See, the thing is, the whole Catholic monarchy thing may have been a problem in the past, but in the modern age when a good many people have no respect for organized religion, the Church really doesn't have the power to do anything. I hear people say things about no agreeing with the papacy and things like that, and I stop and think, "Wait, when was the last time the papacy really DID anything? Vatican II in the 60s?!"

When talking about the "real" Christians, also don't forget the monks and nuns who go about preaching and doing charity and missionary work. I believe those are just as important as the "lay folks".

Another thing I learned this past year at school is that if it weren't for the Church in the Middle Ages (monasteries more specifically), a lot of our classic literature, and quite possibly our written language, would have been lost, because the monks were the only people that copied books and manuscripts until the printing press came around.

And lastly, ADM:

(insert Jack Nicholson voice here) he ... was the #1 ... guyyyyy

That made me chuckle.