Ilúvatar good & evil

[brownjenkins]

Originally posted by Valandil
As far as evil - and whether or not Eru created evil by creating Melkor - I would say, as others have a bit, that Tolkien was following principles of Judeo-Christian thought, wherein the Creator made other beings whom He granted 'free will' - and that they were even given lattitude within that 'free will' to do what was wrong, if they so chose.

interesting... however, does eru (like a father) have any responsibility for how his child (melkor) exercises that "free will"?

is upbringing, or possibly the lack of, a factor at all?