Jesus to battle Barbie on Wal-Mart shelves

[Miktar]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2007/08/01/wbarbie101.jpg


A foot-high plastic Jesus doll that quotes Scripture and a three-inch Daniel in the lions' den are about to do battle with Barbie and Bratz in toy aisles across America.

Jesus to battle Barbie on Wal-Mart shelves
Jesus: runaway best-seller

The nation's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, has announced that it will start carrying a line of faith-based toys in 425 of its 3,376 stores later this month to see if characters such as Spirit Warrior Samson can rival the popularity of superhero figures like Spiderman.

The move is a first for the chain, which has carried religious-themed products including stationery and books before but never a line of toys.

A spokesman for Wal-Mart said that the "faith-enriching toys", made by One2believe, a Californian company, would go on sale mainly in stores in the Midwest and South, the country's religious heartlands.

David Socha, the chief executive of One2Believe, described his products as "real superheroes they (children) can believe in" and part of a "battle for the toy box" that offers parents an alternative to dolls and figures with violent or sexual overtones.


"The gradual decline of what children are offered is definitely heavy on our heart," said Mr Socha yesterday, a father of two who first started working with toys as a child in his parents' New York toy shop. "If you walk down the toy aisles you see a lot of reproductions of Satan, or dolls that promote promiscuity.

"I think we have to glorify good not bad and most parents want an alternative to what's out there. That's what we aim to provide and I believe there is a very large market here."

The company hopes to tap into a feeling shared by many parents about the growing inappropriateness of toys such as the mini-skirted Bratz dolls, which earlier this year were described as "worrisome" by the American Psychological Association for their association with "objectified adult sexuality".

Mr Socha said it was not only Christian parents who would rather their children played with Goliath, Moses, Mary or Noah than a comic book character or make-up lathered doll. "We have been pleasantly surprised that even people of lukewarm faith or no faith see the figures as a way to tell kids great stories, with or without the religious aspect."

The Jesus doll is the runaway best-seller, Mr Socha added, followed by Moses and Mary.

The toys are based on stories from the Bible. As well as Daniel, a Tales of Glory figure for younger children who comes with a lion and den and costs around £4, there are 12-inch Peter and Paul Messenger of Faith dolls that recite Scripture when a button is pressed. These cost around £10. Many of the figures come with a story book.

Wal-Mart's move is part of a growing trend as businesses try to tap into the multi-billion-dollar market in religious and family-themed products popular with the segment of America that turned Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ into a £185 million goldmine.

Ellen Johnson, the president of American Atheists, told Canada's National Post: "Personally, I don't think kids are going to go for it. Nobody's really all that interested in Jesus. Kids aren't."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=T1WMSUUODLQAJQFIQMFCFF4AVCBQ YIV0?xml=/news/2007/08/01/wbarbie101.xml

Frankly, isn't the company producing those rather ashamed of themselves for profiteering off the image of a religious icon?

[wisp]

I really am amazed by this article,i think that it is going to upset alot a people especially the Moral Majority party or what ever they are called in the states , Christian foundations will not be amused by this , but freedom of choice is still there . If it doesnt sell they will soon recall it.

[dammit]

Frankly, isn't the company producing those rather ashamed of themselves for profiteering off the image of a religious icon?

The answer is no. They have no shame. Look at the hundreds of shops opened in south africa aimed specifically at the christian youth...there is so much garbage in those shops that people spend their money just because it's "religious"

...besides, I want a Budda doll...

[wisp]

I thought again about this topic and although it is profiteering people have been using religion to get money since time began.
So why not, if you don?t want it don?t buy it.Other alternative religions (by that I mean not mainstream) don?t get all bent out of shape when symbols of their religion are sold as toys.
Nobody protests in the street when ?witches? are made out to be evil by us that follow Wicca, so I say let them sell it ,If nobody buys it the will soon be recalled it.

[Miktar]

This only confirms however, that Jesus is simply a pop icon now - which literally signals the death-knell of Christianity in my mind. Already the figures are showing a sharp drop in Christianity among the younger generations, so I wonder how much further something like this will push it.

