@QDog: debates get out of hand for a number of reasons, the major one of which is ego.
Part of what I do is discussing public understanding of scientific concepts and that often means discussing (while trying to avoid arguments) scientific issues. Where people have trouble usually is in understanding concept such as 'consensus' and 'available evidence'. Raw milk safety is a scientific issue which has been studied for over a hundred years. It's one of those things where the scientific evidence and consensus heavily weigh towards the side of pasteurization, or raw milk product aging (the FDA designated 2 month minimum, which does in fact decrease food-borne illness but the 60 day period is debatable). These are practices that are used worldwide and have saved countless lives over the decades. It's true there are always some studies which point in the other direction (that's the nature of science, usually referred to as 'noise'). What people tend to do is Google and then pick the studies that fit their world view (something known as 'confirmation bias' - a well studied phenomenon). They disregard the rest, even if the vast majority of data disagrees with them.
So when topics like this come up, I've learned to just ask people to "show me the data." Almost always people back out at that point. It's a shame because the goal is not to "defeat" them, but to have an intellectual discussion. However often I find the other side is obsessed with winning a debate.
While it's true that every issue has multiple sides, in science, that's less true. Sometimes we do actually have a pretty good hold on an answer. Granted, that answer may change or evolve over time, but at that moment, there is a "as best as we know" answer.
I'm going to respectfully disagree with Illinois.
As for me, I do use raw milk with caveats: any fresh cheese I use pasteurized milk or self pasteurize at home per guidelines. If it's raw milk, I only use it for cheeses aged 60 days or longer (usually much longer).
I agree with Illinois that on the hobbyist level one can use good handling techniques etc. Where you get into trouble is in the mass market and public health concerns.
-E