Much hay has been made lately about the Marine Corps Toys for Tots refusing a shipment of talking Jesus dolls, because they represent a specific religion.

Courtesy of the Marine Corps Toys for Tots foundation website:

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.
[snip]
OBJECTIVES: The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help needy children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation’s most valuable natural resources – our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future.

Sounds to me like Toys for Tots touts a specific religion too. I sense some irony…perhaps even hypocrisy. Seriously…the holiday is Christmas, and the fact that the foundation refers to Christmas here makes you think maybe that they’re supposed to be Christmas gifts, which would be gifts given to commemorate the joy surrounding the incarnation of God on earth in human form. Otherwise, they should call them “winter gifts,” “holiday gifts,” “solstice gifts,” or “season’s gifts” (as in season’s greetings.)

On the other hand, I did hear a person on the radio today questioning, regardless of the occasion, is a talking Jesus doll really the kind of toy you’d like to receive? Or that you’d play with all that much? Imagine talking Jesus among the GI Joes…or the Ponies…I could go on and on.

Footnote: To their credit, the following statement is on the Toys For Tots homepage right now: The Talking Jesus doll issue has been resolved. Toys for Tots has found appropriate places for these items. We have notified the donor of our willingness to handle this transaction.