[DaBaish]

Yay! A Jesus Christ action figure! With the ability to heal wounds and call upon his faithful 12 desciples! Sweet! I hope they got one o' Samson and Delilah!
Maaaan! I'm a Christian and this stuff is great! I'm gonna get em all and stack em in my closet!
*Fanatic Alert*
Bye Bye Star Wars Dolls! Hellooo Tales of Glory!

*By this statement, you may obviously see DaBaish's views on the sales of these new Tale Of Glory Dolls*

[Azimuth]

Frankly, isn't the company producing those rather ashamed of themselves for profiteering off the image of a religious icon?

The Catholic Church has been doing it for centuries. ^^

[Miktar]

I know they've been doing it for centuries, I'm not exactly blind to the hypocrisies of man.

But what I'm saying is, -shouldn't- they be ashamed of themselves?

[wisp]

I know they've been doing it for centuries, I'm not exactly blind to the hypocrisies of man.

But what I'm saying is, -shouldn't- they be ashamed of themselves?


they should be ashamed, but i bet you they are not . Money has no conscience and man is its slave.

[ShadowMaster]

As a Christian I am offended. One's faith is not determined by what toys one has but by how well one follows god.

What offends me in particularly is the wording of the article:

Jesus to battle Barbie on Wal-Mart shelves

Jesus doesn't have to battle anyone, he already beat death and the devil.

[wisp]

@Shadowmaster,i dont think any disrespect was meant

[Miktar]

As a Christian I am offended. One's faith is not determined by what toys one has but by how well one follows god.

Not to be funny, but then you shouldn't be offended - your faith is not being called into question by the existence of the toys, or the wording of the heading in the article.

[Nimue]

lol, MAN THAT DOLL SUCKS!!

AAAHHH hell!! No wonder people don't get it. If I had to make a choice on religion based on the figurines, I'd definitely vote Buddhism, at least they all look the same, and some craft is required.

Random thought: are there going to be a divorce J as well? (Lame joke I know)

[Chevron]

So toys are ok
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2007/08/01/wbarbie101.jpg
, but a game is wrong?
http://image.bayimg.com/nadkdaabg.jpg

If you're gonna say it's they way he's portrayed you maybe right. But if someone gets that toy what gonna stop them from blowing it up with fireworks on the 4th of July. Wouldn.t that be just as disrespectful?

[Azimuth]

That toy isn't armed with a combat knife and a gun, Chevron.

While I'm not in the least bothered by either images, I can see why Christians might be offended by the second one. Give it a rest already.

[Q-Man]

LOL, as a Christian, that's actually involved in his religion and active in his faith, I'm not offended by:

- Jesus jokes
- images mocking the (generalized category) religion of 'Christianity'
- Debates in which relgion is questioned or challenged
- Direct insults to my faith

Most other Christians would call that not being Christian, I call it having a sense of humour. I say that if you can laugh at religion but still hold your beliefs and live by your faith, then you're doing something right :)

LOL I'm just thinking - little kids that get a Jesus doll...I mean, I know what WE used to make dolls do as kids...haha the mind boggles :D

[ShadowMaster]

The doll is not so offending, but the wording of the article is.

I also feel Chritstians are to pacifist when it comes to the mocking of our religion.

@Chevron: the reason that is offending is because it is completely against our religion.
Jesus taught us to forgive and forget, yet the picture shows him doing the opposite.
And by the way Jesus told God that he should forgive the people who hung him on the cross, because they do not know what they are doing.

[dammit]

People have been buying representations of their faith for centuaries. How many christians have bought crosses? So whats wrong with buying a jesus doll? Cause if we say the doll is bad, then the crosses are too...because the person/factory that made it is prob doing it for the money not the faith

[ShadowMaster]

Na, the doll is not so bad. The way they say it, ie Jesus battling barbie is.
That's all. Let's stop here before a flame war starts.(More like a little lighter flame war but still)

[echo]

If it helps people in their faith and maybe teach kids that Jesus is our hero, then I think its not such a bad idea.

