[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by The Squatter of Amon Rûdh

If my free thought leads me to think that Gandalf was lifted from The Dukes of Hazzard, my knowledge that The Hobbit was out decades before the T.V. series ought to tell me that I'm wrong.

You know, I really want to expound upon this now. I'll resist the urge though... things to do and all that. But--

If your free thought allows you to make associations between Gandalf and Uncle Jesse, surely the activity will teach you more about both characters. Nobody's saying that your conclusions have to be right or wrong, but it's like comparing sunlight to shadow: to say that they are the same is logically dead wrong, but to search for similarities teaches tolerance and allows you to learn more about each by delving more deeply into them.

Originally Posted by davem

I'm sure anyone could find anything they wanted in LotR - but that's not to say its actually in there.

I'm glad to see we have such a modest and brilliant expert on the matter of what meanings are allowed to be found within these texts. It would be such a sad waste of thought to be forced to seek out our own.

Originally Posted by davem

The point is Christian readers of LotR keep coming back to the 'Christian' themes of LotR, & I think that behind that there is a desire to claim Tolkien & LotR as 'one of us', that there are things in the Legendarium which have a special significance to them alone, & that therefore an extra dimension is added to the work which is only accessible to them.

I notice that I am one of your more vocal opponents in this argument. Have you decided that I am a Christian trying to serve my own purpose?

Originally Posted by davem

Plus, I enjoy the debate

You are certainly not the only one. There are few delights more delicious than to study what words a simple comment can draw from an opponent.