Just to be clear, I agree with you all on the Buford Pusser point.  So I’m not one of those thinking all is well at the movies if I just avoid nudity.  But just to keep the conversation going, let me ask this.  What about the violence and vengeance in a movie like Mississippi Burning?  Is the rage you feel watching that any more defensible because it is directed at real evil?

On nudity, I agree that there can be artistic representations of nudity that are not lascivious.  I do think everything changes when you get real people involved.  So I do think it would be wrong to paint using a live nude model.  And nudity in film always involves real people getting naked in front of a camera.  How would you counsel your daughter if she were considering being the model for this art class?  Or playing the lead in Eyes Wide Shut?

It’s Friday, sermon day for me, so I won’t be able to defend myself anymore today from charges of prudery.