[Raynor]

There is one other parallel I was pondering on lately: Mindolluin and the holy of holies. Both are approached by the priest alone (Tolkien reffered to Numenorean kings as being priests as well) and both contain a special manifestation of divinity (seeing that the white tree was linked through Nimloth, Celeborn and Galathilion to Telperion). Acknolwedging that this is not a temple, Tolkien states:

Originally Posted by Letter #156

It later appears that there had been a 'hallow' on Mindolluin, only approachable by the King, where he had anciently offered thanks and praise on behalf of his people; but it had been forgotten. It was re-entered by Aragorn, and there he found a sapling of the White Tree, and replanted it in the Court of the Fountain. It is to be presumed that with the reemergence of the lineal priest kings (of whom Luthien the Blessed Elf-maiden was a foremother) the worship of God would be renewed, and His Name (or title) be again more often heard.

Originally Posted by Lal

I can honestly say that Christian joy does not have the monopoly on this kind of emotion, and many non-Christians will agree.

There is a big difference between "everyday" joy, to which you seemed to have related to in your previous post, and this sort of joy. Secondly, I haven't argued that this is something unique to Christianity, but, together with other refferences, arguing against your statement that Tolkien didn't have a message.

Now we know that for some already it is Christian, and that's fine of course, but we've still not had any of the hard evidence promised early on.

Hard evidenced? Promised? By who? As far as I am concerned, this is still an open debate and I am looking forward to keep learning.

What I want to see is something which is unequivocally Christian symbolism which this is not.

I have this question for you: can you point to one instance where it has been argued that the identified possible parallel is uniquely particular to Christianity? The most that I personally asked is to refute the weight/significance of whatever parallels were presented, and/or to present other significant parallels in other systems of beliefes. Lal, if you can't answer this above question positively, then it seems to me that you made the longest non sequitur I witnessed on this site. As it has been argued my others and myself, there is little if anything in Christianity that is absolutely unique, so, to me, your repeated request/critique of this kind doesn't seem to be on point.