Marines’ Toys for Tots accepts talking Jesus dolls

VALENCIA, Calif. — A 12-inch talking Jesus doll may find its way to needy children this Christmas after the Marines’ Toys for Tots Christmas toy drive reversed course Nov. 15 and decided to accept the dolls. The Toys for Tots Foundation had initially declined a donation of 4,000 Jesus dolls from the Valencia, Calif.-based Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Co., saying they could be inappropriate for non-Christian children.

"We realized it’s a lot less time-consuming to find homes for the dolls than it is to answer media and complaints," said Bill Grein, vice president of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation in Quantico, Va. When the decision to reject the toys got out, the toy company began receiving hundreds of phone calls and e-mails from organizations and people who would like to receive the dolls.