Split Personality?

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

Did not the free peoples army win the decisive battle seven years before? Did they not lay siege to the Barad-dur for the next seven years before dispatching Sauron? How is this on the verge of defeat? JRRT himself, writing in Of The Rings of Power in THE SILMARILLION says they had the victory and their siege was so powerful that if forced Sauron out from his fortress.

Oops. I guess you're right. That means that the Eldar allied with the Numenorean Faithful, were still strong enough at the end of the Second Age to defeat Sauron with the Ring, and Isildur threw away their chance. Wow. That really puts Isildur's foolishness in stark relief. No wonder the Valar sent the Istari, especially with the waning of the Eldar.

Originally Posted by STW

I have heard that standard explaination before and it seems to be part of the doctrine among the faithful. But it just rings hollow with me.

If you have evidence to prove Morwen's argument false, you'll have to do better than "rings hollow with me".

By the way, I've conceded a couple of points to you. You haven't conceded any, in spite of the clear explanations and examples I've given you, especially in regard to the objective, real distinction between secondary belief and willing suspension of disbelief. What it seems to come down to is that you're accusing the lot of us of "closed mindedness", which appears to be the pot calling the kettle black.