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Old 01-17-2007, 07:36 AM   #60
Legate of Amon Lanc
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Silmaril

Quote:
Originally Posted by hewhoarisesinmight
Yes there was children on the Akallabęth (spelt it right this time ) "and Numenor went down into the sea, with all its children and its wives and its maidens and its ladies proud" So Eru is a child killer and also do the Valar really need to kill every mariner who has the misfortune to accidently reach the undying lands?
I think I could've said many more, but now I am reacting just to this little post of yours. If we go back in time to the beginning, Eru creates Eä - he creates the whole world. I don't know if I didn't say it somewhere earlier, but aren't these drowned children (with small c) also his Children (with big C)? I am quite sure he didn't want them killed. But, there was probably not another solution at the moment.
The idea that even the children face the death as well as the parents reflects that the whole society is responsible. I think you'll agree with me that the parents, although they might have denied it to themselves, must have known - or if confronted with truth, they must've admitted, that by all the evil deeds they put a of punishment upon themselves. Why not, of course, this is their problem. You can do wrong, but you cannot be surprised that you have to face the consequences later then. If it's just your own life, no problem. But they could've thought on that they also might influence the life of those around themselves. I think we all agree on that parents take responsibility for their children as long as they are not grown up enough to take care of themselves, right? So, it was the parents' role to think of what would become of their children. They could've reared their children in a way of wrong deeds, for example teaching them that human sacrifice is o.k., fine, but the responsibility is theirs - they reared them (here comes, I think, the idea of passing on the sin of parents on the next generation - but not somehow "supernaturally", but just because the parents teach the children to behave that way). So, if I say it another way, the "cold-blooded murderer" is not Eru, but actually, these are their parents. I imagine that in some final Judgement, Eru says he's sorry for the children, but the parents are now shown any mercy, for they have the blood of their children on their hands, literally.

And to that mariner thing - I think you mean "some" mariners, not those who went with Ar-Pharazon, right? Then I'd say it was not possible for anyone to reach the Undying Lands: the Valinor was hidden, there were the Shadow islands and Shadow seas, and even Eärendil spent all his lifetime searching for the coast of Valinor and didn't find it, until Valar themselves allowed him. Only Elven ships were able to reach the coast, so no "accidental landings" could take place. The only others who ever landed there were Eärendil, maybe (but I doubt) Amandil, and Ar-Pharazon - all of them very special cases (old AP because he was just given what he wanted).
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