To the editor:

Shirley Halladay (July 16 letter to the editor) offers a prayer to her God for protection from all who don’t look like her. All who would make our country and Lawrence less desirable and attractive because they are more unemployable, more homeless or more likely to bring crime to our desirable, attractive community. She asks her God to create a division to separate those like her from these undesirables.

Who created this God? Some obscure religion picking winners and losers? A God to protect the quality of life she believes cannot include those who don’t look like her?

It’s sad you can create a God to provide protection from anything making you uncomfortable. Many people with varied convictions have turned down paths toward this God who sees human beings as unequal. A God who chooses those who look like Shirley as winners and those fleeing persecution, famine and possible death as losers.

I don’t know if I look like Shirley. It really doesn’t matter. But I’m here to say there is a choice of Gods to follow. There is another God. One that sees worth in the eyes of every child, woman and man. One that doesn’t divide or pick winners and losers. One offering compassion and protection to those most vulnerable.

We must talk about this other God with Shirley and all who look like Shirley and choose paths of division. Paths with winners walking on high, dry ground and losers condemned to the ditches.

Shall we talk?

Charley Crabtree,

Lawrence