Eru letting Melkor go..

[doug*platypus]

I think that it's impossible for us to comprehend the mind of Eru, or if you like God. Yes, Melkor did bring a lot of evil into the world, but perhaps that was part of Ilúvatar's plan, for whatever reason. One or two people on this thread have painted a picture of a benevolent creator who only desires peace and well-being for all his creatures. Apparently this isn't the case. Whether it's because the creator just isn't that nice, or because of a higher purpose or a greater reason that we don't yet know about, we won't know until The End.

You may already have read it, but
this link has some BRILLIANT thoughts on the topic. Definitely worth reading at least once. Here's a gem from Mat Heathertoes found on the link:

He had to be the mightiest to be an adversary for the the other Valar. He had to have a share in all the others' gifts in order to undo or mar them and he had to turn to evil and order to accomplish both of the above. Eru works in mysterious ways.

[ January 05, 2003: Message edited by: doug*platypus ]