Marines go PC
A talking Jesus doll has been turned down by the Marine Reserves' Toys for Tots program.
A suburban Los Angeles company offered to donate 4,000 of the 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, Va.
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."
Do Jews and Muslims give toys on Christmas? The Marine's Toy for Tots Mission statement says they "Distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted." Political correctness where Jesus dolls are outlawed on Jesus' birthday is exactly the type of contradictions we expect today. It is just so dangerous to have proselytizing plastic doll's converting children against their parents will. Talking Jesus dolls are scarier then an alive Chucky doll to many secular parents.
The company that provides these dolls also makes other ones from the Old and New Testament. Too bad they don't have an Abraham doll since that would be acceptable for Christian, Jewish, and Muslim children. They could donate them instead and see what excuse they come up with next.
Known as 
I posted elsewhere, maybe it's just as well. I don't think anyone wants to see Jesus end up being chewed by the dog, or left out in the rain, or swiped by one of the older kids only to end up doing "naughty" stuff with Barbie.
I have a doll of blessed John Paul the Great standing on the mantel next to my porcelain unicorn and photos of my family. No one in the family is allowed to touch him but me!
Uhh, yes, Jews give gifts around Christmas time. I believe their holiday is detailed in your rule book. Also, people of other faiths and none believers celebrate Christmas. It's the high holdy day of the capitalist calender.
Second, Jesus isn't being outlawed. In fact, our dear leader still talks to him.
Finally, how would you feel if your kid got my talking Sam Harris doll?(*) Yeah, you'd be outraged and there would be a Catholic led massacre not seen since the Catholics entered Glina in 1941.
(*) I know no such thing exists, yet.
I thought this was a pro-Christian, respectful move, based on the perception (which I can't imagine being incorrect) that a talking Jesus doll would be perfectly grotty.
I mean, what did the thing say? NT quotes (Douay or KJV), or something more like "I love you just the way you are" or "Hug me, I'm inclusive"? Shouldn't we know this before we assume the Marines have simply gone PC?
Ecuminism means trying to convert non Catholics to Catholicism,therefore any oportunity to evangalize should be taken.
"Hug me, I'm inclusive"? hee hee I like that one.
I know several Hindu and Muslim families in my area that exchange gifts with/for their children at Christmas because their kids have begged them to. I don't think it's all that unusual for them to. Or for a Muslim child in a inner-city school where all his classmates are receiving a Toys-For-Tots toy to want to receive one as well.
I'm Catholic and I wouldn't want my children given a talking Jesus doll--I find them to be definitely sacriligous (spelling?).
NEXT TO THE PORCLAIN UNICORN??? Good to keep all the important stuff together I guess. Is it one of the 4 unicorns of the apocolypse?
"one of the four unicorns of the apocalypse"!!!
You have no idea how happy I am that I finished my coffee before I read that!
Hoodlum,
Thanks for providing a consistent comic relief style that sometimes rivals that of Jeff. Keep ir coming...
The spelling error was unintended, not satirical.
These children don't need dolls and toys and junk - they need food and clean water and PEACE.
I agree, Angela, children need food and clean water and PEACE. With a side order of toys!!!
Sorry, but I remember the joy of getting Playdoh and a Slinky along with my pajamas and socks one year. We only ever got toys on Christmas.
There are also Jesus Action figures, Pope InnocentIII action figures, and so forth. The Jesus Action figure comes with a complete miracle set of a plastic water to wine jug, plastic loaves and fishes. It is awesomely awful. My imagination keeps seeing the Jesus figure dressed up in GI Joe's gear.
Who thinks up this crud?
I prefer my little figurines of our Lord to be genuine, sacred icons, not cheesy dolls for tots to play with and possibly mess up.
Maybe the Marines are being too PC...but the talking Jesus creeps me out. I don't like seeing the Lord reduced to commodification (Is that a word?) like my talking Mr. Ed puppet. Not that repetition of phrases doesn't have an educational purpose. I remember what Ed said (My girlfriend has a ponytail. The phone's ringing, shall I answer? I'm a horse of course...)
My favorite "friend" when I was a tweence was a nun doll "who" rocked with me on my chair when I was in a quiet mood. And I've seen cuddly saint dolls that I've considered as gifts for children I know. But such a gift is personal and should keep the beliefs and needs of the recipient in mind.In any case, I am appalled (rightly or no) at the existence of Jesus dolls. (I have a gut feeling there's a real reason...Idols, maybe?) If a child wants to reenact the Nativity using a baby doll, that's one thing, but a doll that's sold as Jesus? Ugh.
BESIDES, one version looked like an aged MOSES. Long gray beard, etc, unless the ad was mistaken.