The reason they are able to so easily filter it out is that mormonism is more than a world view. It is an identity.RubinHighlander wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08, 2018 7:05 am TBM emotions filter out any logic or reason that does not agree with their Mormon world view.
My wife and I recently had a spat that was precipitated by a text I wrote to a never-mo friend. He grew up in Utah and his parents were once members, but he never got baptized. But, he knows the culture and a fair amount about the church. He texted me after Monson died. We exchanged a few ideas about where the new leadership might focus, about a prophet being a symbol, particularly in the light of long term dementia, etc. Nothing was particularly sarcastic or disrespectful. No loud laughing going on. But I didn't have to filter what I said. With my wife, we have a type of detente. She doesn't want to hear my unfaithful opinions.
Anyway, she happened to see the text messages and got upset for various reasons. She feels that when I am critical of the church, I think I am smarter than her and other believers. I tried to explain that that's not the case, and that criticizing or having an an unorthodox opinion about the church does not mean anything about how I feel about people who see value to their lives from the church. I tried to explain that I don't see her identity as synonymous with the identity of the institution of the church. But I also acknowledged that she may feel differently. I don't think she have ever really thought about this distinction, but she said that I was probably right, and agreed and embraced the idea that a large part of her identity is the institutional church.