Deep Thoughts: Build with Jesus

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Build with Jesus

Would you be offended if your child opened a kids meal at Long John Silver’s and found a religious themed gift inside? I would be, snd so was a Muslim family at the Mall of America. They were recently offered a Christian themed notebook with the title Build with Jesus (pdf). When they asked for a non-religious toy, they found there was no alternative. It was Christian evangelism, or nothing.

The official response would not have satisfied me. The store simple offered to have alternative toys available. I would have pushed for providing non-religious toys.

In a letter to CAIR-MN, the Long John Silver's franchisee owner Steve Oborn wrote: "In an attempt to support and respect a multitude of diverse needs and preferences, it is our policy to have an optional toy(s) available per request.

I’d like to see the Building with Mohammad version. I’ll hold my breath. The only religious message tolerated will be a Christian message. I’m sure the alternative toy will be a piece of paper and a lump of coal.

I found some hate filled responses to this situation on a Christian blog. The comments are just crazy.

Offending is good! I say our government should subsidize Klezmer Artists. And Carolers! And People pushing Baroque Christian music! And Traditional Judeo/Christian music in all it's forms! Screw them!!!

--

Nora, I agree with you. I think Christmas is a beautiful holiday.

I'm offended that Muslims were offended by a notepad. Notice the pattern here? Danish cartoons, teddy bear names, and children's meal toys. Only stupid people are offended by such stupid things.

I don’t get Christian hate.

Technorati tags: Islam, Proselytizing, Christians, CAIR

Comments (18)

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Diego · 846 weeks ago

"Christian hate"... with every day that goes by, that seems more like a redundance.

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deleted5855019 44p · 846 weeks ago

I'm sad that Christians defy the very basis of their religion. To love one another... this is especially pitiful that this somehow got translated to "Screw them!!!"

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Nietzsche · 846 weeks ago

I would have destroyed the meal and refused to pay for it! Who the F--k do these krixstain MO-Fo's think they are? They don't care about anything but spreading their f--king geezus to the world. .... and enslaving it. Arm yourselves America. There will eventually be a war....... To SAVE this Country from the Dominionists.

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zooage · 846 weeks ago

Christians have been mind-warped about the Christmas Holiday for hundreds of years. It has been proven by not only massive amounts of historic text, but by science as well that IF there is a "christ child" he had to have been born in late June/early July. And he was an Arab, only by being born in the area now known as IRAQ. He wasn't white, nor was he black as they claim.
The very idea of the "Christmas" season was co opted by the Pope when. Pagans in Rome celebrated a holiday in late December that was stolen by the christians in order to convert Rome to christianity. Over the years it has been renamed "Christmas".The pagans even gave gifts, decorated trees, and danced around camp fires during their ritual. I guess christians didn't want to go out in the cold and dance or we would still be doing that as well.
So the christians need to re-group and learn the facts about "christs birthday". They have been lied to by their churches, and their own monkey dumb ideals that their version of history should trump historical fact. Christmas is not their holiday, they stole it.

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Jack 119p · 846 weeks ago

This is precisely the sort of crap that makes me want to picket churches. People should not be exposed to this sort of mind rot without informed consent - it is simply too dangerous.

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Karen 43p · 846 weeks ago

Only stupid people are offended by such stupid things

So, does that make Bill Donohue the King of Stupidland?

1 reply · active 846 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 846 weeks ago

I thought that was Bush?

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Darwin's Dagger · 846 weeks ago

There is no separation of church and private company. Long John Silvers has the right to offer whatever free toy they wish with their meals, as long as they don't refuse to serve anyone based on their faith (or other protected characteristic). Anyone who doesn't like the company's policies are free to not do business with them.

1 reply · active 846 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 846 weeks ago

I know - but if you don't stand up. The turn up the volume.

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Volly · 846 weeks ago

I recall Chick Fil-A has offered something similar -- probably Veggie Tales or something developed by a Christian publishing company and sold primarily in Christian bookstores. I think they skated right up to the line -- the coloring books or what-have-you didn't explicitly talk about religious matters, but I certainly could see it as a lure whereby the kid says "Ooh, I love Tommy Tomato -- where can we get more of this stuff?" That was how the chain dodged angry parents accusing them of proselytizing. All the parents had to do was say "Nah, let's stick to Barney." Which, of course, guarantees them a 1-way ticket to eternal damnation...

