I'm by no means an expert on PHP but whenever I begin having similar thoughts like the author, or begin having internal language religion wars in my head about PHP, i remember that PHP actually stands for "PHast Prototyper" (language/platform)..and tools/platforms like that have their place in the world to help us...and then this thought allows me to regain my peace and progress forward on my day (focusing on bigger things). This does not mean PHP is inherently good or bad, merely a tool; to be used under the right conditions (in this case rapid dev.).

Perhaps remembering that PHP could mean "PHast Prototyper" could help you/your team come to terms with all this?