Why did Iluvatar/Eru give Men mortality?

[Knight of Gondor]

Well, forgive me for taking this back a little to philosphey of today, but Tolkien was Christian, so he incorporated a lot of theological aspects to this sort of thing.

Eru gave Man free will, or as the Book of Lost Tales 1 put it, the power to make music of his own devices, though it be contrary to that of Eru's. I don't think He "favored" men over Elves. Some men coveted the gift of immortality, but it appears that the "gift" of men which was mortality was better, somehow.

I guess, in a roundabout way, I don't KNOW why he gave men mortality! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] But whatever the reason, it's the same reason God gave US mortality. (Just thank Him that in our Mortal span, we were permitted to see the LotR trilogy!)