Seeing what you want to see …
Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2022 4:45 pm
A small thought.
We often find Church leaders and apologists pull out some version of, “critics see what they want to see.” The phrase serves a dual meaning for believers: that (1) critics of the brethren are shallow and cynical, and (2) it is a choice not to see the inspiration, or miracle, in the brethren’s words and deeds.
Critics often say the same of believers, to be sure.
The difference is all in the framing.
Believers, following the brethren’s counsel, begin by choosing to believe. Ironically, choice means, primarily (in Mormonism), choosing to privilege the brethren.
In this way, “they see what they want to see” becomes itself a privileged phrase.
But, if someone has already made the choice to believe, then shouldn’t believing Mormons - Mopologists especially - proudly proclaim that what they see is what they want to see? That they are choosing to see what they claim to see, because of a singular choice they’ve already made? (Muhlstein said as much about his Egyptology research, but how often do he and his fellows preface their work explicitly within that framework?)
Turning the phrase around to belittle critics actually serves no purpose except to silence or belittle critics. (And perhaps to inspire fear in fellow believers, fear of questioning)
Critics choose to privilege no person over another. They privilege ideas, evidence and logic. Not people. Critics don’t see what they want to see - we see what the evidence, laid bare without privilege to a person or dogma - shows.
We often find Church leaders and apologists pull out some version of, “critics see what they want to see.” The phrase serves a dual meaning for believers: that (1) critics of the brethren are shallow and cynical, and (2) it is a choice not to see the inspiration, or miracle, in the brethren’s words and deeds.
Critics often say the same of believers, to be sure.
The difference is all in the framing.
Believers, following the brethren’s counsel, begin by choosing to believe. Ironically, choice means, primarily (in Mormonism), choosing to privilege the brethren.
In this way, “they see what they want to see” becomes itself a privileged phrase.
But, if someone has already made the choice to believe, then shouldn’t believing Mormons - Mopologists especially - proudly proclaim that what they see is what they want to see? That they are choosing to see what they claim to see, because of a singular choice they’ve already made? (Muhlstein said as much about his Egyptology research, but how often do he and his fellows preface their work explicitly within that framework?)
Turning the phrase around to belittle critics actually serves no purpose except to silence or belittle critics. (And perhaps to inspire fear in fellow believers, fear of questioning)
Critics choose to privilege no person over another. They privilege ideas, evidence and logic. Not people. Critics don’t see what they want to see - we see what the evidence, laid bare without privilege to a person or dogma - shows.