Gollum and Eagles: Deux ex machina?

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by davem

Only if the Universe is a 'machine', rather than a living process.

It's an unfortunate expression. "God in the Machine." I suppose it probably originated during the enlightenment era? That would explain the reductionistic turn of the phrase. Of course I think it's much more organic than that. After all, the Universe itself resides in the Mind of God, remember? So if anything, it's more like "Homosapiens ex Deum".... or something like that.....

So basically, what you're saying, alatar, is that the Eagles are one of the races that make up the Free Peoples. If so, I agree.

Originally Posted by alatar

By definition, a miracle should have such a low probability of occurance that you can only shug your shoulders and say, "I have no explanation as the event is contrary to every other thing that I observe."

I would put it a different way. Be definition, a miracle must operate in such a way as to function outside the parameters of natural law. Such as a malignant tumor in the brain, scanned and documented one day, is not there at all a week later. Or a blind man receiving back sight by means of spit and dirt rubbed in his eyes.

But I agree with you in regard to the Eagles not functioning as "miraculous", by either definition.