The most recent post in Fred’s blog tells us that the blogger Un-Orthodox Jew has been “outed”. His identity has been exposed. I am normally opposed to exposing the identity of an anonymous blogger who wishes to remain anonymous. In general I believe it to be violating the Issur of being Megaleh Sod (revealing a secret about someone who does not wish t to be revealed). But in the case of UOJ, I’m not so sure it was a bad thing to do. In fact it was the right hing to do. By exposing the identity of someone who causes harm and thus preventing him from ever doing it again, there is a Toeles… an over-riding purpose where the positive consequences far outweigh the normally harmful effects of exposing someone against his will.
I commented on Fred’s blog about my feelings on UOJ’s “outing” and wish to repeat them in a blog-post where it will get more exposure than in a comments section.
UOJ provided a valuable service. He exposed people who were involved in some of the most harmful and despicable behavior one can imagine. Behavior that ruined people’s lives. And he exposed those who covered it up. People who should know better. For this, UOJ deserves a hero’s accolade. Thank God the crime, the criminal, and those who covered it up for decades were finally exposed and are now being vigorously prosecuted.
But in one particular instance that I am personally aware of he crossed a line. (And where there is one, there could easily be others.)
When one begins to post about a person based on the testimony of one uncorroborated individual claiming to be a victim, and then carelessly eviscerates that person's integrity and reputation, there is no excuse for that. Any good purpose here-to-fore achieved becomes secondary to the ruining of a good person’s reputation so carelessly. It is evil. The great service he provided on his blog stops being a forum for truth and becomes a forum for rumor, conjecture, and innuendo. And it can and does unfairly destroy reputations and careers.
Just as it is evil to cover up the behavior of sexual predators, so too is it evil to carelessly accuse by name, as UOJ did, individuals who have had absolutely no history of sexual abuse in their long and distinguished careers. For that reason alone, his outing was not only justified, but necessary. And frankly he deserves what he gets.
It's too bad. Had he stuck to a more factually based blog, he could have continued to provide a forum for the abused. As it was, his blog turned into a forum for evil itself, where he was the perpetrator.
First you get the facts straight. Then you get some corroboration. Then you can make the accusations. But to ruin an innocent man's reputation and career based on one individual's testimony is not only evil, but Assur in the extreme. It is a spiritual "murder" that is almost impossible to do Teshuva for.
You can't say that as long as he did some good, it's OK. You can't sacrifice innocent people so easily. He crossed a line. His integrity at that point was shot and he lost all of his credibility.
