“So all you are suggesting, in reality, is that WE, the peasants, are not allowed to think for ourselves, and instead we must have others think for us. And not only that, but we are not even allowed to consider the benefits of other people’s hashkafos/ halachic rulings, and that only OURS are correct, and are the only real truth.”
That is not the point at all. Sometimes there are different valid opinions according to the Torah, but sometimes there are Frum people who have opinions that are WRONG and are not based on Torah. As one of my teachers used to say, ” שבעים פנים לתורה and not 71. There are opinions that are sheker. There are definitely opinions brought in the CR that are sheker and not valid opinions according to the Torah.
As stated previously, if someone is a well-thought out person, he will have considered what the correct and incorrect points of view are according to the Torah and Gedolei HaTorah BEFORE he reaches his opinions. If he argues against someone in the CR, it will be because he has already thought about it and learned about and knows what the Torah viewpoint is and knows that the other person is wrong.