Of course, there are many Christians who are not fundementalist and who do think for themselves. Several of them participate on this forum (and even in this thread, I think). I used to go to church with many of them. I was Episcopalian, and I was always proud of the fact that the Episcopal church saw no conflict with the ToE and even funded many studies in science and higher criticism.
I'm not condemning anyone because I make this mistake myself regularly, but I think it's important to remember that not all Christian denominations discourage free thinking. When referring to those that do, it's much more accurate to use the word 'fundementalist' (or even 'evangelical', if it is specifically Christian fundementalism being discussed).
To the topic: yes, I think it's obvious that people join fundementalist churches because it saves them having to think. Why worry about you're own problems, or indeed the world's problems, when all you have to do is believe that things are the way they are because Jesus wants them this way? He's coming back, and all this stuff that's going on is just preparation. Read the bible; it's all there.
Oh, and don't forget to pray to the holy spirit before you start reading your bible, else you might stumble across something like 1 Samuel 15 and come away thinking God had ordered the genocide of an entire race of innocent people.
Try getting into an argument with an evangelical about most anything and you'll see how everything going on today can be traced back to the bible. Here's one that I've been hearing more frequently lately in relation to the Iraq war: if we pray to the holy spirit, he will show us how the Iraq war is all part of God's plan for Israel. God is using the US to put more pro-Israel governments in power in that region of the world. Israel's power will increase, she will retake the West Band and Golan Heights and a biblical prophesy will be thus fulfilled. It will then be time for Armageddon to start! This is something these people
want to see happen, because they believe that they will receive a reward for all the praying and bible reading they've been doing and that they'll get to see the rest of us being roasted over an open flame (btw, does this remind anyone of what suicide bombers believe?).
Imagine the links to which some fundies must go in their commitment to avoid thinking in order that they might believe crap like this.
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