Yeah, free will rather screws with both the idea of intercessory prayer and a divine plan. Which are also contradictory of each other - surely intercessory prayer is just asking for an “opt out” of the divine plan (which is the best of all possible outcomes, even if you can’t see it yet). But if there really were a divine plan that encompasses all of creation, all intercessory prayer should be met with either two responses: “No” or “Sure, I was going to do that anyways.” But people want to feel like they have control over the uncontrollable things that happen, and feel comforted when those uncontrollable things turn out to be bad. Which leaves us with the belief system of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson who believes that God remote controls murderers into mass-murdering to make a point to feminists and civil rights activists.
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