Pianorak,
They are most definitely not stupid questions.
Interestingly, I've just been discussing this question of whether you need an IMC to fly at night with an airline pilot who used to run a flying school. He never used to let people do a night rating without doing an IMC first, for all the reasons mentioned. I disagree...partly because I want to do a night rating so I don't hae to worry about arrivng home a little after official night. I don't want to do an IMC, as the C150 I have a share in has only an inaccurate AI and a VOR, nothing more. But you see, I wouldn't fly at night apart from maybe getting back a bit late, and I know both my own limitations and that of my aircraft. And I think that's what flying training should be about: teaching people how to make sensible judgements about what they can and can't do, not making more and more rules. We are adults, not kids, and should be treted as such.