Posted on 11/16/2006 1:05:48 PM PST by XR7
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. After being contacted by The Rutherford Institute and outraged members of the public, the U.S Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program has reversed its decision and agreed to accept the donation of talking Jesus dolls from the company one2believe.Public statements by representatives of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation had suggested that their initial refusal of the Jesus dolls was motivated by a concern that the dolls might offend Jewish or Muslim recipients. In a letter to the president of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, John W. Whitehead pointed out that the Foundations rejection of the donated dolls appears to contradict Marine Toys for Tots mission of ensuring that needy children are able to experience the joy of Christmas through donated gifts and seems to indicate a desire on the part of the Foundation to suppress the religious message that is the very foundation of the Christmas season.A copy of the letter is available here.
We are delighted that the Marines have changed their policy to protect freedom of choice and freedom of religion, said Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. Its good that needy children will get a chance to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas.
The stated mission of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is to assist the U.S. Marine Corps in providing a tangible sign of hope to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas and to call the general public to action in support of this patriotic community action program. The mission of the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. According to media reports, Toys for Tots distributed 18 million stuffed animals, games, toy trucks and other gifts to children based on financial need in 2005. However, the Toys for Tots program reportedly refused an offer by toymaker one2believe to donate 4,000 Jesus dolls, allegedly because Toys for Tots doesnt know anything about the religious affiliations of the children who receive its gifts and cant take a chance on sending a talking Jesus doll to a Jewish family or a Muslim family.
However, as Whitehead pointed out in his letter, there is little reason to fear that children or their families will be offended by a gift of the Jesus doll. Toys for Tots materials state that the gifts are unwrapped so any child or parent who does not want to receive the doll need only decline that gift and receive something else. In urging Toys for Tots to accept the offer of the donated dolls, Whitehead noted that standing by their refusal would send a sinister message that gifts with religious themes or messages are not suitable or are considered second-class by a prominent charity that is intimately associated with the United States government.
LOL
The don't let your kids accept Christmas presents, for cryin' out loud!
Political correctness is a mental disorder, as is its host, radical liberalism.
What a PR mess for the Marines. They really did shoot their foot on this one.
i am glad they corrected the previous policy but look for it again next year.
They could just say they are Illegal Alien Talking HayZeus dolls.
LOL- Feliz Navidad, homeboy.
Memo to the Marines,
Free the Pendleton Eight!!!
It's good they reversed direction. Now purge the PC Liberal who made this stupid decision and I might donate again......
no, Christ should not be taken out of Christmas...but I do not understand how a talking Jesus doll effectively speads the message.
The commercialization of Christmas works both ways doesn't it: Humanists who want to take the Christ out of Christmas and capitalists who want to profit upon religious symbols without regard to its spiritual impact.
Nevertheless...what kind of AIRHEAD would anticipate offending Jews or Moslems via Christmas presents? What syllable in C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S does this clown find confusing? With luck, such a BOZO is now looking to pass the time in another venue.
I think she missed the point......
The bigger issue could be that the dolls speak English.
Where is the "press 2" option?
(as an aside, I'll mention that the backlash from the "press one for English" outrage has resulted in a brief Spanish message that simply says "press 2 for Spanish" while English speakers ignore/fail to comprehend that option).
I hear that there is still a ban on "violent" toys. The Marines cannot give out G.I.Joe. Fathom that.
I know this is a charity but Christmas is still Christmas.If business are going to USE CHRISTMAS to make money then those businesses that use it,then disavow it should have ALL THEIR PROFITS CONFISCATED!
You know, the one from Hadith Volume 4, Book 52, who says:
"O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him!"
Muslim children can push the button again and again and delight in this wholesome recital of their religious faith!
Excuse me PC types but Christmas is a celebration of who's birthday? So Jesus gets no dolls dedicated to him on his own birthday? Why that's blatant discrimination and should fall under the auspices of 'Hate crime'.
Oh...I forgot...it's vogue to bash Jesus and mistreat CHristians. Just like the vaulted UN turning it's back on Darfur's slaughter of Christians in Sudan.
Well, like the lady who missed the point about cockroach intestines and taking the Lord's name in vain, as you rightly suspect, I do not see the spiritual significance of talking Jesus dolls.
To me, the doll without the 'written' word is meaningless religious exercise (that does little more than caricature the context of Christian belief) but maybe not in the same way that your shout without the coachroach intestines is meaningless. Call me clueless.
No problem here, they'd just cut of His head as they do with other Christians or "infidels."
I have no intent on changing an opinion, only in voicing mine.
Hey Larry, did you see this? Bravo for the Marines!
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