[Toi]

You know, I wasn't going to partake in this thread because people are way to sensitive about this subject.

You know, it really is funny how ones perceptions on faith and religion change over time and I think that it’s very important that it does. We should not become like the world but we shouldn't be narrow minded either. God can also use the world to teach us a few things you know.
Miktar, you're right. The sad truth is that Jesus has become nothing more than a pop icon for millions of people. As a matter of fact, he's been for hundreds of years. People worship Jesus, the icon, the picture, the person hanging on the cross. Jesus wants us to have faith in that which we cannot see. Hebrew 11 verse 1. Go read it, those who want too. It’s kind of hard to explain really. Our believe should be based on Him, He is the centre, its all about Him but not the figure of Him. We don't worship a doll, a statue, a cross. We worship a Jesus who we believe is alive and sits at the right hand of God. Hope this makes sense.

Saying that, I don't think that it’s wrong to own any of these figures. I own a cross, several actually. I don't believe that it will protect me; it doesn't help me in any way. It’s just a cross; if anything it only reminds me that Jesus gave His live for me. Miktar, I think that if these people who made those dolls made them for profitable reasons only, God will deal with them in some or other way and that they will feel ashamed and will most probably not hang on to that money for to long. But, who are we to judge right; maybe they did do it for the right reason, only God knows.

You know what guys, I long for one thing in this life, that we would just learn to respect one another which would include our believes. I would NEVER EVER rub my faith onto someone else, NEVER. Everyone is entitled to believe what they want to believe. What I can't take is if someone tells me; Toi, Jesus doesn't exist, it’s all BS, stop being a twit. Man, I believe what I feel in my hart is right, please don't shoot it down. We all have our own opinions. If you don't believe that Jesus is still alive, then so be it but don't try and convince me that He isn't. I live by the motto "threat others the way you would like to be treated". So, I respect you, you respect me, easy.

I do however sometimes feel offended by some images but ag, I just leave it to God to deal with. There is nothing that I can do to change the image. It’s the responsibility of those who made it. I sometimes feel that some people try to play God, God might not be visible but He can stand up for himself you know. In the bible he used donkeys to do His work. What He tried to say here was that He’s not dependable on us, we are dependable on Him.

In short, Christians lighten up man and those who don’t believe, please show some respect.

About the number of youth who believe declining. I think you’re right. I think that it has to do with the fact that Christianity has just become nothing more than a religion and a set of rules. Christianity is NOT a religion; it’s a person, Jesus Christ. The youth don’t want to conform to a bunch of rules. Stand up now, sing now, tuck in you’re shirt before you go to church, GO to church. Kids need Jesus, they need love and guidance, people need acceptance not rules. The world is filled with rules; why not fill it with love. People, the world, religion and the church as taught me that being gay is wrong (this is an example). They are sinners that will be condemned to hell for all eternity. Jesus has taught me otherwise. He has taught me that NO ONE is without sin. A gay guy or woman needs love and acceptance just as much as me. We all need a place in this world. Jesus said that we must hate the sin and not the sinner. We do the exact opposite today. We point fingers, whisper and gossip about other people’s wrong doings without looking at ourselves first. Yes that woman is gay, yes that preacher is a pervert but I have serious road rage and sometimes loose my cool, I hate myself and doubt in God’s promises sometimes so who am I to talk. I don’t know if any of this makes sense but I just had to get this off my chest and chose this as the method to do so.

Thanks for listening NAG, now go play games. ;)

[dammit]

I live by the motto "threat others the way you would like to be treated".

Sorry, couldn't let that go unquoted ;) Anyway, I think you're one of the few christians who understand your own religion. And yes, no one should say what you believe is wrong, as no one should say what anyone else believes is wrong... unfortunately it happens. Most often between religions.

[Miktar]

I think you've given this thread a beautiful eulogy, Leon. I hope nobody comes along to ruin it.

[echo]

Brilliantly said toi, it's people like you that makes me believe there are still Christians out there with an open mind.