Until I saw this thread, it had never occurred to me that “Lord of the Rings” had any deep symbolic meaning. I regarded as a great story and perhaps one of the most intricate and complete mythologies to have been created—certainly by a single intelect. Consider that Tolkien not only created the characters and the plot, he also created more or less complete histories for all the various peoples, languages for each of the peoples and poetry in most of the invented languages.

The idea that Tolkien's work could be offensive to some religious viewpoint had never crossed my mind. It still seems incredible as I think about it now. But, as I try always to be ready to consider new viewpoints, I'm doing my best with this one.

I'm sure sorry to hear that Bombadil was deleted. I think his inclusion is necessary for a full understanding of the forces driving the characters and the nature of Middle Earth itself.

      - Mark