[Tar-Telperien]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

You happen to hit an interesting thing here. How comes that the Elves were suited to live longer (well, infinitely) in the world, but in the end, they all departed? Something strange here. "Diminish and depart."

Well, what I was actually getting at is something that seems to be the "fundamental horrifying mystery of Ilúvatar's creatures". Why would Eru give the race that is least strong and understanding the tasks of healing and inheriting the Earth, and eventually singing the Second Music? Is not the race of Men utterly unqualified for such a thing, by being so weak, gullible, and quick to self-deception? This is one of the most disturbing ideas in the whole Legendarium to me. Why entrust something so deep, so important, so great with such a "foolish and wicked" race?

Here's a collection of quotes to bring this issue more fully into focus (sorry, hewhoarisesinmight, for derailing one of your threads once more):

Originally Posted by Finrod, in the Athrabeth

This, then, I propound, was the errand of Men, not the followers, but the heirs and fulfillers of all: to heal the Marring of Arda, already foreshadowed before their devising; and to do more, as agents of the magnificence of Eru: to enlarge the Music and surpass the Vision of the World! ... I was thinking that by the Second Children we [the Elves] might have been delivered from death.... I beheld as a vision Arda Remade; and there the Eldar completed but not ended could abide in the present for ever, and there walk, maybe, with the Children of Men, their deliverers...

Originally Posted by Andreth

What then is to be done now? For we speak as if these things are, or as if they will assuredly be. But Men have been diminished and their power is taken away. We look for no Arda Remade: darkness lies before us, into which we stare in vain. If by our aid your everlasting mansions were to be prepared, they will not be builded now.

Originally Posted by Tolkien, in the Commentary to the Athrabeth

[Finrod]... has a vision of Men as the agents of the 'unmarring' of Arda, not merely undoing the marring or evil brought by Melkor, but by producing a third thing, 'Arda Re-made'... Andreth then says that in that case the disaster to Men was appalling; for this re-making (if indeed it was the proper functioning of Men) cannot now be achieved. Finrod evidently remains in the hope that it will be achieved, though he does not say how that could be. He now sees, however, that the power of Melkor was greater than had been understood... if he had been able to change Men, and so destroy the plan.

But the power of Melkor over material things was plainly vast.... It was for this reason, no doubt, that he had been totally successful with Men.... His power was wielded over matter, and through it. But by nature the fëar of Men were in much less strong control of their hröar than was the case with the Elves.

If Finrod's reading of the situation was correct, then Men completely failed in their point of being. And yet how could they do otherwise? They were made weaker from their very beginning. Yet again we are shown why estel is "a fool's hope": Eru seems to give the most grave tasks to those who have the least ability to fulfill them! In this we see a concept that is quite foreign to Christianity: namely that the hopes of other races and the wellbeing of Creation as a whole was depending on Men to do their utmost to help. When Men failed, others suffered.

Oh, and as for the Elves diminishing, Tolkien answered that in his Commentary, as well:

Originally Posted by From Author's Note 7 to the Athrabeth Commentary

The 'waning' of Elvish hröar must therefore be part of the History of Arda as envisaged by Eru, and the mode in which the Elves were to make way for the Dominion of Men. The Elves find their supercession by Men a mystery, and a cause of grief; for they say that Men, at least so largely governed as they are by the evil of Melkor, have less and less love for Arda in itself, and are largely busy destroying it in the attempt to dominate it.

(This last part is bolded because it also fits in with the point I was trying to make with the other quotes above, namely, the inherent inadequacy of Men in the face of the crushing gravity of their responsibility.)