Cleaning up a mess I made

Down below, I wrote a post in which I talked about the use of contemptuous language concerning Jews. I noted that the Jew-obsessed ravings of Bob Sungenis were extreme examples of this phenomenon but that other Catholics could fall prey to language that also suggests contempt for Jewish rites. In the course of pointing this out, I quoted two passages from board chatter over at Steve Ray's board. I deliberately did not give attribution because I wanted to focus on the quotes themselves and not direct attention to the authors, whom I was trying to distinguish from Sungenis, not liken to him. One of them I know to be a kind and sensible woman, though I disagree with her on the matter of whether a Christian can participate in rites of the Old Covenant so long as he does not treat them as salvific.

What I had in mind was the warning of the Catechism and the Church's guidelines to exercise care in speaking of such matters. There are passages in Scripture which presuppose our knowledge that author is speaking in the heat of polemical combat to a very particular situation, and/or which presuppose rather a lot of theological background. Paul's occasional harsh words directed at Judaizers are among these, and they can give the unwary the notion that Paul is condemning anybody who so much as goes near the rites of the old covenant when, in fact, he is only condemning the attempt to impose them on Gentiles as necessities for salvation. Modern Christians can pick up on Paul's vehemence in arguing against Judaizers in Galatians (they are "cut off from Christ" says Paul, who wishes "they would go the whole way and castrate themselves") and forget his gentleness in Romans 14 (the Jewish Christian who keeps kosher and observes special days "does it to the Lord" and should not be judged by his Gentile brother who feels no such obligation).

Anyway, my strategy backfired and my friend (Signum Crucis) felt that I had called her a Rad Trad anti-semite. I say here publicly that I think no such thing and had no intention of implying as much. For the matter of that, I want also to make clear (just in case anybody should think so) that I had no intention of suggesting that Steve's board is a fansite for the crazy ravings of Sungenis, nor for anti-semitism. Indeed, Steve is about the most philo-semitic Catholic I've ever met. He actually has a cell phone account with an Israeli provider because he spends so much time in Israel what with shooting videos, leading tours, and just generally soaking up Israeli life and culture. I think the man even knows Hebrew. He is just about the most Judeo-friendly Catholic in the world.

I ask pardon of any I have offended. Mea culpa.