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Originally Posted by Boromir88
Anyway, there shouldn't be any doubt that Durin's Bane did not have literal wings.
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I disagree. I have seen the meaning of the words you quote interpreted both ways over and over again, often by those who I consider to be intelligent and whose opinions I respect. I have never seen an argument which establishes their meaning, one way or the other, with sufficient certainty to convince me that they are anything but ambiguous.
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Originally Posted by Boromir88
Instead of debating the topic and trying to understand the other side, we (I include myselfh ere too) have all gotten lazy and just cast everything aside as 'I'll believe whatever I want and no one can convince me otherwise.'
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To be honest, I have never engaged in this debate on the basis of the interpretation of the various relevant passages (and there are others - the Balrogs flying to aid Melkor against Ungoliant, the fact that Balrogs often seem to meet their fate by falling to their deaths etc etc). The reason that I have never done so is that, having seen all the arguments, I have seen nothing to dissuade me from my pre-existing image of a Balrog. That and the fact that, as far as my approach to this topic is concerned, there is "nothing new under the sun". I have nothing to add to the various points that I have seen made one way or the other over a great many articles and threads. I would imagine that many "veterans" of the Balrog debate feel much the same way too (which is not to say that those to whom the issue is fresher should not engage heartily in debating it).
My only reason for being here at all was that I posted flippantly and was then called on to defend my long-standing position on the issue.
My answer to the question posed by this thread remains, unequivocally, yes. Not in consequence of a detailed analysis of the text (and, as I have said, I consider that there are meritorious arguments both ways). But because that is the way I have always imagined them (and probably always will). I'm sorry, but I really have very little to add on this issue other than that.