On Wed, 15 Nov 2006 01:30:49 -0800, Donut wrote:
On 14 Nov 2006 21:50:21 -0800, wrote:
Not that I'm for offending people, but I think it is ironic that you
can't give Jesus for Chrstmas:
http://www.richmondtimesdispatch.com...!news!vaapwire
..... that creaking sound you hear, is western civilazation
toppling.... as it bends over backwards...
PS, I see the point, but the irony is palpable..
"We can't take a chance on sending a talking Jesus doll to a Jewish
family or a Muslim family,"...
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MISSION: The mission of the U.S. 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.
http://www.toysfortots2006.com/magno...gle/about.html
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Well if you really want to put the X back in Xmas, these guys need to
take the word Christmas out of their mission statement if they aren't
sorting the children by religion somehow. Wouldn't it be just as
offensive to give a *Christmas* gift to a Jewish or Muslim child?
As to general, "fun" toys, no, it wouldn't, and why should it be? _HOW_
could it be? What perversion of any of the above faiths do you envision
would take offense to the (pure) attempt to brighten the life of a
child?
Or
does the fact that the " bearded Jesus doll recites Scripture"... make
it REALLY offensive?
The toy itself "offensive?" No. Inappropriate? Yes. Just as giving a
"pop-up Qur'an" to "Christian" children would be. If you passed a
mosque at prayer time while walking from the Bar Mitzvah to the Catholic
wedding to which you were invited, would you be "offended" by the
statements of faith at one or more of the places? OTOH, the motive of
the folks who wanted to use Toys for Tots as some marketing/pimping tool
is what would seem to be the offensive thing.
I think they, the Toys for Tot's group, should just come out and say
it, most kids don't want a talking Jesus doll for Christmas!
ER, maybe that explains this quote: "Kids want a gift for the holiday
season that is fun."
Unless
it's the Fighting ChristŪ with Kung Fu grip, everyone wants that 
But seriously, I don't know how they reconcile the giving of
*Christmas* gifts to those of other faiths. Maybe the Jesus doll was
their tipping point? And remember who the recipients are, children.
Exactly the point. Kids shouldn't be deprived of mere "fun" because the
adults around them might be morons. If I weren't in a position to be
able to provide a "fun" toy or two to my children, and someone with a
decent motive was willing to help out, I'd not get too concerned about
the fact that the giver was doing so in the giving spirit of their
beliefs rather than my own. IOW, a whole lot less questioning of and
looking for ways to take offense to such things might lead to whole lot
less other things, too - you might say one ought not to look in the
mouth of a gift horse...
As adults we can intelligently choose whether to accept a gift, young
children cannot. It's a present, they want it. Parents have a right,
and some would say an obligation to censor what their very young
children are exposed to.
Absolutely. And any parent who teaches their children that a simple
gift offered in good spirit and pure motive from someone who happens to
be of differing faith is a bad thing isn't fit to be a parent.
TC,
R