Problem
Inaccessible religious records
Other Names:
Restricted access to sacred literatureDelay in release of religious documents
Secrecy over religious material
Classified religious secrets
Incidence:
Access to the Dead Sea Scrolls (dated from between 200BC to sometime in the first century AD) has been severely restricted by Israeli authorities since they were discovered between 1947 and 1956. After decades of protest, in 1991 limited access was granted to scholars, while the rights to reproduce and publish still remain in the hands of the authorized Israeli editors. A computer-reconstructed translation was released in 1992, compiled from secret sources by a university team in the USA.
The Vatican Library is known to contain large numbers of documents relating to the history and theology of religion which are not accessible, even to qualified scholars. Specific cases are the cause of much speculation, notably the Third Secret of Fatima, purportedly a revelation from Mary. Although read by a series of popes, all have decided not to publish it. For many traditionalists, this suggests that its contents are too terrible to reveal.
Broader Problems:
Religious secrecyInaccessible public recordsCalculated delay in publication of documents Related Problems:
Lost knowledgeClassified public informationConcealment of esoteric knowledgeIgnoring implications of biblical scholarship Reduces:
Pernicious literature Strategies:
Promoting wide circulation of holy scripturesRestricting access to sacred literatureMaintaining secrecy over religious materialExposing secrecy over religious materialReducing delays in release of religious documentsDelaying release of religious documents Subject(s):
Defence → SecrecyFundamental Sciences → Material
Informatics, Classification → Classification
Information → Documentation
Religious Practice → Religion
Religious Practice → Scriptures
Societal Problems → Delay
Societal Problems → Restrictions
Problem Type:
D: Detailed problems Date of last update
04.10.2020 – 22:48 CEST