LOS ANGELES - The Marine Reserves' Toys for Tots program has decided to accept a donation of Bible-quoting Jesus dolls, reversing course after saying earlier this week that it couldn't take them.

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"The talking Jesus doll issue has been resolved," the organization announced on its Web site Wednesday. "Toys for Tots has found appropriate places for these items. We have notified the donor of our willingness to handle this transaction."

The short note on the Web site did not explain what it would do with the dolls.

Earlier this week, the program declined a suburban Los Angeles company's offer to donate 4,000 of the foot-tall talking dolls. The battery-powered Jesus is one of several Bible-based dolls manufactured by one2believe, a division of the Valencia-based Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Co.

In explaining the initial decision, Bill Grein, vice president of Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, in Quantico, Va., had said the program didn't want to take the risk of offending a Jewish or Muslim family if they received a Jesus doll.

Toys for Tots distributed 18 million stuffed animals, games, toy trucks and other gifts to children based on financial need in 2005.

I just find the idea of a Jesus doll spouting bible verses a little....weird....if not a little creepy. :shock

I don't think it's wierd or creepy, but what gets me is that suddenly they're ok with offending Jewish or Muslim kids? What happened here? Unless of course that wasn't the real reason behind refusing the donation in the first place...but if it wasn't the real reason then why say it was in the first place?

I don't see what is wrong with teaching children about the Bible? what scares me more is parents are fast to buy these x box games that show people being killed ect. But these people are rejecting the word. Something wrong with that picture to me.

I have nothing against religion or the Word or whatever....but the idea of a doll is just weird to me....it's probably just me though.

I don't think it's wierd or creepy, but what gets me is that suddenly they're ok with offending Jewish or Muslim kids? What happened here? Unless of course that wasn't the real reason behind refusing the donation in the first place...but if it wasn't the real reason then why say it was in the first place?

They probably got a lot of phone calls wondering why they wouldn't accept the doll, and to avoid negative press, just decided to take it....

Nothing is wrong with teaching the children the bible. HOWEVER, if I was raising my child in a certain faith and someone came along in the name of charity with a gift that detracted from the particular faith that I was raising my child into, it would be offensive to my parenting.

I think it's great that these people donated the dolls, but I believe they were on the right track in the beginning. I mean - heck if it were up to me every child in America would have a Jesus doll...but that's selfish thinking. I have no right to step on another parents toes and tell them that what they are teaching their child is wrong or somehow should be different.

Emotionally and as a Christian, I'm happy...even THRILLED that these dolls are accepted and will be disbursed. Logically though I don't understand how they can retract their previous statement about not wanting to offend people that are not necessarily of the Christian faith.

I just totally rambled.

I was thinking before that they could just give them to a church and have the church hand them out if people wanted them.

I was thinking before that they could just give them to a church and have the church hand them out if people wanted them.

That's sounds like it's probably what they're going to do. Just make sure that the dolls get into the hands of the intended audience by routing them through a Christian charity organization or church food panty.

if the doll is just saying you know like love thy neighbor or other basic "morals" then i see no problem but if it was saying "jesus came down from heaven, etc etc" then i could see the problem.

Nothing is wrong with teaching the children the bible. HOWEVER, if I was raising my child in a certain faith and someone came along in the name of charity with a gift that detracted from the particular faith that I was raising my child into, it would be offensive to my parenting.

I think it's great that these people donated the dolls, but I believe they were on the right track in the beginning. I mean - heck if it were up to me every child in America would have a Jesus doll...but that's selfish thinking. I have no right to step on another parents toes and tell them that what they are teaching their child is wrong or somehow should be different.

Emotionally and as a Christian, I'm happy...even THRILLED that these dolls are accepted and will be disbursed. Logically though I don't understand how they can retract their previous statement about not wanting to offend people that are not necessarily of the Christian faith.

I just totally rambled.

Calm down! Sounds like you missed the single most important sentence of the whole article!

"The talking Jesus doll issue has been resolved," the organization announced on its Web site Wednesday. "Toys for Tots has found appropriate places for these items. We have notified the donor of our willingness to handle this transaction."

These dolls will more than likely go to Christian families and organizations that offer aid to such people. I sincerely doubt that they're taking these dolls to synagogues and temples. It's a neat story, nonetheless.

Calm down! Sounds like you missed the single most important sentence of the whole article!

"The talking Jesus doll issue has been resolved," the organization announced on its Web site Wednesday. "Toys for Tots has found appropriate places for these items. We have notified the donor of our willingness to handle this transaction."

These dolls will more than likely go to Christian families and organizations that offer aid to such people. I sincerely doubt that they're taking these dolls to synagogues and temples. It's a neat story, nonetheless.

nothing really to comment on what you said but haven't heard from you in awhile where have you been

Going through my semi-annual mid-life crisis.

Calm down! Sounds like you missed the single most important sentence of the whole article!

"The talking Jesus doll issue has been resolved," the organization announced on its Web site Wednesday. "Toys for Tots has found appropriate places for these items. We have notified the donor of our willingness to handle this transaction."

These dolls will more than likely go to Christian families and organizations that offer aid to such people. I sincerely doubt that they're taking these dolls to synagogues and temples. It's a neat story, nonetheless.

I think you misinterpreted my post. :dunno Did I come off as excited? There really was no excitement to be had :lol I was just saying what I was thinking...but I rambled because I didn't really take the time to put the thoughts into any real logical order. Someone had asked what was wrong with teaching children the bible...so I just said what i thought. I promise I wasn't yelling or jumping up and down or even breathing hard :rofl

Oh, and just for the record, I did totally miss that sentence :lol