tried and erred

"As to the WOLF conversation coming to a close (because you basically said “I don’t care how you respond to everything I wrote because you will be wrong”),"

If I did, then I apologize. I'm trying to balance wanting to respond and not wanting to lose another day's thought to WoWS.

"I think the film, as well as countless others, is forcing you to compromise something within your conscience. I wouldn’t be a good friend if I tried to twist your arm in order to change your mind."

That's just it, though. Consciences aren't sacred. They can be badly malformed. Someone's "conscience" can tell him that holding live dogs over a roast pit is fine entertainment. That man's conscience is wrong. 

So if you think I'm wrong in anything, you should try to change me. I admit that that is my goal in all of these posts. I want to understand where you're coming from but I'm also convinced that you're wrong this time. I want you to change. Though of course I'll still respect you if you remain stubbornly wrong. :)

"You used my wife in an example straight from the film to bait me in a sensationalist attempt to prove a point."

Guilty. Sorry. :(

"Then you say that I can’t argue that actors know what they are doing and have come to a certain conclusion about the very nature of their profession, one that happens to be at odds with your religious views. Your point is that in this version of pretending that they have somehow crossed over into reality. I’m not necessarily disagreeing. However, I don’t buy your use of that lady-of-the-night term, at least not in my own set of values."

You are okay with all forms of extramarital consensual sexual acts between adults. Aren't you also okay with all forms of prostitution? It is, after all, a consensual sex act between adults.

I understand that I'm being deliberately provocative in applying the term to actors/actresses but I don't think that I'm technically incorrect given standard definitions of that term.

"you never even bothered responding to my version of the same bait and switch. I’m sure you have some excuse to get out of that one."

Are you referring to the cattle prod? If so, I'm planning a response. I actually share a lot of your concerns about treatment of animals. If I appear insensitive, just slap me around a little and I'll apologize. I didn't address it immediately because I realized that the whole animal thing is a bit of a rabbit trail that I regret bringing up.

"We are both guilty, though I daresay that we each enjoy arguing more. This is fine. This is fun. Let’s argue about something else real soon."

Guilty.

"Where I think the discussion ultimately ends is that I don’t wish for you to change your mind about these things. It’s your conviction and I respect that."

As I said above, if you really believe something, you should want to change my mind. I hope you're not upset that I'm trying to change your mind. If you are upset about it, just wait, I'll try to change that about you. ;)

"I was going to talk about the scriptures and all of its “edifying” stories but I’ll spare you."

I am all for slaughtering Amalekites.

Related, and for what it's worth, I think that my own use of crass language to make a point is biblically justified. Ezekiel does not hesitate to describe how Israel acts like a whore longing after the emissions of giant donkey genitalia. Yes, edifying. Because I think that what I mean by edifying isn't the "precious moments" image that you might think I mean. 

But, yeah, if the Bible were adapted as a film, it'd be NC-17. The thing is that we weren't given a film. We were given a most dangerous book of books. There is a difference between describing something in a certain way and physically acting it out in another way.

When the Bible gives us something like the incestual rape of drunken Lot by his two daughters, we're not subjected to a play-by-play. Sin is there in all of its reality. It is not covered up. But it's all in the HOW of the telling, which is exactly where Scorsese slips.

I want my personal story to be constantly shaped and re-shaped by the story (stories) of the Bible. Its story is my life.