30 Seconds - "Call no man father..."

[meep]

Me: “What do you call your male parent?”
Protestant: “Bob.”
Me: “Oh.”

More seriously, this passage should be read something like the passage that says you should “hate” your parents, family, etc. Also worth noting (in the case of the individ who insisted on “daddy” instead of “father”) is that any synonym for ‘father’ is as valid a translation. If it were the specific collection of syllables that were banned, then it would be the Greek (or Hebrew, Aramaic, whatever) word that was banned, not the English ‘father’. I think sometimes people forget that the Bible wasn’t written in English.

(Just to be fair, I know a lot of Protestants who interpret this passage more soundly than those who object to calling priests “father”.)

 

[Prometheum_x]

meep:

Me: “What do you call your male parent?”
Protestant: “Bob.”
Me: “Oh.”

More seriously, this passage should be read something like the passage that says you should “hate” your parents, family, etc. Also worth noting (in the case of the individ who insisted on “daddy” instead of “father”) is that any synonym for ‘father’ is as valid a translation. If it were the specific collection of syllables that were banned, then it would be the Greek (or Hebrew, Aramaic, whatever) word that was banned, not the English ‘father’. I think sometimes people forget that the Bible wasn’t written in English.

(Just to be fair, I know a lot of Protestants who interpret this passage more soundly than those who object to calling priests “father”.)

One might object that the issue isn’t the use of a particular collection of syllables but all words that have the meaning expressed by that set of syllables, whatever they might think that is. Perhaps then, one shouldn’t use “father”, “padre”, “vater”, “pater”, or any other such words.

 

[ralphinal]

mark a:

I once asked an aquaintence whose male parent was sick, “How’s your father?” The response was “He’s not my father, he’s my daddy.” I thought it was a very strange thing to say, didn’t understand why she would say that, and never brought it up to her. It was 20 years later when I realized what her statement meant.

Perhaps her daddy was the man most important in raising her but not her biological father.

 

[meep]

Prometheum_x:

One might object that the issue isn’t the use of a particular collection of syllables but all words that have the meaning expressed by that set of syllables, whatever they might think that is. Perhaps then, one shouldn’t use “father”, “padre”, “vater”, “pater”, or any other such words.

Quite true! I was listing that as one of two alternative objections. Under the alternative you describe, “daddy”, “pappa”, and all such expressions in various languages are off limits.

 

[DianJo]

I recently did a report for a class on the priesthood and one of the things that protestants object to is the use of the word “Father” that we give our priests. In “Father”, we are speaking in spiritual terms. Paul calls himself our spiritual father (1 Cor 4:14-15
I became your father in Christ through the Gospel). See Todd Easton’s post for more verses. The Hebrews also called Abraham, Isaac, etc., “Father” - They deserved the title.

In short, in Matt 23:9 - call no man father - Jesus was reprimanding the Pharisees and Saducces for counting themselves worthy because they were in an honored position in the community. In other words, only those who deserve the title “Father” should be called father, not those who don’t. Same goes for the titles of teacher (Rabbi means teacher), doctor, etc. This passage was directed specifically to the Pharisees/Sadducces over a misguided, puffed up sense of importance; not to the general public for general meaning. Read the whole section and see the context and then compare what your Protestant friend was trying to do - does it match up with the point of the story? I think - No.

Unfortunately, Protestants take this quote out of context for the purpose of discrediting the priesthood and catholicism.

 

[ralphinal]

Personally, I feel honored that God allows my child to call me by his name, Father. It is a great honor that includes great resposibilty. His first images and understanding of God will come from me, and I must foster an understanding of a Loving God who protects and cares for, instructs, and in the end will judge him. To me, to fail in my duties as a father is blasphemy.

Now, call no man father cannot mean that what I have just said is wrong. Surely, this is the attitude that men should have. Take it a step further. God puts different people in a similar role. They, too, must undertake the role of a spiritual father as St. Paul thought of himself. They must teach the true nature of God to their children in order to be worthy of the title. Otherwise, it is taking the Lord’s name is vain. Call no man father does not mean taht God does not want us to call humans by his name. It is a reference to call no man the source of your spiritual life. I would further agrue that no man is your father if he does not fulfill the role: either as biological or spiritual father (like the pharasees of Jesus’ day)