Being sore the next day is NOT a good thing.
If you never lifted weights, then suddenly started, yes, you will be sore.
But if you lift regularly, soreness should not happen. That is a sign you pushed yourself too far, and didn't stretch properly. When you lift weights properly, and enough to challenge yourself, it creates tears in the muscles, and takes time to recover. When it does recover, the muscle is stronger than it was previously. This is why you need time off from weights. If you're sore and lift weights anyway, you're not allowing time for recovery, and are simply retearing the muscles even more, preventing progress.
You can lift effectively and to your maximum potential without soreness; when your body is used to weights, it won't be sore anymore. If you're just starting, you do need to start slowly, both to get maximum results, and to keep from harming yourself. Give your body at least 2 days between sessions. As you progress, you can do weights every other day.
Some sources:
http://exercise.about.com/od/exercis...gthmyths_4.htm
http://diet.ivillage.com/workouts/ww...,,q41n,00.html
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