I think that the people about whom you're talking tend to use fundamentalist religion as means to enforce existing power structures from which they benefit; there's a reason that modern American conservatism is so inextricably tied to the evangelical churches, and why Southern Baptism was once used to justify the capture, sale, forced labor, and breeding of human beings with different skin colors.

I guess what I'm saying is that your point is not mutually exclusive with the comment to which you're replying, and that extreme religious values can have multiple "purposes," explicit or implicit.

ketzo is accurate. if a rich person is supporting fundementalism, its mostly to consolidate their power and protect his/her wealth.

Rich hindus allways have means to do so with out resorting to fundementalism.

for example, ambani supported congress (which is anti-hindu), and when congress got weak, he started support BJP (which is pro-hindu). In both cases it is to protect his own interests.

Same is happening in US.