[WS:] I have little sympathy toward the Roman Catholic Church for a number of reasons, but I disagree with the above statement. I would support it, if it were possible to put the beliefs in gods and the supernatural to a well deserved rest. But unfortunately this is not possible at this time for a number of reasons, elaborating which is another story. Since these well-ingrained in the human psyche delusions exert power influence on human behavior and can be easily manipulated by demagogues and fanatics, the best we can do is to institutionalize and regulate them to minimize the damage they can produce. This is precisely the role played by the RCC and other institutionalized religions. They are moderating forces amidst the sea of fanaticism, radicalism and insanity. They may appear conservative from a progressive pov, but not so if we consider the depths of reaction and fanaticism (cf. different Muslim factions slaughtering each other en masse).
This is not to say that RCC hierarchy did not get in cahoots with fascists in Latin America or that it did not spin off reactionary outfits like Opus Dei - but the RCC is a complex organization that has many conflicting voices inside, and some of these voices can be quite progressive. As an institution, however, RCC played a moderating role in modern conflicts at lest since the encyclical Rerum Novarum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rerum_Novarum. And today, it clearly tries to moderate the excesses of neoliberalism and populism.
Again, theirs is not a vision of the world that I find attractive, but it clearly counterbalances those visions and behaviors that I find outright repulsive. The RCC is a lesser evil, if you will.
-- Wojtek
"An anarchist is a neoliberal without money."