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Old 05-09-2011, 08:21 AM   #49
Findegil
King's Writer
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,694
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What we hear about the fall of Men, is scanty evidence to rule on that basis. But at least for the three kindered of the western Men, that in Beleriand became the Houses of Beor, Hador and Haleth and for all the kindered of the Easterlings and Southerners that we see in three ages of Middle-earth, it is clear that their ancestors had been part of that fall of Men in the very begining of the history of menkind. That means they took Melkor to be their creator, identyfied Erus voice with the voide and refused to listen. They hunted down and killed in cruel ways others that repented from that blasphemy, before (in part) they themself repented and became hunted.
Not so sure we might be about Hobbits and Drūg. But at least I can argue that non of these seems to hear the voice any longer, so that most proberbly, their early ancestors had also part in that fall of men.

Now for the Elves things were very diffrent: As a group only one part of one of the branches fell (the Exiled Noldor by leaving Aman and not seek forgiveness for the kinslaying at Aqualonde). Also the sins comitted by the Noldor seem to be less heavy: They never dinied the existence of Eru nor tried to kill every body of their own kind that was not of the same oppion.

But I wouldn't say that it took "an effort of will for Men to be good", or that by the fall men were "predisposed to evil from birth". Even so I agree that the Original Sin had left its mark on men. I would rather say that, men were "particularly susceptible to the temptations of evil". Which is diffrent think, since it needs the temptation and the tempter. (Mark also that I used past tense here. Since Tolkien was a devoted Christian, the healing of Mens Original Sin came with the passion of Christ which for him was part of the future of Middle-Earth, and part of our past.)

Respectfuly
Findegil
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