In the fundamentalist system, the idea of being a “child of God” has a charm that many relate to. You remain a child, dependent on and cared for by your heavenly father. You never have to learn self-reliance or turn to yourself for strength and wisdom. And you have no source of knowledge but outside authority. Like the hymn says, you simply “trust and obey,” much like a child should listen to a parent about bedtime or staying out of the street.
