Thread: Is Eru God?
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Old 11-16-2005, 04:30 PM   #29
Gurthang
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lalwendė
Why not? Tolkien himself created the conceit that the works were translations from other works. So how do we know whether we are reading the view of the translator or the original writer? And how do we know that the original writer was correct in their view of Eru? Arguably we are only seeing the views of the Elves (and they were a huge influence on the Hobbit writers), and how do they know the 'truth' about Eru any more than anyone else in Arda? It reminds me of how school history books in different eras or different countries can address the same 'facts' in different ways. It's all about primary and secondary sources and to what extent they are trusworthy.
I think you misunderstood. The point I would disagree with you on has to do with Absolute Truth and our knowledge of God through the Bible. Seeing as these are more a religious debate than a Tolkien discussion, I chose to not start down that tangent.

But I do agree with you that each writer's point of view is different, and therefore we cannot wholy point to who Eru exactly was.
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