Science AND Faith in Middle-earth

[HerenIstarion]

it isn't something purely emotional - it must have a spiritual dimension

Total agreement again

I fear you did not follow me, or I failed to bring it across. I did not argue that miracles are not miracles. I was trying to say that miracles can be explained in a cientific way, as they follow the pattern the world itself follows. And it is not surprising – source of miracles and the world being the same. To use a crude analogy, BW is a creator of this site. In creating it, he used some scripts or whatever, to make it look like it does. Now, if he wishes to add something, he ‘directly intervenes’ using similar scripts he used when he was creating the site in the first place, and lo! We have something new which was never there before, and call it a miracle. But the patter BW followed is similar in both cases.

Spiritual dimension, whatever that may be, allows the viewer to appreciate miracle as miracles. Suppose someone on Elendil's ship were 'unbeliever' and meteorologist. Said someone would have epxlained drowning of the isle by tides, moon, earthquake etc. And the neat thing is, such a miraculous event could have been explained in that way too!

As for science and magic, I put them on the same shelf for the sameness of their goals - both seek to manipulate the world. And they can be mistaken for each other by ignorant. Per instance I don't know how my monitor works, I can say it is science, but it would not change my ignorance or the efficiency of its working processes if I label the principle behind its operation magic.

The difference is in using ‘naked’ technology by Sauron as opposed to Galadriel, who combines it with Estel – the principle I would call a religion of ME, and with readiness to give up power which science/magic gave her, “diminish and remain Galadriel”