If the ringbearer died

[Birdland]

“Frodo had done what he could and spent himself completely (as an instrument of Providence)..."…(Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, p. 326).

Well, there you have it, from the mouth of Mr. Canon himself: Tolkien considered Frodo the Hobbit to be an instrument of a deity.

And since Frodo didn't just drop out of the sky, nor was born full blown on the half-shell, that means, in my own humble opinion, that even indirectly, the very creation of the sub-race of Hobbits may have been part of Eru's plan as well. After all, you can't have Frodo the Hobbit without Hobbits in general.

Tolkien's "made-up" theology in LoTR and the Silm is messy and contradictory, as are most religions. And in the end it is all based on speculation.

While it may be heartening to think of God Almighty intervening in the mortal world, it just didn't happen very often...

Burrahobbit - Boy, talk about speculation! How would you know? God Almighty let you take a peek at his Holy Palm Pilot or something?

Mho - I fail to see what relevance posting a link to an atheism web site has towards a discussion of Tolkien and his mythology. What are you trying to do: prove Eru is Dead?

Lastly, I am not here to argue about anyone's belief systems (and yes, even atheists have a belief system). My opinion on the subject of Hobbits being specifically created as an instrument of Tolkien's deity is solely my own, based on my own reading of Tolkien's books and my own opinions on the workings of "destiny".

And returning to the original question: No. Nobody could have replaced Frodo as the Ringbearer.