Perhaps there needs to be a reminder that there is no need for passive-aggressive inflammatory language towards groups of people, and certainly no need to be calling people idiots. There seems to be a new inclination on here to rudely resort to rhetoric and ad hominen attacks in the effort of winning a debate. It's a discussion forum, welcoming a variety of ages, background, beliefs...etc, just please keep that in mind.
As far as this thread, if I may
Draugohtar, get the points you have been trying to bring up. I for one get annoyed at commentators who insist in a hardline Christian/Catholic reading of what Tolkien "must have said/meant." However, I also get annoyed at the opposite in commentators who insist in a firm denial of no religious worldview exists in Tolkien's writing. Or put more simply by
G55's post, if someone wants to read a Christian book, read the Bible. If you want to read a Tolkien book, read Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit...etc. If it contains Christian elements you'll have to deal with that in whatever way fits you, but can you really deny it exists? If it doesn't contain Christian beliefs, you'll have to deal with that too.
Now, from what I understand of Catholic belief is there is Truth, which is sort of a universtal truth, it can be known and found, acknowledged as Truth exists. Universal truths go beyond Catholicism, in the sense it exists in all manners of religion and faith...such as loyalty, courage, humility, perserverence...and many more. These are all virtues, for the fact these get universally accepted as Truth. These need to be separated from specific Catholic/Christian/Insert any religious beliefs that only apply to the specific religion. And in Christian teaching, what is good, then is good.
What I mean here is, there are virtues, these are good...truths that exists. However, simply because Evil can use these virtues, does not change the nature and fact of virtues being good. I find that this fits very well with at least The Lord of the Rings. If we look at what Tolkien says about Sauron:
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He [Sauron] still had the relics of positive purposes, that descended from the good of the nature in which he began: it had been his virtue (and therefore also the cause of his fall, and of his relapse) that he loved order and co- ordination, and disliked all confusion and wasteful friction.~Home X: Morgoth's Ring, Myth's Transformed (Text VII)
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Sauron maintained "relics of positive purposes," he used the virtues order and co-ordination to effect his purposes. This does not change the nature of these virtues, they are still good, or else they wouldn't be virtuous. However, this also means that simply because Sauron uses good virtues for his own purposes, does not change the fact of his "fall from grace," his fall into becoming the story's big bad evil. Or we see Tolkien's comments about Gollum's possible redemption in Mount Doom.
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Into the ultimate judgement upon Gollum I would not care to enquire. This would be to investigate "Goddes privitee," as the Medievals said. Gollum was pitiable, but he ended in persistent wickedness, and the fact that this worked good was no credit to him. His marvellous courage and endurance, as great as Frodo and Sam's or greater, being devoted to evil was portentous, but not honourable. I am afraid, whatever our beliefs, we have to face the fact that there are persons who yield to temptation, reject their chances of nobility or salvation, and appear to be 'damnable'. Their 'damnability' is not measurable in the terms of the macrocosm (where it may work good). But we who are all 'in the same boat' must not usurp the Judge.~Letter 181
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Again pointing out the virtues of courage and endurance, but Tolkien makes it very clear (at least in his personal opinion) Gollum's actions may have led to good in the destruction of the Ring, however his intentions were entirely selfish and with the purpose of malice and evil. Good coming out from Gollum's evil, does not make Gollum redeemed (again in Tolkien's opinion). What this means about Tolkien and Christianity, his writing...etc I don't know enough about specific Catholic, or religious teachings to comment on.