You are completely right. Materialism is not about liking material things rather attachment as being identified with and taking them as a measure of your self worth. Attachment is the underlying problem that is why I wrote at the beginning "Some people are searching for happiness in power; others search in fame, others in wealth, health, religion and relationships. Some take pride in their ethnicity, others in their color, others in wealth, others in religions and others in the sports team they feel to belong to."

Many spiritual master I have red or listened to are aware of such distinction, I guess you are talking about religious leaders who demonize materialism and promote attachment to spirituality in egoistic manner creating religious extremists.