On The Front Lines
After Pressure from Rutherford Institute, Public Outrage, U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program Agrees to Accept Donation of Jesus Dolls
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 Foundation's 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. "It's 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 doesn't know anything about the religious affiliations of the children who receive its gifts and "can't 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.
