Letters to God Found on Atlantic City Shore

In Atlantic City, New Jersey an insurance adjuster found a plastic shopping bag floating by the shore while fishing and retrieved it. When opened it was revealed that it contained over 300 letters to God. Many of these letters were addressed to priests and ministers to forward to God. Dating as far back as 1973, some of the letters were comical and others were very heart felt and dramatic. Young girls asking forgiveness for having abortions, pregant teens praying for their boyfriend to marry them, people thanking God for their blessings, and so on. It is a phenomenon that is rarely addressed. But how the letters were dumped into the ocean is a mystery in itself. Half of the letters were too damaged to read, though they were well guarded in several layers of paper and plastic bags, and hadn't seemed to have been in the water for too long. Much of the contents of the bag were strangely personal documents of Rev. Grady Cooper. Did he cast off the letters like a message in a bottle?

This news item brings back memories of the movie "Dear God" in which postal workers performed good deeds to answer the prayers of those who sent letters to God. Many are wondering why people would write letters to God in the first place. However, it is a known form of therapy to fake letters to work out emotions and find peace of mind. The man who retrieved it, Bill Lacovara, stated "This is just a hint of what really happens. How many letters like this all over the world aren't being opened or answered?" A good point indeed. Just how widespread is this. Your neighbors, co-workers, and even family members could have written a letter to God.

Some of the funnier letters actually asked God for help with winning the lottery, told on someone cheating on their wife with specific details and proof, and a wife complaining about her husband always talking about sex. These were overshadowed by far by the serious, tear-jerking letters which cried for help from abuse, for their drug addicted family members, and overall desperation. It is a very touching situation and it makes it clear that people still look to the Heavens for help. People still want forgiveness and most of all want to be loved. The man who found the letters is not just sharing them with the world, but instead auctioning them off on eBay. I'm sure he'll make a pretty penny, but it seems quite immoral to make money off of the desparity of suffering people. It's been done before though.