The Sin of Elves

[Elendur]

Regarding your question:

Another thing, too. (Now's the last chance to run away screaming, folks.) The Valar went to war against Morgoth to protect the Elves. Why, then, did they only have an indirect influence on the War of the Ring? Did they like Elves better, and since they were leaving, did not care of the fate of everyone else?

They cared alot. But there were reasons they didn't directly go and defeat Sauron, which they could have done. I think you should read this thread.
http://forum.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin...c&f=1&t=001226

There was another VERY good thread on this subject, but I cant find it even after looking for a half hour. If someone else can find it, please post it here.

The main reasons of the thread were:

Using direct power and clashing with Sauron would have caused major damage to Middle Earth. Remember when the Valar came and fought Sauron. What use to be a huge amount of land is now under the sea, and there are mountains where there were none before. That gives you an idea of the destruction that can be done. Im sure the Valar didn't want Gondor to be an underwater city.

And also, the people of middle earth would have learned nothing by just having the Valar do the work for them. To defeat Sauron, all the races of Middle Earth had to work together, with the Istari leading them in this goal. That is the reason the Istari were sent to Middle Earth: To lead everyone to work together and do that task that needed to be done and learn something from it.

I did not explain this as well as it was explained in the other thread. I may be leaving some big gaps and I would hate to misinform anyone. So put more input into this.