Thread: And Eru Smiled
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Old 07-28-2004, 09:24 AM   #17
Iarwain
Pugnaciously Primordial Paradox
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Birnham Wood
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I think I'll respond to Encaitare first, because your post struck me particularly. I disagree with the system you describe:
Quote:
I guess that Eru is neither good nor evil, he simply is everything... Good and evil need each other to survive, I think, because they play off and feed off of each other. No doubt Eru could destroy Morgoth or any other evil in a second, but he's wise enough to realize that this would throw off the balance that good and evil have, and this would basically wreak havoc on the world. (Encaitare)
But, as Son of Numenor described above, Eru is necessarily good, because good is judged according to the nature of Eru. Also, though you say you agree with me, your post says the opposite in that you think Tolkien's created existence (I'll abbreviate as TCE from now on) is subject to a form a dualism. This, according to my understanding, is not so. In order for it to be true, Melkor and Eru would have to be equals, or a higher being on "Melkor's side" (good and evil would no longer be objective, but subjective- both sides would be "right" according to their diety) would be needed who could and would contend with Eru. However, as TCE stands, Eru is supreme and he stands alone, leaving your statement about "the balance" as a sort of divine masochism. Evil by nature is a disruption in the balance. Eru is perfection (solely because he is Divine), and therefore evil (a rebellion against Eru's will) is utterly imperfect and it wreaks havoc on the world. An instant, forced elimination of evil by Eru would also, however, destroy some good.

This brings me to my "remnants of good." Evil (and Tolkien says this in the letters) can never be complete. The moment a being becomes totally evil is the moment that being ceases to exist, because it has separated itself from Eru, and as Eru is existence, it has also separated itself from existence itself (spiritual suicide). Therefore, it is necessary for all evil beings to have some good in them, otherwise they would not be in the first place. I don't know how else to explain... Hopefully you understand.


Good Day to All!
Iarwain
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