Posted on 11/14/2006 11:13:58 AM PST by Tulsa Ramjet
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A talking Jesus doll has been turned down by the Marine Reserves' Toys for Tots program.
A Los Angeles company offered to donate 4,000 of the 1 foot-tall dolls, which quote Bible verses, for distribution to needy children this holiday season. The battery-powered Jesus is one of several dolls manufactured by one2believe, a division of the Valencia-based Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Co., based on biblical figures.
But the charity balked because of the dolls' religious nature.
Toys are donated to kids based on financial need and "we don't know anything about their background, their religious affiliations," said Bill Grein, vice president of Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, in Quantico, Virginia.
As a government entity, Marines "don't profess one religion over another," Grein said Tuesday. "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 both companies, said the charity's decision left him "surprised and disappointed."
"The idea was for them to be three-dimensional teaching tools for kids," La Roe said. "I believe as a churchgoing person, anyone can benefit from hearing the words of the Bible."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Wrong there.
Jesus is a jew. Someone else coined the term "christian". probably the romans during Christian UFC night in the Octagon.
But if I comb my hair just right, you can't see it.
And not to pick nits, but we kind of borrowed the whole Christmas holiday thing in the first place.
OK? What's the wager? ;)
He's no Messiah to Jews.
Really? The Jews and Muslims you know celebrate Christmas?
Oh please, you know they exchange gifts. The muzzies exchange RPGs, jews exchange...something. Maybe not on christmas DAY. But still, there is that general celebratory feeling in the air. Ahhhh.
Good for them.
Somewhere we are commanded not to make any graven images.
"...and only Jews make a big deal about conspicuously not celebrating it."
...by having a "Hannukka bush" with colored lights on it, and giving gifts to kids....just like it says to do in the, uh, Torah...
.....a date with K-Fed............
A Jesus doll preaching the "good news"(Gospel)?....
Yes. And if you pull the string 10 times, you get the ten commandments. Pull it the 'eleventh' time, and you get:
Voice (Booming Thunder): Oh....soon you will have a problem with Hagar's kinfolk. Nasty lot of heathens. I had to save her and her son because she prayed in the hot desert. I know, but it was a weak moment. Anyway, Ishmael never forgave his dad Abraham for throwing him out. So. "Thou shalt be prepared for the destruction of the heatheness bretheren."
that's true.
I think we are mostly remarking on the irony of a Jesus doll being unwelcome as a Christmas gift. Absent His birth and the tradition that has developed of giving gifts to mark or remember His birth, why does Toys for Tots even need to be collecting and distributing toys? They can have a toy drive at any time, and disassociate themselves with gift-giving at Christmas altogether if gifts with a Christian theme are off limits for them.
Sounds like it's greed to me. That would be tantamount to my celebrating Hanukkah to get gifts.
that's true.
Unless you are a "Jews for Jesus". What about that? HUH? HUH?
K-never mind!
Really? To me (an athiest) the Christmas holiday is a celebration of family, goodwill, and the joys of giving.
Which is why why I put up with the malls and my wife's fetish for putting up MORE lights than last year.
Fed-Ex, you mean
"why does Toys for Tots even need to be collecting and distributing toys?"
Right. Why do it? Why do we need Toys for Tots? Disband them! Why do we need Marines? Demobize them! Why have a nation under God? Farm out the government duties! Why associate with each other? No more community events! Why listen to my rant? Lets just diiiiiiiiiiiiiie.
Sorry, I don't at all get the idea of celebrating a religious holiday that you are at complete and total odds with. I find it weird to say the least.
Oddly, when I was in Japan December-before-last, the entire country was decked out for Christmas --- lights, trees, the whole bit.
Had zip to do with Christianity.
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