Dear Jesus

So many people here in America and in Australia, well heck, let's just say around the world, believe in you.

For the moment, I am entertaining the notion and I have a few questions for you.

1- PRAYER

Did you ever hear the joke about the man who called the psychic hotline?
*ring* ... *ring*
Psychic- "Hello Psychic Hotline, how may I help you?"
Caller- "Don't you already know?"...
*click*

Do you answer prayers based on the number of people who submit the same request? Do you answer prayers based on the sincerity of the person asking? Do you give more attention to people who have utter faith in your positive answer or do you prefer people who offer up the problem but leave the solution up to you? If you already know the outcome of the situation, is prayer necessary at all?

2- OMNICSCIENCE v. FREE WILL

According to my dictionary we mortals define omniscience as having total knowledge, or knowing everything. It is said that you also gave humans "free will".

Now I've heard it argued that time is like a road, and you are standing beside that road like a giant Colossus watching us make our little decisions, exercise our little spot of free will, letting us make mistakes that will lead to our own or others pain and suffering. Sometimes you intervene (answering prayers), sometimes you make radical changes (miracles), sometimes you stand aside and do nothing (God's will).

So, attempting to combine those two ideas, you have known since the moment you chose to create a universe, that one day I would sit here typing this open letter to you. Before there was a sun, before there was a Milky Way galaxy, you knew me and that this moment in time would eventually occur. You knew the decisions I have made, am making, and will make in the future. You know that my mind craves answers, proof, rational explanations. You know that throughout my life I have been unable, but not unwilling, to generate true faith in you, in spite of years of effort. You know that according to the rules you have set forth, that I will burn in hell for all eternity.

Yet you will not take the one step closer to me that will prevent my own eternal pain and suffering? Why?

3- Pascal's Wager

When I was in highschool and doing my best to be a good little Christian, did that count? Did you really count me as a believer? Or did you look down with contempt or pity upon me for making my pitiful little efforts but failing to actually believe?

Does being a believer mean going through the conscious mental effort of choosing to believe? Or does it simply mean saying I believe regardless of my thoughts on the matter? Does deciding to believe count, or must one actually believe in order to get into heaven? If I decide to be a believer so I don't burn in hell for all eternity, is that really what you had in mind for me? Why do you want that?

What is in it for you, if I get to heaven or if I burn in hell? Am I just a number to you?

4-How do you feel about Epicurus?
"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.

Omnipotent- all powerful, capable of anything. I won't bore you with the boulder so big you can't lift it conundrum, or the borrito so hot you can't eat it challenge, but if you can do anything....ANYTHING at all.... I was wondering... Because of free will you allow people to make all the mistakes they want including hurting those who love you dearly. What about the natural disasters in the world that people have nothing to do with creating but which cause enormous amounts of suffering? Why do you allow them to happen? Did sin damage the physical world? When did you decide that was an acceptable consequence in this world that you created from scratch?

Is he able but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
If you really are omnipotent and COULD stop evil, why don't you? Doesn't that make you just as bad as the people doing the evil itself? The legal term we have come up with is an accomplice or possibly even an accessory. How is it that in our legal system, you are guilty and yet we are the ones who will burn for all eternity? How is it that we have created a country founded on justice for all with laws preventing cruel and unusual punishment (which at the time consisted of floggings, brandings, and mutiliations, etc...) yet you ...our loving creator, are willing to see your own creations suffer indescribable misery for a never ending period of time.

No matter how long one human being has ever tortured another, it is as but moment in the time frame that you have decreed for those who do not know and love you. I'm scared Jesus, how does that make you a creature of goodness and loving compassion?

Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
How did it come about that Lucifer came into being? Why did you create him? Does he have free will? Why would he choose to go against you? If you choose not to prevent the evil ascribed to him that the bible claims but rarely documents, how are you not assisting him? Why allow him free reign in your universe?

Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"

Well Jesus, you know where to find me.

Fiery