[drigel]

What does what Gandalf may or may not know about the will of Eru (and I think it rather presumptuous to assume what Gandalf "knew." He may have been limited but he always "knew" more than he told.) have to do with the nature of the Ring?

The point being that whats being bestowed upon the ring. But your point is taken - I suppose the difference being the nature of evil and the nature of the ring. I cant clearly delineate one from the other to make sense to the universe... arrrghh

I'm afraid this makes no sense. You sound like you are making an argument in favor of sentience, that the Ring is trying to pick its spots.

Sorry - your quite right My intention was to carry the thesis of sentient ring further along. Were there not plenty of times it could have slipped off his finger, to be found by a wood elf, dwarf or orc? Couldnt the damage (or evils cause) been greater in their hands, rather than a hobbit? Or, was it riding along w/Bilbo to see what mis-adventures they could have together? Just doesnt make sense to me. In other words, if that is possible for the ring, why waste time and just pop off the finger immediately, rejecting the bearer? My proposal being that mabye artifacts made by the devil (or his minions) werent meant for goodly people. I call upon a higher level of Power, beyond Sauron or his products for the effect that you credit the ring on I suppose.

The Ring can attempt to abandon a bearer, but it has very limited physical tools to accomplish this.

My point exactly is that the ring is nothing without a bearer, with the exeption of Sauron of course.

Id rep Lath, Lal and Kuru if I could btw. you guys are great! so much more than meets they eye with you guys...
thinking.....
late edit:
One thing i will attribute to the ring. The ring is wholly evil. Evil is a part of our world. Our world is part of nature. Nature abhors a vacume. The evilness of the rings nature would cause the ring to seem to seek bearers. Other than that, I cant see of the other stuff.