So an increased wealth of information and knowledge is a bad thing? A level “playing field” of ideas, an equality of speech for all, is evil?

Of course. It’s why the early Church kept people illiterate. If they couldn’t read or write, they couldn’t question what they were told about the Bible or the world around them.

More knowledge = more questioning of the Bible = more skepticism of religious claims. That’s the biggest threat to religion, especially if you’re a fundamentalist or literalist.