Imagine no religion

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by skip spence

In Middle Earth, apparently, there are no clerics and there are no holy books. There are some instances and suggestions of deities or demi-deities communicating directly with people or characters, but these are exceptions surely. Who then is to decide what is right or wrong? The people are rather left to decide among themselves, aren't they?

I think, in Tolkien's M.E., it depends on whether the question is asking:

• Do people get to establish the standards of good/evel by their own choices (ie, if I decide it's right, then it is)? <or>
• Do people get to decide what they will do - hoping they are making the right decision (ie, even if I make my best guess, I may still be doing evil)?

Eomer asked Aragorn at one time (rough quote) "How shall a man decide what is right to do?" And Aragorn responded, "As he ever has, Good and Evil do not change from one time to another, nor are they one thing among elves and another among men."

I think that, IN TOLKIEN'S CREATION, any discussion of good and evil begins with Eru and his "Mighty Theme" (cf Music of the Ainur). That which followed the Theme is good and that which goes off on it's own is evil. For creatures to decide, ages later, what specific deeds are good & evil is sometimes hard (like, should Eomer give horses to Aragorn in violation of his king's commands) - but at no time, IMO, does the individual get to choose what the standard of Good is, only whether to take actions that BELIEVE are good (or evil).