The "Dark Ages" is a term that is now being thrown out of description of the middle ages by historians and archaeologists of the like. The idea that the church retarded human growth of technology and science. Is there a basis or any truth to this?

The idea that the Church held back learning during the Dark Ages is a complete fantasy concocted by Protestant historians with an axe to grind with the Catholic Church. Monasteries preserved knowledge of Latin, ancient texts and philosophers, and made advances in art while illuminating handwritten manuscripts. These formed the basis for 11th century Cathedral schools which in turn formed the basis for 12th century Universities.

You should also distinguish between the "Dark Ages" and the "Middle Ages." Most scholars agree that the term "Dark Ages" refers to what is less crassly termed "Late Antiquity", that is to say, the period immediately following the fall of the Roman Empire in the West, but that date is under debate. The line between "Dark Ages" and "Middle Ages" is similarly blurry probably between the 9th and 12th centuries.

By any means, these are just arbitrary appellations we use to distinguish one field of study from another. Don't listen to any scholars who demonize one group of people or one institution. They usually have extreme biases and aren't trustworthy.