I think these posts just prove the point that in all kinds of flying, it is the pilots attitude that is the most important thing. Personally I don't like the IMC rating because the majority of IMC holders tend to not be current on real instrument flying and the only practice they tend to do is to fly the occasional ILS approach. I think most of the posters on here who have IMC ratings are the kind of pilots who keep their ratings valid, and are in regular practice with their instrument flying, and keen to add to their knowledge. The problem IMC rating holders are the ones who do the rating and then don't keep actively current, and then one day they have a trip planned to France with friends and rather than lose face and cancel it, they go ahead, knowing that they have an IMC rating, regardless of the fact they are not in current practice. They are the ones we read about in the accident pages.
I guess its like learning a language - I did German 'O' level at school but haven't really used it since. I have the piece of paper but would be pretty rubbish at speaking German. Yet if I was living in Germany I would be very proficient and my knowledge would probably mean I was on a par with an A level or Degree holder even though I didn't have that piece of paper.