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If Rumple has to give up his power, that's the wrong message. Getting back to cheap grace, a lot of abuse victims feel like they have to forgive their abuser. It's wrong to hold a grudge or not believe the abuser's claim to have changed (or the next claim, or the one after that). A lot get told that fighting back is wrong.*
The problem is, as some of Rumple's story shows, there's a degree of fighting back that's wrong. If you start turning people into snails and stepping on them for minor, accidental injuries, you have a problem.
That doesn't mean the choice is either/or. There's a line between becoming what you hated and being a victim.
Think of hoarders. In a lot of cases, hoarding gives people a sense of control. Coming in and cleaning out everything while the hoarder isn't there attacks that sense of control and makes things worse. Destroying Rumple's coping mechanism is not going to help. Even now, Rumple's power hasn't been destroyed. He's been removed from it, but he knows it's still there.
We especially don't need to see Rumple backed into a corner where he has to choose between being a helpless victim of the dagger and being helpless in another sense--and having this be the way he pays for his wrongdoing (if it happens while he's being forced to do something evil against his will by the dagger, it further muddies the message about how he's paying for his own wrongdoing).
A good ending? Rumple finds a balance. He finds a place where he can free himself from abuse without turning into a monster. He shows that strength and standing up for yourself isn't the same as aggression. Now, if that means being willing to give up his curse and its power, that's one thing. But it doesn't--and shouldn't--mean giving up power and strength.
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You summed my thought perfectly. Rumpel shouldn't have to give up his power, not even for Belle. Should he decide to do that it should be because, he, and he himself decided to do so. But I do think he should keep his power but learning to use it with control. The problem I have with this show and that one of the things that made me quit before is the way A/E are if not always, often show magic as something bad or wrong. That "you don't need magic to be happy as long as you have love" or "Magic is wrong, we don't need it, we should get rid of it" is really getting on my nerves. I would really hate them with passion if in the end they play the card of Belle looking Rumpel with starry eyes "Oh Rumpel love, you can give up your magic now, you have me, isn't it enough?" and Rumpel going "oh but yes, you're right deary, oh blind was I?" No Belle, love is not always enough. Sorry to bring you the bad new.
And I can't agree more with you on the victims of abuse feeling they have to forgive their abuser. I mean why would you hold a grudge about your abuser seen that person keep claiming they have changed. "So you see I've done those cruel things to you but it's ok, now, I've changed, I've reformed so you can forgive me right?"
Well, no. Sorry, glad you saw the light but I won't forgive you because the things you've done to me will stay with me forever. Even If I've healed, they will stay.
Anyway, thanks Kelaine.