[Legolas]

I'm saying that the extreme potency of his spirit and his unmatched passion allowed his heart (which was good) to choose whatever course of action would have the best results.

That doesn't seem to be the case.

Does it seem ridiculous to anyone else that the Valar weren't "hindering" the Noldor's march, yet they knew good and well that there wasn't any known way to leave (except by the ships of the Teleri, which they had under their thumb)?

No, it doesn't seem ridiculous. There was a way to leave Aman and go to Middle-earth. Did you completely skip the bit where Fingolfin's company marched across Helcaraxë?

The prevention of the Kin-Slaying was not in the Valar's power to stop - they were not to intervene so directly, especially in matters not directly related to them (as none of their kind were involved, like the situations with Morgoth and Sauron).

And since the elves had to be taken across the sea to Valinor with the aid of the Valar, the Valar should've provided some means of returning to ME.

So if a taxi takes you downtown, it's his place to make sure you have transportation later? The Noldor weren't required to come to Valinor...they came of their own free will (and left it the same way). Whether or not the journey there was aided, the Valar had no obligation to take them back.

What should've happened?

Feanor's Noldor "should" have built their own ships, or marched on like Fingolfin's Noldor did, or stayed in Valinor. Anything that didn't bring death on innocent bystanders.

Should the inflamed Noldor who had lost their king and treasure and were setting out with the righteous intention to battle Morgoth be expected to act differently?

You could expect them to act "righteously" if they are on such a righteous task. Or maybe just "rationally." That would've worked.

Plus Morgoth would've overrun the world if they wouldn't have returned.

Obviously not. Eru's will would be done in the end no matter what. We have no basis to say what would've happened if the Noldor hadn't have gone back to Middle-earth. Morgoth would've been defeated one way or another. Probably not as soon as Feanor or the Noldor would've liked, but that's the way it goes.

You're fooling yourself. You can say "The Valar didn't stop the Noldor from killing the Teleri." You cannot say "It is the Valar's fault that the Noldor killed the Teleri."

It's not the Valar's fault that Feanor killed people.

[ July 05, 2003: Message edited by: Legolas ]