It seems to me that the reason for Elizabeth King’s difficulty in dealing with the concept of God is that she feels that if God isn’t real, then he can’t have any effect on her life, much less on our civilization [“I’m an atheist. So why can’t I shake God?” Outlook, Feb. 7].

I have the good fortune to be a third-generation atheist, yet I can always find wisdom in the Bible’s fairy tales. After all, many of the figures that have helped me understand humanity are imaginary. Frodo Baggins, the Lone Ranger and Kermit the Frog (to name a few) have provided fabulous guidance on making my way in this world without deliberately hurting anyone. As a well-educated member of Western civilization, of course I have also gotten wonderful advice from God.

You don’t have to be real to help people. That’s what literature is all about.

Gene Fellner, Rosedale, Md.