Friendship between 👁️Sauron and Morgoth?

[EL GALLO]

When Sauron corrupted the Numenoreans, why did he make them to "pray" to Melkor? Was Sauron still loyal to him although he had been defeated?

 

[Melko Belcha]

Letters #131

He (Sauron) denies the existence of God, saying that the One is a mere invention of the jealous Valar of the West, the oracle of their own wishes. The chief of the gods is he that dwells in the Void, who will conquer in the end, and in the void make endless realms for his servants.

The Numenoreans must have still know about the War of Wrath between the Valar and Melkor, but throughout time the true reasons for the war might have been deluded by Man's own imagination. Sauron preached to them that Melkor was the true God and Iluvatar was only an invention of the Valar to help them control the lesser races. He tried to make everything that the Elves and the Valar taught to Men was only a lie, that the war that happened in the First Age was because of the Elves and not Melkor, and that Numenor was only made for Men because of the fear the Valar had for the every growing strength of Men.

Sorry if I got confusing, but I'm trying to go off memory of the different versions of The Fall of Numenor. Alot of the stuff wasn't rejected, but just didn't make it into the final Akallabeth.

 

[Inderjit S]

Sauron was not a sincere ‘atheist’ but he preached atheism, because it weakened resistance to himself (and he ceased to fear god action upon Arda) As was seen in the case of ar-Pharazon But there was seen the effect of Melkor upon Sauron: he spoke of Melkor in Melkor’s own terms, as a god, or even as god…

Myths Transformed

So Sauron underestimated the power of eru/the Valar and over-estimated his masters. He also belived he would come back as powerful as ever in the Dagor Dagorath.