[the phantom]

Originally Posted by Eomer

Did Eru then create the Hobbits after monitoring Sauron's (not Melkor, but Sauron's) mentality and designs? That's certainly different from foresight.

Eru is not constrained by time, so when you say He made them "after" seeing Sauron's work that is not entirely accurate, as you could also say He made hobbits before and during. You can't really say when the idea for hobbits entered into Eru's head. All that we know is that He made them, and that is enough.

Even if hobbits were made specifically to counter Sauron, I don't think we can necessarily call it a reactionary creation when we consider that Eru is beyond the constraints of time and thus does not react to anything, in the sense that something has caught Him at unawares.

As to whether an individual, or individuals, from any other race could have accomplished what Frodo and Sam accomplished, well it is possible I suppose. But it's not the way that I read it. My sense is that no one else could (or would) in fact have succeeded in the task. And that is why it was appointed to Frodo (and so, by association, to Sam).

I agree with this for the most part. I believe that there were others that could have held out as long as Frodo did, and that perhaps had every necessary trait, but for whatever reason the Ring would not have been destroyed.

Think for a moment. What if Elrond had taken the Ring to Mordor and made it all the way to Mount Doom? Once there, he wouldn't have been able to destroy it, just like Frodo. No one could. The difference would have been Gollum. Gollum attacked Frodo and got the Ring from him and fell. If Gollum had attacked Elrond at the Cracks of Doom, Elrond would have grabbed him by the throat and flung his ugly mug halfway across the volcano, and thus the Ring is not destroyed.

As you can see, Elrond made it just as far, but the same result didn't happen. There are a bazillion factors that went into the destruction of the Ring. For instance, there were times when arrows were flying around, and perhaps if Frodo had been a bit taller (in other words, had been a man or elf) he would have gotten hit by one.

Now, that isn't to say Eru couldn't have engineered things for someone else to be successful. I'm sure He could have, but He chose to allow the perfect creature for the job to be a little halfling. Perhaps it was for His glory that he used what many would consider to be a weak instrument. I mean, if the greatest man/elf in the world had completed the mission all of the thanks and glory and such would've gone to him because it would be somewhat believable, but when a hobbit does it- you know there are larger forces at work. Perhaps that was what Eru's purpose was for using hobbits- showing his hand in the world?

Though I've never seen it before, I'm sure someone somewhere in the history of this site has expressed a similar opinion.

Originally Posted by Beth

And it is a prevalent aspect of folk culture in England to think of the English as the new chosen people.

Originally Posted by Sauce

I think that you're a little out of date there. We handed that particular belief over to the Americans some time ago now.

Yes, it was a noble deed, but unfortunately it rendered your country powerless to win Wimbledon ever since.