text: why fundamentalism? why do people choose to be fundamentalist? why not keep an open mind and wonder about things beyond word for word definintions of everything in the bible? was the bible made to be easy or does it have a cryptic meaning for the wise to find?` "let him who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches". revelation 3:6  jesus foretold that anyone who was truly searching for the truth would find enlightenment in the word. one has to have the heart of a child: meek, humbled, and willing to fully comprehend it, and even then we fall sadly short.  matthew 11:25-- "i praise thee, father, lord of the heaven and of the earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes"  i discourage the dogma of fundamentalism which says "this is how i was raised to believe such and such a verse..."  the bible was written in such a way that the wise are confounded, yet the pure and simple hearted can easily percieve it's profound truth.   the word of god is far from cryptic concerning biblical principles and standards of living (like abortion, homosexuality, marriage, finances etc.)  so when you say "keep an open mind"--it doesn't mean that we let ourselves accept man's errent translations/transliteration, but it does mean that we keep our hearts sensitive to the guidance of the holy spirit, who teaches us all things.  john  16:13-- "when the spirit of truth is come (that is, the holy spirit), he will guide you into all truth"  with all that said, some people choose to remain stubborn fundamentalists because either they: 1) have already received an inner witness that what they believe is right or-- 2)are too full of fear to even consider any doctrine that vary's from what they have tradtionally been taught.