Well, you make some good points, and I cannot deny the facts that even in the hardware world that coding is becoming the trend. Be that as it may, even with VHDL and other design languages, ASIC designers will still need a basic knowledge of digital design to properly implement their code.
I suppose the need to understand digi logic has been superseded by the power of the PC, and this is as it should be, and is a good thing, as we advance our tools and make life easier.
But I still contend, that for a casual circuit builder that wants to make a simple divider circuit that should take a hour to construct, why in bleeps sake would you have them order $50. worth of supplies, weeks of reading just to divide a signal. In this case, simple is best, not to mention they learn a little about the hardware they are using.
Once they can grasp concepts like And gates, Or,NOR, etc, and D-FF, then they will become a much better PIC designer.
I hope you realize my tone is not aggressive, and I harbor no hard feelings, nor do I wish any in return, just voicing my thoughts in a free exchange of ideas