Hiding Dangerous Information

Question

Although obviously regardless of Mi Yodeya policy, each user needs to apply his / her own discretion, what is the policy regarding posting information, in a question or answer, that if publicized could lead to antisemitism, provide fodder for missionaries, or have other unintended consequences?

Should this information be avoided, or is it perhaps assumed that in the internet age the world has no more secrets, and thus information may as well be publicized?

One example is lack of agreement on major topics in hashkafa (Jewish outlook) such as Rambam's principles. This can have the unintended consequence of jarring, shocking, and confusing people.

E.g. Is there a place for the documentary-hypothesis in observant Judaism? and In Judaism, does God have a body?.

You have also got the flip side, such as The Origins of the Zohar - Why is it accepted as being true? and Is one a heretic if he does not believe in Kabbalah? which deal if anything with ideas against Rambam, but still highlights the degree of dispute about basic hashkafa. This last one centers around the veracity of works viewed by some as canonical to Judaism.

Depending on people's backgrounds this information can prove problematic.

Furthermore, there seems to already be some sort of unwritten policy to this extent, as I noticed this question: Is Mossad Assasination allowed in Torah? where nobody mentioned even the possibility that there might be any legal difference between killing a Jew and a non-Jew, but rather affirmed that they are the same. This is somewhere on the border between outright lying, and lying through omission, but in my opinion, closer to the former.

Answer 1

As an impartial observer, to whatever degree impartiality is possible, I would say that anti-Semites and extremists will find information that they can distort and manipulate, no matter where it might be. We are living in the Information Age, and the material is available in any number of places.

Removing such information from this site doesn't materially weaken the anti-Senites' position or deprive them of "ammo", but it does deprive honest, curious, and decent people of information which they are trying to find without any malicious intent.

Thus, removing information which might be misused would be detrimental to the people who have no intention of distorting it, and would not affect the people who have bad intentions. Censoring the site would be self-defeating and counterproductive.

Answer 2

אַבְטַלְיוֹן אוֹמֵר, חֲכָמִים, הִזָּהֲרוּ בְדִבְרֵיכֶם, שֶׁמָּא תָחוּבוּ חוֹבַת גָּלוּת וְתִגְלוּ לִמְקוֹם מַיִם הָרָעִים, וְיִשְׁתּוּ הַתַּלְמִידִים הַבָּאִים אַחֲרֵיכֶם וְיָמוּתוּ, וְנִמְצָא שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם מִתְחַלֵּל׃

Answer 3

We subscribe to Jewish religion because we believe that it is wise, honest, and good, on balance. In other words, we are aware that "dangerous" information exists, but we find enough counter-information to redeem it in our eyes. Or we believe in the dangerous stuff--which usually means there is a kernel of wisdom, truth, and goodness even in it. (Even if that kernel is hard to explain.)

Missionaries and anti-Semites are always going to abuse and distort portions of Judaism for their purposes. But what we can do is present a clear, balanced, and complete enough perspective on all so-called "dangerous information" that intelligent and goodwilled people of all faiths will see the sense in it, or else be reassured to learn, as we were, that not all Jews believe in it.