Joel,

I might be wrong but I guess our difference in this matter goes back to what we see as relevant or not. For you there seems to be hardly any difference between God and Jesus and those two are almost interchangeable. I think different about it and my point is that Jesus and the apostles also felt so. You actually seem to agree with this partly (not fully), however you feel there is support in the many christians over the centuries that have practised praying to Jesus. Besides I disagree with you that from the beginning in church history christians prayed to Jesus here is my question: how do you feel about praying to Mary, the ‘mother of God’? If she is the mother of God, which the church aproved, then why not pray to her? As you know this is not a theoretical question and from quite early centuries (not from the beginning, though) on until this day many christians pray to Mary. Does this make it right then? And to take Daniel’s comment into consideration; what if we started to pray to God as a Mother now? I mean the Bible says God is like a mother to us then why not address (HIm / Her) like that? there are actually quite a few christians around that have been practising this for probably almost half a century, hence it is right?
In my understanding praying to Jesus became the more common the more the trinity developed and the less differences were perceived by the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Only later christians also prayed to the Holy Spirit, because if the Spriti is God, then why then not pray to him? right?
Anyways. As for me I hold it with the Apostles and with Christ himself and pray to God. (except sometimes:)