Caedes:
I feel quite confident on this point:
- We agree the gravitational field (notice there is no qualifications) inside the sphere is zero right?
- What is the definition of gravity then? (I must insist on this question; if this question has no definate answer the discussion makes no sense).
I think you are confusing the derivation of the shell theorem by the physics; the shell theorem can be derived from geometric considerations (cancellation of forces), but the physical statement is the gravitational field is zero, fullstop.
We can perhaps agree you are correct under a newtonian formulation of physics and I am correct under laplaces more modern formulation.