Fear. Insecurity. If another source presents an idea to us which causes us to question our own beliefs, we often lash out and attack the one who presented the idea [incorrectly] believing if we destroy the messenger it will remove the impact of the message. This of course never works because the person presenting the idea isn't the cause of the person's issues, it's the person themselves and how they / their beliefs respond to being questioned or challenged.

People feel they need security and stability. If someone forms the stability of their identity, their lives, their decisions and directions in life, all on their beliefs about the world around them, then they will very severely reject any ideas which interfere with their source of security. Some people do this with what you may perceive as blatant disregard and purposeful ignorance of a truth and/or avoiding the concept entirely. Others lash out and attack anyone and anything they feel is a threat to their safety.

This is why people who are truly comfortable with themselves don't feel upset or bothered by the beliefs or viewpoints of others, their security isn't up for debate based upon whether or not their particular version of reality or God is valid or not.

In short, people placing their happiness in the hands of circumstance or others and then trying to preserve their happiness by forcing aforementioned circumstances or others to conform to whatever makes the insecure more comfortable. This article explains it very well in different terms: http://dopamineproject.org/2013/01/why-power-money-and-esteem-addicts-are-more-dangerous-than-junkies/

I guess it ultimately depends on what you actually view as "new". There are many things around us today that came from "new" and ridiculous ideas.

For instance, the aeroplane, colour television, 3G/4G Internet access, mobile phones, computers, tablets to things like plastic surgery and others. All of these were probably considered as radical and absurd ideas to others before they even existed.

I am probably talking about something that is a little different from what you are talking about, but to me I feel that they are similar. There are many great people in history that have pushed through with their ideas and beliefs and made it, and there are also others who didn't. So I do not think that people with new ideas are persecuted more than average people, but maybe they just chose to wrong time to voice out their opinions and ideas.

I am telling you the truth, some are rebellious and cannot accept the truth they also cannot accept to not be the number one or the greatest. they should know that the greatest is the one that serve you best. But are they serving people best by judging and killing them. the measure they use that is the measure that is going to be applied to them. Do not be surprise at my saying. Who is with out sin to cast the first stone? Some judge by the flesh, by money by material possession, By what they do not see Good in their own mind, yet if they would walk a mile in the shoe of someone else that they judge they would see things differently. But this world seek to make number one that have money that finish first that have lots of physical things. that are not afraid to do what needs to be done even if it means killing someone else. if someone would listen to their heart and mind they would find out that this is not good and would change their ways and grow.