Now on to my spiel about the religion aspect of Middle-earth. I think a word we can tie into this would be
fate.
Fate, deals with your path, your future, your end, has already been decided. The clearest example of fate that I can come up with is
Romeo and Juliet, where Romeo whines about how the gods have it in for him. Some quick examples of Fate in middle-earth.
The Istari-Radagast, chosen by Yavanna, falls in love with nature, birds in particular. Saruman-Aule, becomes greedy, lustful for power (Same with Sauron, dwarves, and Noldor, but they aren't Istari, lol). Gandalf, it's interesting that he really isn't most like any Valar, maybe most like Manwe. So, it's just interesting how Tolkien states Gandalf is the only Istari to complete his "task." The Istari are just some quick examples of fate.
Another example is the Mirror of Galadriel. It shows your "fate," or what may very well be your "fate," (Or it will show your past and present). Anyway, point is Galadriel makes a quote, seeming as if one can step out of their "fate," they can step away from the "path" that has already been chosen for them.
Mirror of Galadriel
Quote:
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"You (Sam) cannot go home alone," said the Lady. "You did not wish to go home without your master before you looked in the Mirror, and yet you knew that evil things might well be happening in the Shire. Remember that the Mirror shows many things, and not all have yet come to pass. Some never come to be, unless those that behold the visions turn aside from their path to prevent them. The Mirror is dangerous as a guide of deed."
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Galadriel warns us of the danger of knowing what might happen in the future. But she also makes the statement
Some never come to be, unless those that behold the visions turn aside from their path to prevent them. It's as if, if you turn away from your "fate" your "path," to prevent what "might happen in the future," then that will happen. Sam's path is to travel with Frodo, now that he see's what "could" happen, he wants to go back to the Shire, he wants to turn aside from his path. Galadriel warns if he does to prevent what "could" happen then it will happen. The Shire indeed does become corrupt, but who knows, it could have been worse if Sam turned away to head back to the Shire at this point, Or it may not be, the danger of the Mirror is revealed. It benefits us to know our "fate," our "future," but there's also a risk in it as well.