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Estel the Descender · 04-02-2002, 06:58 AM

Mellon Luinhir (Aosama),

I cannot help but agree with you except for one issue: Melkor/Morgoth is not analogous to Adam. While the Silmarillion Creation story deals with the marring of Arda, the book of Genesis delas with the fall of Mankind. If anything, Morgoth is the serpent/Satan. There are sufficient differences between the two Creation stories to show that both are dissimilar. The symbolism of trees is not confined to Christianity (note the sacred trees of Japan).

To be truthful, I have felt like you once upon a time. I was reluctant to read books that were not 'Christian'. That all changed after I was introduced to the Chronicles of Narnia and later to the Lord of the Rings. now I can enjoy books not written by Christians. Not that I don't have reservations about Harry Potter (I miss the 'Power corrupts. . .' thing). Like, how can an abused kid like Harry have all that power and not be in the least tempted like Feanor. Even Galadriel was most tempted. The difference between Tolkien/Lewis and the other fantasy books is that the former is in a sense 'realistic', i.e., not allegory. I know this is getting realy tiresome for those of you others, but that is what makes Tolkien special: his effort to make a world 'believable' and not 'fantastic', which is pretty strange given the genre of hyis work being classified as 'fantasy'.

. . . Well, you guys know what I mean (the relationship with the Bible, yada-yada. . .)
Anyway. . . I go. . .

The Descender

04-02-2002, 06:58 AM	#149
Estel the Descender Haunting Spirit Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 55	Mellon Luinhir (Aosama), I cannot help but agree with you except for one issue: Melkor/Morgoth is not analogous to Adam. While the Silmarillion Creation story deals with the marring of Arda, the book of Genesis delas with the fall of Mankind. If anything, Morgoth is the serpent/Satan. There are sufficient differences between the two Creation stories to show that both are dissimilar. The symbolism of trees is not confined to Christianity (note the sacred trees of Japan). To be truthful, I have felt like you once upon a time. I was reluctant to read books that were not 'Christian'. That all changed after I was introduced to the Chronicles of Narnia and later to the Lord of the Rings. now I can enjoy books not written by Christians. Not that I don't have reservations about Harry Potter (I miss the 'Power corrupts. . .' thing). Like, how can an abused kid like Harry have all that power and not be in the least tempted like Feanor. Even Galadriel was most tempted. The difference between Tolkien/Lewis and the other fantasy books is that the former is in a sense 'realistic', i.e., not allegory. I know this is getting realy tiresome for those of you others, but that is what makes Tolkien special: his effort to make a world 'believable' and not 'fantastic', which is pretty strange given the genre of hyis work being classified as 'fantasy'. . . . Well, you guys know what I mean (the relationship with the Bible, yada-yada. . .) Anyway. . . I go. . . The Descender __________________ Qui desiderat pacem, præparet bellum. E i anîra hîdh, tangado an auth.