Beginning in mid-August roughly 425 Wal-Mart stores will be selling a faith-based toy line in their preschool aisle. The line includes Ester, Moses, Noah, Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and more. This is being billed as the first time Wal-Mart has offered a full line of faith-based toys. For a thorough article, click here.
Okay, can we quit saying faith-based people? What you mean to say is Christian toys. If I can’t buy a Kali action figure with kung fu grips, your line isn’t faith-based, it’s Judeo Christian based. A visit to one2believe’s, the company making the toys, website makes the Christ in faith-based pretty darn evident. To see the whole line of toys, click here.
What my readers may find amusing is that I don’t actually have a problem with Wal-Mart selling these. I mean, why not? My problem will be when I find out they WON’T carry my Kali action figure. I’m telling you, I could make some serious money with a Kali action figure! My other problem is that the same people that are okay with little Billy learning about Jesus by chewing and drooling on his plastic head probably weren’t okay with this. I love Buddy Christ. I love the movie “Dogma”. For that matter, I love Kevin Smith. Where was I? Oh yes, outrage and such.
I believe Ellen Johnson, president of American Atheists, made a fun, bitchy, and true comment in the Canada.com story. “Isn’t religion the one who is always claiming that everybody is so materialistic? And now we’re marketing Jesus dolls.” Johnson showed amazing restraint since in that same article one2believe’s founder David Socha said, “What’s nice is that they’re real as opposed to other superheroes that are out there.” I can’t believe the president of American Atheists didn’t take the obvious shot there. Maybe she didn’t know he said it. Let me help her out here. Um, real? To an Atheist, um, not real. To a Hindu, not real. To a Buddhist, not real. To a Pagan, Wiccan, or Druid, not real. Congrats there Socha, they’re real only to those who use the Old and/or New Testament of the Bible.
So here’s the deal Wal-Mart. I don’t mind you carrying “faith-based” toys, but if I find out you’re opting not to carry other “faith-based” toys, or that your salespeople are ramming them down customers throats in an attempt to “spread the word”, I’ll be back. And when I come back, it won’t be the Buddy Christ, it will be Kali (with kung fu grips!).
Hey friend if you feel that there should be faith-based toys for your faith, why don’t you do just that – step out on faith and create one. Don’t blame Don Levine and Dave Socha for being Christians and not creating toys of other faiths.
I am a Christian myself and I even took my faith based toy company one step further. Please read my story.
My name is Adrienne M. Dixon, President and Chief Executive Officer of T.UP.A.C. (Train up a Child) International, LLC. T.UP.A.C. is a new faith-based toy company that markets toys, dolls, action figures, figurines, games, and other collectors’ items that help introduce a fun way to teach children the importance of adopting spiritual principles early in life.
Our products include heroes of the bible such as David, Daniel, Moses, Mary, Joseph, Queen Esther, Peter, etc. We also offer our new line of “Men/Women of the Cloth” action figures. This product is novel to the toy industry. The men of the cloth action figure depict real life spiritual leaders as superheroes in Christ and action figures for the Lord. The action figure has a voice recordable chip, whereas a minister’s voice is recorded to recite a scripture for a child to hear.
T.UP.A.C. debuted its first action figure in December 2008 of a well-known member of the clergy in the South Jersey area, Bishop David G. Evans. He is pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, a 27,000 multicultural congregation of believers in Lindenwold, NJ and prelate to the Abundant Harvest Fellowship of Churches, an international fellowship with more than 175 churches in the United States, Africa, and India. In the rear of the action figure there is a button, when pressed, you will hear in Bishop Evan’s voice; “Faith acts as a thing is so, even when it’s not so, that it might be so.”
No other company in the world is marketing our featured item. We have a patent pending that once approved, will allow us to exclude others from profiting from our company’s unique product. With this protection, we can keep this invention within the scope of God’s vision.
In addition to helping children learn biblical scriptures and principles, this would be an excellent fundraiser for the churches, daycares, schoold, youth organizations etc. and a fun opportunity for the youth in your church to recognize the “Shepherd” God has given them.
Thank you in advance for your time and may God continue to Bless you!
Kind regards,
“faith-based” toys is not good for kids. But “faith-based” toys characters are good for toy collector.
Here here! Well, said!!! I laughed out loud w/ this one, proving once again, real life is often more comical than fiction.
& oh btw: I want a Kali w/ kung fu grips! lol