Nonsense - its is about getting people safely from A to B. Hand flying is a minor perk in suitable conditions, certainly not "what it's all about."
Hence why I mentioned hand flying as much as 'possible'. Perhaps I should have said as much as 'safely possible'.
I didn't actually mean it in the sense 'hand flying is what flying an airliner is all about', I meant 'hand flying is flying in its rawest form and that is where it all pilots started'.
Safety is what it's all about, you are correct. Though personally I feel that you should keep your hand flying skills should you need them, they are important to a degree. Of course safety is paramount and you use your discretion/SOPs.