One last time and then I really do give up.

It is not an "either this or that" and that is where you are just getting it wrong (repeatedly).

As stated (on three separate posts already) validation isn't just a simple and single concept.

There are different validation rules depending upon whether you are mining, relaying or verifying a block (i.e. context).

So the rule about a NOP is not the same rule in all three situations (something that you just don't seem to be able to grok).

(also - I am assuming that you know that both txs and blocks are relayed and that the rules are also dependent upon whether you are relaying a tx or a block)