you mistake me as hostile/troll. im not. ultimately play what you have fun on.
i do not hate paladins. i have one that im leveling. Regardless of how much "class pride" one has for paladins, it does not change that they are the lowest melee dps class, or a worse raid main tank than a warrior.
they will never be a strong contender for the dps meters, and they will never be a smart choice for a main tank. Prot paladins are not required for any encounter, as horde cannot be paladins.
ret has its niche's of one shotting, and prot pallies have their niche as 5 man/aoe tanks. thats it really.
holy tops the healing charts and is very powerful in pvp.
for the last week or so, i was in many premades. all the premade leaders wanted a holy over a ret, for the obvious reasons....