Is the catholic church a force for good?

[PhilipD]

Most of my response has already been analysed here. Following the debate provided, Stephen Fry made an amusing point on the statement that if the Catholic Church was not there to provide a guiding light in what we'd consider modern morality (what tends to be the general consensus in this day and age) then what are they for? And it's a very valid point. The Catholic Church has blood on their hands, metaphorically and literally. If they didn't know better, then their purpose is moot. And if they did know better, they were not, in the past, a force for good. And if they weren't in the past, the only question remains is will they be in the future? And that can be answered by the resignation of the latest Pope and whatever actions they take from there.