This is one of those old raging debates. I used to be in the camp you describe, but came around over time b/c the serial comma is clearer grammatically. It is more flexible too and allows things like, "exotic reptiles, cats and dogs, arachnids, and crustaceans," to read better.

It also clears up ambiguity that happens with non-serial comma lists, as demonstrated in this excellent example I found on another site: "I'd like to thank my parents, Ayn Rand and God."