I think group think and government insistence on it are common to our human nature, whether its  religious persons or not.  I have been astounded at the group think in medicine, for instance, as well as in other professions.  Groups and authorities don't care for the outlier much, I think.  Freedom of thought and speech were won with great difficulty, and I don't want to see that lost.  I'm not Catholic, but I do know that many centuries ago a great many people were grateful when the outliers, in defiance of the pope, decided to thwart the authorities by interpreting the Bible into English, German, etc, and then spread it to the people so they could read it for themselves.  I am so glad they did.  

I sometimes feel like a minority even among Christians, as I have consistently read and studied the Bible on a daily basis, which I've found isn't as common as it ought to be.  I've been amazed, too, at those who have such a strong opinion on the Bible or some supposed teaching coming from it when they've never read it.  It's also strange to me that a book like the Bible, which has been so influential, is not at the top of many people's 'to read' list.  Such a lack of curiousity.