# Email to Jesus - 1 question only please **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 30, 2001, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590 "2001-10-30T20:12:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![justinh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@justinh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justinh)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/1 "2001-10-30T20:12:49Z")
Jesus announces that in these troubled times he will answer a single question. a vote will determine what question is answered. He will give the answer to the pope in such a manner that everyone will understand the answer. so the answer is for everyone - so no lottery number questions. What would you ask? and why? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/2 "2001-10-30T20:21:06Z")
Dear Jesus, What were you writing on the ground? We’re just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/3 "2001-10-30T20:32:05Z")
Why will your answer come via the pope? Does that mean that Catholicism is the One True Way, or are you just trying to give your answer some verisimilitude, in spite of the fact that non-Catholics don’t necessarily think the pope is an infallible link to God? ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/4 "2001-10-30T20:39:23Z")
Dear Jesus, Do “Dear Jesus” letters make the baby Jesus cry? Why or why not? Be specific. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/5 "2001-10-30T20:43:51Z")
Boxers or briefs? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/6 "2001-10-30T20:46:34Z")
There is a church in my neighborhood that has a signboard that says, “Why not Jesus?” I always thought it would be fun to mess with the punctuation: “Why not, Jesus?” “Why not? Jesus!” “Why? Not Jesus?” ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/7 "2001-10-30T20:48:45Z")
C’mon, y’all. Let’s pretend the poster didn’t mention the pope. Because this is a good question! If Jesus said he’d answer one question, what would you ask? Me, it would be, “Is there really a God who cares about humans”? -Another ---
**Author:** ![justinh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@justinh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justinh)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/8 "2001-10-30T21:03:46Z")
the answer comes thru the Pope just because he is a famous person that can handle the pub. You don’t want some Joe Smo to be trusted with it. and its got to be someone who has the answer but must be seeked out. I mean it cant just be that poof everyone knows this now. I would think even Baptist would trust the pope to come forth. and what about the people who dont believe in Jesus? well they will have to find their own messenger. Ok, its like pulling hens teeth. Here is mine: How can a loving God allow all the suffering that is going on 24/7 all around the world? You know there are questions that you really don’t want answered. like “am I going to a reward when I die”. if the answer is yes then you might relax your guard and start looking at the neighbors wife and if its no then you might as well look at your neighbors wife. so what does it matter. thats the subject of another future thread. ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/9 "2001-10-30T21:05:40Z")
“Why’d you choose such a backwards time and such a strange land?” [sub]ouch! hey, stop throwing things![/sub] Seriously: “What do you want to say to those who manage to make ‘love each other as I have loved you’ into ‘hate everybody who isn’t the same as you are’?” ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/10 "2001-10-30T21:07:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Me, it would be, “Is there really a God who cares about humans”? Given that you’d be actually sending this e-mail to Jesus Christ, isn’t this begging the question a bit? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/11 "2001-10-30T21:09:11Z")
Oh, and **justinh** , one thing to take into consideration is that the Pope is ailing, and may not be able to take the publicity. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/12 "2001-10-30T21:17:08Z")
> [@](#): > > the answer comes thru the Pope just because he is a famous person that can handle the pub. And yet, the One Whom we’re asking was a lowly artisan Who favored the company of whores and tax collectors over Pope-type-people. ---
**Author:** ![scotth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@scotth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotth)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/13 "2001-10-30T22:03:43Z")
Why should we believe any answer you give us? If he could answer that question in a way EVERYBODY could understand and believe, the rest kind of falls into place. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/14 "2001-10-30T22:04:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > the answer comes thru the Pope just because he is a famous person that can handle the pub. > > And yet, the One Whom we’re asking was a lowly artisan Who favored the company of whores and tax collectors over Pope-type-people. \*\* Except, you know, Peter. The Apostle. Who was the first Pope. ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/15 "2001-10-30T22:10:44Z")
I don’t believe Peter was the first Pope. Thought that was Saul-who-became-Paul. Peter was “The rock upon which my church will be built” but never Pope. There wasn’t really any Papacy that early in Christianity. Or am I terminally confused again? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/16 "2001-10-30T22:17:19Z")
The papacy as we know it was established long after both Peter and Paul. The papacy developed from the idea that the bishop of Rome was superior to everyone else (superior in the sense of having a higher place in the hierarchy). ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/17 "2001-10-30T22:43:38Z")
Taking the long trek back to the OP… How can we reconcile noble ideals of fairness, equality, tolerance and justice with fairly ample proof, documented pretty well everywhere and every day over the past 2000 years, that people - for whatever reason - just do not and can not live up to them? In plainer terms: Okay, “love one another” was neat but it hasn’t really worked out. Got any more bright ideas? Or: Who shot JFK, why, and can we have some proof please? ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/18 "2001-10-30T22:57:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gadarene \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > Me, it would be, “Is there really a God who cares about humans”? > > Given that you’d be actually sending this e-mail to Jesus Christ, isn’t this begging the question a bit? 🙂 \*\* I think not. I’m sending this e-mail to MSIMPS… and even if I thought I were sending to J.H.C., I’d still ask the same thing. (Because I’m not sure he’s what they say he is.) ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/19 "2001-10-30T23:01:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by justinh \* > **the answer comes thru the Pope just because he is a famous person that can handle the pub. You don’t want some Joe Smo to be trusted with it.** Right indeed. That is why Jack Nicholson should be the mouth of God. He _is_ famous, and seems to enjoy publicity. I assume we are not relegated to asking deep spiritual questions, in which case you are likely to get an ambiguous, ethereal wisp of an answer anyway[“You will tell them ‘I AM’ has sent me"]. Rather, I would like to know if we humble earthlings are alone in the universe, or if we have company. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590/20 "2001-10-30T23:25:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SisterCoyote \* > I don’t believe Peter was the first Pope. But he was. [Popes of the Roman Catholic Church](http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0839708.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-to-jesus-1-question-only-please/90590.md?page=2)