Lord Melkor Rightful Master of the Fates of Arda

[davem]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

I think that actually, the answer to your question depends on whether there would be any people who would say, at the end of their life (or in some after-death state where they'd have the possibility to ponder all their life without momentary emotions), "this was not worth living at all". Or, if even those who suffered, would say "no, my life was good, although it was mostly suffering". This is probably unanswerable question.

Yes, but....

Eru puts them in that position without asking them, or giving them any choice at all in the matter. They may well, in the end, look back & be grateful for the 'good' they have known, even feel that the good so far outweighed the evil that they accept the evil as the necessary price. However, Eru did not get their consent before he created them. He placed them in a world where they would have to choose good or evil, & suffer either way. They are innocent & if they are deserving of anything at all they deserve to know good, not evil & pain - yet that is what they get: because Eru puts them in a situation where they will inevitably know suffering. Let's say that in the end they all say to Eru 'Thank you. It was worth the pain.' Does that absolve Eru absolutely for putting them in a place where they would suffer? Is not his creation of them, & his need for them to choose to sing his Music aright at least a little bit selfish? After all, they could not desire existence before they existed, so Eru made the choice for them, & that choice involved their suffering.