Lord Melkor Rightful Master of the Fates of Arda

[davem]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Moving to the line of speculation, however, we might assume that, Eru being omniscient, he might know that all the beings will finally thank him and will reply that they wanted to exist. This is only a speculation, though, but it occured to me as one possibility of a solution. Otherwise, as I said above, the question is probably still unsolvable because of the paradox - if we don't happen to think of anything else.

Of course - all such speculations are.... Can God create a rock that is too heavy for him to move? etc. But what interests me is what it says about Eru & what Tolkien is saying about him here. Eru creates a world that is already flawed by Melkor's disonance & introduces the Children into it. Even if he knew that they would thank him in the end does that make it ok to do it? And even if it does, & even if it is the only way to achieve his perfect end he is still responsible for their suffering in that if he hadn't created them they would not have suffered. They suffer, but he does not. Unless, of course, his entry into Arda (cf Athrabeth) means that he too suffers as they do.