I don't really like when people impute motives on others they don't know or understand. Or when they are so close-minded that they try to pre-empt anyone from actually explaining their motivations.
This has nothing to do with being afraid of change.
It has to everything to do with our understanding of Luke's character after watching 3 films and dealing with their legacy for 30 years. We had a pretty solid conception of his character (supplemented by the now-dead EU) that now has to be completely re-evaluated.
If it's a "bold" choice, then it's bold because it seems totally out-of-character. Now, of course and as always, the execution matters quite a bit, but the fact of the matter is that this seems to really undermine what was a solid arc for his character in OT and misses what was a pretty obvious in-character arc in the sequel trilogy (him being an Obi-Wan figure).
And, to be honest, I'm not sure how bold this is, when we've already explored the betrayal of a Skywalker turning evil in the previous trilogy.
I'm not really speaking against everyone who dislikes it though, you know? There are a variety of reasons to dislike a plot point, and I understand your somewhat more logical approach.
I was very specifically replying to a couple of people on that page who reacted to the rumour in a pretty hyperbolic and emotional way. You might not like it when people "impute" motives onto those they don't know (It sounds like you might be taking this too seriously), but I don't like it when people vehemently dismiss something out of close-mindedness and a cloying sense of nostalgia. I don't think it's
controversial to argue that many fandoms do exactly that. I guess this is more of a meta issue that has less to do with the specific rumour were talking about here, but in my view it's as good an example as any.
I'm not "ordering" people to keep an open mind, but I'm not unjustified (or alone) in being annoyed by reactionary fans. If the movie comes out, the rumour is true, and it's awful... I'll be the first to say it. The difference at that point is I'll know the full picture.