Does Eru care?

[Pervinca Took]

Tolkien said that Sauron "was only less evil than his master in that [at first/for many years? - can't remember the exact wording] he served another and not himself." They were equally evil, but Melkor was a much more powerful being - the most powerful of the Ainur - whereas Sauron was of the Maiar, a less powerful angelic being. Gandalf, too, was a Maia.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Pervinca Took

Tolkien said that Sauron "was only less evil than his master in that [at first/for many years? - can't remember the exact wording] he served another and not himself." They were equally evil, but Melkor was a much more powerful being - the most powerful of the Ainur - whereas Sauron was of the Maiar, a less powerful angelic being. Gandalf, too, was a Maia.

Agreed. To put it another way, Sauron was less evil because he was corrupted by an outside influence. Melkor was self-corrupted: the Prime Evil of Tolkien's Arda, and the visible source of all that blighted it.

[Lotrelf]

Yes, Tolkien says something like 'Souron was less evil than Melkor as long as he was serving someone else.' Did Souron's being a Maia affect his evil nature too? That is, he was less powerful (or evil) because he was a Maia.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Lotrelf

Yes, Tolkien says something like 'Souron was less evil than Melkor as long as he was serving someone else.' Did Souron's being a Maia affect his evil nature too? That is, he was less powerful (or evil) because he was a Maia.

Being a lower-degree spirit compared to Melkor, Sauron had less power to effect evil, but I do not think it had any effect on the nature of his fall. Or maybe, due to his having apparently a fairly high "rank" in relation to his position in the angelic hierarchy, he may have been more susceptible to Melkor's influence than say, a spirit of less innate power.