I think that this issue with this whole topic is the health of handled chameleons vs not handled and I personally havent seen any negative results, nor have i seen anyone else report any. There are plenty of animals that are handled in captivity, that in their natural habitat would lead...
"Put it high up in it's cage and leave it alone or it will die. K thnx." is a bit over the top. And as i said i understand that if the chameleon doesnt want anything to do with you then leave it alone, handling is clearly stressful in those situations. You said "Simple answer...we don't know."...
How do you know that a chameleon that eagerly climbs onto a persons hand(they seem to clearly understand that it isnt a threat) doesnt enjoy getting out of the cage and getting a different view other than the mini enviroment you have made? My panther always goes for my hand when I stick it in...