Response to Stacy B.
Derek McG.

I want to start by saying I agree with what Stacy B. said in "Natural Law, Middle Earth Style", but I would like to clarify something. When I said men had no inate power, I was refering to supernatural powers, or what we would call "magic". Due to the fact that they reproduce more rapidly than Elves (or any other race in Middle Earth) and their freedom to choose their own fate, I agree that men do have a great deal of inate power in a broader sense of the word. They had more power to effect the world, but I see no evidence they could conjure fire (as Gandalf did) or create objects of power (as the Elves did). The Numenoreans, however, seem to be an exception (for instance, Aragorn seems to have limited healing powers).