MMC wrote:
I agree with advocates of the bowline for the following reasons: 1) it will
not come untied until you want it to,

Actually, the bowline is not perfect in this regard, especially if not
well finished. I have heard of it coming free when used on jib sheets.

I must confess, though, that I use them on my jib sheets because the
stuns'l tackbends would get too bulky on the clew.

2) when you want it to- you can untie it, and 3)

true

it devalues the breaking strain of the line less than other
knots. In this I mean that if a line is put under heavy strain, it will
break at the knot before it reaches it's stated breaking point because of
the bends required to form the knot will break first.

Nope - this is a myth. Its not bad, but it isn't dramatically better
than many other knots. And it can have a serious problem if used when
a anchor bend should be used.

I'm a firm believer that a boater only needs 3 knots; bowline, clove hitch,
and square; along with a good idea of when to use each and the ability to do
so quickly.

The bowline is clearly a superior knot for many applications.
However, the square knot and clove hitch I only use rarely and their
holding power is so marginal I'd hesitate to teach them to a novice.
Why not use teach useful knots, like a stuns'l tackbend (buntline
hitch) or a tautline hitch or a sheetbend or a figure eight? These
knots are used every day. Can you rig up a sailboat without knowing a
stopper knots?