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Originally Posted by me
I still can't get past the Númenóreans, and their simple form of formalised "worship" with the Meneltarma ceremonies. Moreover, that form of worship seemed to be acceptable to Ilúvatar, while it lasted. Favour was shown to the Men of Númenor, and they lived under the protection of the Valar. After the Kings hardened their hearts and stopped the custom, things went downhill for Númenor very quickly.
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I find it neat the way topics here can sit at the back of one's mind dormant, only to resurface months, even years later when one reads the books again.
I had the thought that even though the Elves only pray to the Valar, as with the plea of Fingon to Manwë when trying to rescue Maedhros:
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'O King to whom all birds are dear, speed now this feathered shaft, and recall some pity for the Noldor in their time of need!'
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the Númenóreans prayed to
both the Valar (specifically Uinen the wife of Ossë)
and Eru Ilúvatar.
Prayers to Uinen were not on the same level as the ritualized worship of Eru though. I wonder if that was not due to specific design of the Valar. Perhaps they feared (as proved true) that Men would more easily fall under the sway of whatever 'angelic' beings that walked the earth (Sauron, and Balrogs?) and thus be led astray.
Formal worship of the One would hopefully serve to keep them focused as well on the afterlife that awaited them, instead of becoming obsessed with having more life within the world, bound to it, as the Valar and Elves were.
That is to say that it seems now that the singular worship of Eru by Númenor was tied into both their greatness among mortals, which allowed them something of a taste of Eldar life, with its accompanying potential for envy, and their inherent remaining mortality, which did not allow them the luxury of holding fast to the world.