Imagine no religion

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by skip spence

And thirdly, temples... Temples are always bad, aren't they? Why do you think this is?

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Quite, which is interesting. Various ideas come to mind, maybe just for now, one idea - since temple is often understood as the place of dwelling of a deity, but the deities are of course dwelling in quite well defined concrete places in Arda, then possibly the only thing a temple is good for is mischief. But that's just a very random idea, it would be interesting to think of that deeper. I would like to read some other suggestions myself...

I like Legate's answer to that. It's interesting that the only known example of a dedicated temple for worship in ME was the one erected under Sauron's influence in Númenor. As Sauron wished to be king and god of all in Middle-earth, and was in that temple during the Downfall, sitting on a 'black seat', the idea that the 'real' gods dwelt in the West and anything else was false, I think holds some weight.