New Jersey man finds letters to God at sea

[JI7]

<PHILADELPHIA: A US man who found 300 letters to God floating in the Atlantic Ocean said on Friday he will donate them to a church instead of selling them on eBay following protests from religious people.

The letters were addressed to the Rev. Grady Cooper of Jersey City, New Jersey, who died in 2004. Someone cleaning his house may have discarded the bag, which Lacovara found about 100 miles (160 km) from Cooper's residence.

They include one from a teen-age girl asking God to forgive her for having an abortion, one from a prisoner who said he was innocent and wanted to be at home with his family, and one from a man who wanted God's help winning the lottery, according to media reports.

Lacovara said he could have auctioned them off on eBay for up to $15,000 (7,889 pounds) and would have given the money to charity. But he has withdrawn them from the online auction service because he said the move offended some religious people.

"There were a lot of religious fanatics that were very insulted," he told Reuters. "They said they were disappointed in me, and I didn't want to do something that's going to create bad vibes."

Some urged him to burn the letters, throw them back in the ocean or give them to a church, Lacovara said.>

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