I certainly don't make a habit of declining to fly based on the MEL. I think maybe two or three times in my career. I remember one situation well; two fairly serious snags, both manageable in isolation, but the two, combined with the circumstances, were clearly unsafe. Ops jumped up and down when I said no, and phoned the Chief Pilot with a " by Capt Pit Bull
I fully agree, and I think it goes without saying that occasionally this situation will come up, I believe most real pilots on this thread fully understand this point.