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I can't help wondering whether a Muslim reader would have much of a problem with Eru - quite possibly seeing in 'Him' a certain 'applicability' with Allah. Perhaps the only problem they would encounter would be with the possibility of Eru's incarnation prophesied in the Athrabeth. I don't think a Hindu would have difficulty even with that.
Even an athiest, if they weren't too 'militant' could accept Eru within Middle earth, because Eru is a given within that world. There are some 'blatant' Christian references for those with eyes to see - the Fellowship setting off from Rivendell on Dec 25th, the Dark Tower falling on March 25th, but it is not necessary to know that those dates have primary world references to appreciate the story. Even when such symbolism is present it can be ignored or missed even by Christian readers.
If Tolkien's readers share any belief or worldview I suspect it is along the lines of what Lewis referred to as 'natural law' - something he finds in all religions (even pre-Christian ones). As Tolkien stated, the 'religion' has been absorbed into the story. By that 'absorption' it becomes something different. Originally, as John Garth has shown, the orcs of the mythology were closely associated with the Germans of WW1.
Applicability is all we can expect because of the absorption of the religious dimension into the story - it is not present in its primary world form. But even then the process will be different in each case - I may apply the account of the Dead Marshes to Tolkien's WW1 experiences, but my 'application' will be 'accademic', because I never experienced seeing dead soldiers rotting in the foxholes of nomansland, whereas for Tolkien or another verteran, it would be much more visceral. My 'application' would be optional, the veteran's would quite possibly be overwhelming & unavoidable. Yet other readers would not make such a connection at all. For them the Dead Marshes would simply be what they are stated to be in the book. Whose experience of reading the book would be 'better' or 'deeper'? Impossible to answer, though I would say that the latter's reading would be 'purer' because it would be an experience onlyof the secondary world. Such a reader, I would say, would be more likely to be 'enchanted' - because rather than having to leave their 'baggage' at the door, they would have no baggage at all.
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