[Raynor]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

By saying this you seem to be implying that there is no need to resolve contradictions.

Pretty much, yes. The main purpose of his effort at synchronizing seems to be directed at easing the acceptance of his work by the modern readers.

If so, there is no debate, period. Any assertion may be made, and no one can contradict it on any evidence whatsoever.

I don't see how accepting Tolkien's writings as ultimate evidence concerning his imagined world implies that any assertion is valid.

If you imply above that which I have inferred, my so-called contradiction doesn't matter. If not, then you are hoist with your own pitard, for I was arguing from your assertion that there have been no mythological incarnations of evil since Sauron; if we accept the evidence of the worldwide mythologies, there indeed were.

I can understand half of that at most. Anyway, it was not my asertion that there weren't any more mythological incarnations of evil, it was a quote from Tolkien's writings. I am not sure where you are heading, it seemed to me that we accept comparisons between primary and secondary reality only as long as there is no contradiction to Tolkien's works.

What precisely are those accepting who hold to this view?

That all those stories manifest themselves on the realm of ideas & symbols, or on a myriad subtle, parallel planes of creation. Nevermind, I am allowed a wild speculation once in a while; you can safely ignore this line of my argument.

An assertion that humans have evolved morally is, sad to say, "gobtwiddle".

Thanks. Another English world unknown to the dictionaries I have access to .

The 20th century was a span of one hundred years in which the largest number of humans died unjustly at the hands of others, through war and genocide:

I believe I have made it clear in my argument that I am not referring to those who are in power. Aule said that the greatest are the most potent also for evil; unfortunately, for us it translates into power corrupts, etc. I was primarily referring to citizens from at least the "civilized" countries, where discrimination is at least frowned upon, death sentence is outlawed, torture is not seen as an everyday tool in gathering information, so on and so forth (I know, there is a notable exception). When dealing with the human powers-that-be, they still hold a virtual monopoly on violence. But even in such conditions, we do see organizing and action against injustices at home and abroad, and I certainly doubt that despair is at the foundation of these actions; quite the contrary, it is hope in victory that motivates.

But the questions being posed here, absent any sureties that we may hold as His followers, can only be answered with despair. It is only logical.

Ultimately, yes: absent faith, despair is surely the outcome, at least in Ea

Originally Posted by On the severance of marriage, Later Quenta Silmarillion, HoME X

...trust in Eru the Lord everlasting, that he is good, and that his works shall all end in good. This the Marrer hath denied, and in this denial is the root of evil, and its end is in despair.

Originally Posted by Author's note #7, Athrabeth

By the holiness of good men - their direct attachment to Eru, before and above all Eru's works - the Elves may be delivered from the last of their griefs: sadness; the sadness that must come even from the unselfish love of anything less than Eru.