Beware that baker in the kitchen!: Your conclusion Michael is perfect.

» Adanmel - Your conclusion Michael is perfect.

You identify some of the theological points that Tolkien identified and bring in the notion of Christian thought which while not openly apparent in Middle Earth is very much at the root level of Tolkien's creations due to the fact that he was a practicing Catholic. Orc's would have free will because the premise of Tolkien's creation was to create a mythology of our earth's past. Illuvatar is God, the Valar are the Angelic spirits and the Elves very much like saints. I can envision orcs in the fourth age wishing to live their own lives, some refusing the call of other 'saurons' or servants of Melkor and choosing to find their own destiny. They have a hard road ahead of them and three ages of bad press to work againsnt.

-- posted by Adanmel