I take issue with Kathleen Parker's Nov. 20 column.

She states that God is the problem with the Republican Party. I would say that when God becomes a problem, we Americans really have a problem. He wasn't a problem for our first couple hundred years.

I believe she characterizes evangelical Christians as low brows. As an evangelical Lutheran and retired community planner with a master's degree, I do not consider myself low brow.

She seems to say that we can leave God out of our public discourse without sacrificing our Judaic-Christian values. How do you do that? But, alas, I think those values already have been sacrificed on the altar of self-interest when we condone the annual slaughter of a million babies, and now that sexual morality has essentially become an oxy-moron.

I guess in Parker's world, when you enter the public arena, you must leave your values at the door, or is that only if they are based on your religion?

Rodney Schulling

Marion