To the editor:

A recent letter writer thinks it is time for America to return to God.

According to this view, God will turn off the flow of goodies if we don’t say thank you and straighten up and fly right. The writer claims that affluence is what turns us from God and then says we should turn to God so he continues to bless us.

By this I suppose he means give us an SUV, a plasma TV, a comfortable home, food to maintain our obesity, more for our life at Sears, Wal-Mart and Famous, and especially a Christmas in which we get what we wanted.

Then we can thank God and say please keep the goodies coming. What 65 percent of the world has to thank God for is beside the point.

Why God hasn’t blessed the rest of the world is hard to understand. Doesn’t he love them as much as Americans? Are they bigger sinners than we? Weren’t they sufficiently thankful?

Evidently if we want to continue to be God’s chosen and beloved people, we better not get him angry by sinning and not saying thanks.

If only we could get rid of the ACLU, activist judges, gays and sinners, we would continue to enjoy God’s favor.

If only all students were required to mumble a rote prayer every morning, make the Pledge of Allegiance with God included, all of our moral problems would be solved. If only we all read the Bible every day, sin would disappear.

I suppose religious people never sin. I thought we were supposed to love God because he deserves our love, not because he gives us goodies.

It is childish to think God needs our praise and thanks or he will punish us.

In case anyone is wondering why we should thank God, here are some reasons: He gave us the ability to love, think, will, show mercy and compassion, heal and comfort. He sent his son to redeem the world and open heaven.

These are his gifts to the whole human race, even those who fail to recognize this.

All that is good, true and beautiful is from God.

Thank God because God is love. You may be the poorest person on the face of the earth, but God has blessed you and loves you.

Joseph Margraff

Crestwood