dispersement, made sure it went to a “Christian” church….lots of them get toys from the toys for tots…i know mine does. It’s not a matter of what does or doesn’t make sense..who wouldn’t benefit from hearing words of wisdom from a great teacher (doll) as Jesus??? They had teddy ruxpins, mickey mouse, cricket dolls, tickle me elmos - and all he did was giggle…atleast the dolls aren’t saying “kill yourself!” “go to school and shoot somebody”…there is nothing wrong with a positive message, spoken from something a child can relate to…it will probably listen to a doll quicker than it will a preacher.
November 13th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Hello YonnaBee,
You’re solution sounds like a reasonable one. Accept the donations and make sure they end up with an appropriate religious institution. Everyone is happy.
However, I do take issue with the rest of your comment. I find the quotes listed in the original post to be neither wise nor positive. Nor do I think that children can necessarily relate to them.
Lastly, I fail to see how the quotes “kill yourself!†and “go to school and shoot somebody†are relevant. No one would make such dolls for kids. Was your point that that Bible quotes aren’t as bad as that? Let’s try Leviticus 20:10, “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife or with his neighbor’s wife, both he and the woman must be put to death for their adultery.” That’s wise, positive, and relevant for children?
November 20th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
I think everyone that has left a comment has forgotten about the meaning behind it. If you believe in Jesus or not its all about Faith, Hope and Love but the greatest of all is LOVE. Love is the greatest gift that God gave to us it can make us feel on top of the world but it can also leave us in despair and I think that the Military wanted to give the children not just toys for the holiday heck anyone can do that but to give a child hope and love in a country that does not have that and that is a GREAT GIFT. If everyone says that they don’t believe in Jesus then how can you say you love your wife, children, mother, brother, sister, Aunt, Uncle, Grandparents or your best friend and neighbor when God gave us his greatest gift of all Love when he died for all of us on the cross God scarifice himself because he loved us first. God has no resepect of person. If it wasn’t for the love of God how did you get here? How is it when everyone in this world believes in other religion but hates the one true living God who loves us the most inspite of everything we do against him? Why do we say Jesus help me or God help me when we are in a car accident or dying from a disease and we don’t use no other religion like Budda help me or Koran help me but God name and God name only? I say to all of you who do not believe in God your lying to yourself.
November 20th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
“Why do we say Jesus help me or God help me when we are in a car accident or dying from a disease and we don’t use no other religion like Budda help me or Koran help me but God name and God name only?”
Because thats what people say in movies and TV. By the way, people do use other gods names. Don’t forget that “god” is a general term, so it isn’t specific to any religion.
November 20th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
i’m suppose to sit here and sip some tea and say The Holy is the Lord, God almighty, the earth is filled with his glory… yeah, that’s it, no wait, i sip some tea and time is in Gods hands, darkness trys to hide. No wait, that’s not it, Great is your faithfullness oh God and nothing can keep us apart. yeah! that’s it… your grace is enough.
November 20th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
What’s in that tea, Mr Anderson?
November 22nd, 2007 at 4:19 pm
who ever drew this picture should do thier fucking research…
Im a native american woman and this is just rude…
bitch ass white people go to fucking hell…
and get the fuck out of OUR country…
November 22nd, 2007 at 6:33 pm
I always laugh when i hear stuff like that. Maybe if you stop focusing on your race and staying isolated from society you’d realize this country, and the WORLD would be 200 years behind where it is today. Plus, you bitches should have fought harder for it.
December 31st, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I heard that Xmas isn’t really from christian origin anyways.
February 10th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Tubu youre correct about that, in actual fact every single christian holiday is just a pagan holiday which was renamed and given supposedly new meaning around the time of the council of nicea in order to make the changeover/takeover from paganism to christianity more effective and easier for the christian church to recruit followers and/or takeover the world… those sly fuckers huh??!! seriously though research this its very interesting if not sickening