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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dausuul" data-source="post: 8814342" data-attributes="member: 58197">The fall of Numenor certainly strains the idea. Dig deep enough in Tolkien and you run into all the problems of theodicy.That said, Tolkien still tried to stick with the theme. Eru does not kill Ar-Pharazon with a lightning bolt or stop the Great Armament from reaching Aman. He allows the Numenoreans the chance to change their minds, even at the very last moment, when "Ar-Pharazon wavered at the end, and almost he turned back." Warnings are sent to Numenor, but they stop short of direct coercion; Eru will hint that this is a bad idea but he won't state it outright, nor will he simply destroy Sauron (who is aware of this and takes advantage of it by "defying the lightning").If people think all this seems like sophistry to cover up an obvious case of Eru enforcing his will as brutally as Sauron ever did... well, yeah, I can't argue with that. "Obey this arbitrary-seeming restriction or I will smash your nation into the sea, only I won't ever straight-up tell you that until I do it" is not exactly a ringing endorsement for free will. The real reason for the fall of Numenor was that Tolkien was fascinated by the flood legend and had nightmares of being swept away by a great dark wave. Even so, he did his best to wedge it into his theology and make it fit.</blockquote>