XPost: alt.books.cs-lewis, rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: joseph@nospam.com   
      
   "Stan Brown"   
   > I'd go further: Joseph's argument is essentially that the "big   
   > picture" gives contradictory answers from the "chapter and verse".   
   > That's ridiculous -- like saying that when you look at trees you see   
   > wood and leaves but getting high above the forest reveals it's   
   > actually made of marshmallows.   
      
   I didn't say that at all, but I can admire your obviously fertile   
   imagination.   
      
   You've evidently never heard a very famous analogy of examining the details   
   of an elephant. One who fixates on the trunk is convinced it's a garden   
   hose. One who fixates on it's rough-skinned feet thinks it's a tree, one who   
   fixates on it's tusk is convinced they're both wrong, it's a spear!   
      
   And the guy who steps back, looks at its entirety and says it's an   
   elephant - that guy's the fool!   
      
   :-)   
      
   Perfect.   
      
   - Joseph   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)