2 replies · active 846 weeks ago

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Jack 119p · 846 weeks ago

Well, there are two businesses that I will never go to again.

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Mojoey 107p · 846 weeks ago

I hear you. No nasty fish sticks for me.

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Kat · 846 weeks ago

What's the big deal? The beautiful thing about America is the freedom citizens have to follow whatever faith they choose, including those who choose not to follow any. Not all Christians are hateful people, and I'm sorry the ones with whom you've dealt have left such a negative impression upon you.

Darwin's Dagger was right. There is no separation between church and private companies. It shouldn't surprise anyone that an LJS franchise would distribute Christian-themed toys. A large portion of the company's revenue no doubt comes in during the season of Lent when Catholics and various other Christians abstain from red meat.

I don't like Batman, but I'm not going to protest when a Riddler toy shows up in my kid's Happy Meal because McD's has a promotional contract with the film. This is a mountain made from a mole hill.

Why waste so much time and energy being angry over people practicing their rights as Americans? Please do not assume that all Christians are hateful and ignorant. The true Christians out here only want to be understood.

I wish you peace. Have a great day!

1 reply · active 846 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 846 weeks ago

Kat - LJS is owned by YUM, the worlds largest fast food restaurant chain. The run operations on every continent. They have a stock price to protect. They grow through opening new markets. When they display cultural insensitivity (that's what proselytizing is), they threaten future growth in countries where christianity does not hold the majority. When Muslims or Atheists raise concerns about social responsibility and cultural insensitivity, the only logical response is to more toward the secular and away from the religious. The right thing to do is highlight to problem. It causes a change in behavior. I'm willing to bet we never see a religious toy in a kids meal again.

You cannot compare a commercial toy to a religious toy. The commercial toy does not deal with matters of the soul. it does not carry the same kind of emotional impact. That fact that you cannot see this is troubling, but not unexpected. it comes with territory.

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kat · 846 weeks ago

I can only assume that when you talk about the emotional impact of a religious toy (item) you are referring to the threat of internal violence atheists feel when they are accosted by the spiritual elements they think say, "Believe in me or go to hell." Whether or not you choose to believe in God is completely up to you; that's the beauty of freewill.

Not everyone is supposed to believe in God, and I'm not going to proselytize to you so that you follow my beliefs. I do, however, hope you based your choice to be a non-believer on what YOUR heart is telling you and not because you're offended by piss-poor example of faith some external forces have put forth. Letting another fallible human make your choices for you would be a disservice and an act of irresponsbility to yourself.

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kat · 846 weeks ago

As far as the toy is concerned: In my opinion, any emotional impact to a kids meal toy -- religious or secular -- is hypersensitivity. It's a friggin' toy that will end up in the trash within a week anyway! But then again, I think it's asinine that people are offended by Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, too. There is, after all, more than one holiday being celebrated in a short amount of time; therefore Happy Holidays is more accurate throughout the month. (Seasons Greetings is just stupid because it's winter and that season has NEVER greeted anyone with warmth.)

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kat · 846 weeks ago

LJS or Yum! Brands weren't distributing the kids meal toys in non-Christian countries. The Bloomington, Minn., LJS location is the only franchise offering the Christian notepads. According to a report by MinnPost.com, Steve Oborn, the owner of the franchise, said "My wife and I both feel that the Bible promotes good, wholesome values. We just felt this was a wholesome thing to hand out."

Yum! Brands had not yet responded with any action to the complaint made by CAIR. My guess is if Oborn's MOA franchise continues to make Yum! Brands money, they probably won't slap his wrists too hard for his "inappropriate distribution of religious materials" because it IS the almighty dollar that rules commercialism in the United States. Yum! Brands will kowtow to the demands of its stockholders.

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kat · 846 weeks ago

You're right, the right thing to do is to highlight the problem. But highlighting an issue like this in such a high-profile setting is not only ineffective, but hinders progress because of the knee-jerk reaction put forth by both sides. (Look how quick you were to insult me by sticking me in a box. "The fact that you cannot see this is troubling, but not unexpected, it comes with territory.")

This issue should have first been highlighted through an open dialogue between the child's parent and the franchise owner so they could grasp a solid understanding of where each person came from. That's how a solid foundation of tolerance and cultural sensitivity happens -- through personal understanding and relationships. It's a slow process and requires effort of recognition and tolerance on both sides.

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