Call no man "father" from an ex-priest

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rien said:
Applying “father” to men as a formalistic or religious title was forbidden by Jesus. (Mt 23:9) Because of Paul’s bringing the good news to certain Christians and nourishing them spiritually he was like a father to them, but in no scripture is “father” applied to him as a religious title. (1Co 4:14, 15) Paul likened himself to both a father and a mother in his relation to the Thessalonian Christians. (1Th 2:7, 11) Whereas reference is made at Luke 16:24, 30 to “father Abraham,” this is basically in the sense of fleshly ancestry.
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This argument rests on the assumption that Jesus meant to forbid the term “father” to religious figures. He said call no “man” father, not call no “religious figure” father. Clearly he was pointing to God as the unique and original source of paternity. Ephesians 3:14-15 stands as St. Paul interpretation of the saying.

This argument also renders a false dichotomy between spiritual paternity (1 Cor 4:14) and “formalistic or religious title.” The Christian priesthood was never a merely formal institution, but was always a ministry of salvation. Therefore the “formalistic religious title” is part and parcel of “bringing the good news to certain Christians and nourishing them spiritually.”
 
rien said:
Someone I know from work. one of her family memebers is among those who followed the priest out of the church.
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A lot of protestants will either make this kind of urban legand or swallow it when someone else feeds it to them. Ask them to let you talk to the priest. IF they produce someone who claims to be a priest, ask him a few basics about his early catechesis and formation and to provide the ordinary documentary evidence, then watch his face drop.
 
newadvent.org/bible/mat023.htm
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, 2 Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses. 3 All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not. For they say, and do not. 4 For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders: but with a finger of their own they will not move them. 5 And all their works they do for to be seen of men. For they make their phylacteries broad and enlarge their fringes. Phylacteries… that is, parchments, on which they wrote the ten commandments, and carried them on their foreheads before their eyes: which the Pharisees affected to wear broader than other men; so to seem more zealous for the law. 6 And they love the first places at feasts and the first chairs in the synagogues, 7 And salutations in the market place, and to be called by men, Rabbi. 8 But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master: and all you are brethren. 9 And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven. Call none your father–Neither be ye called masters, etc… The meaning is that our Father in heaven is incomparably more to be regarded, than any father upon earth: and no master to be followed, who would lead us away from Christ. But this does not hinder but that we are by the law of God to have a due respect both for our parents and spiritual fathers [1 Corinthians 4:15], and for our masters and teachers. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, Christ. 11 He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
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It’s a form of speech. By the same logic, one should cut his own … if he fall in adultry.
members.aol.com/uticacw/baptist/other4.html
Just don’t tell me St. Paul and the apostle John constracted Christ.
 
We call God “Father,” but If we literally “call no man father” then we would quickly loose the meaning of the word “father.” It would never be used in common parlance. There are a lot of words we no longer use and people have no idea what they mean any more.

I knew a woman who never used the word father for her own father. She only referred to him as “dad.” She, unlike everyone else, practiced what she preached.

If you are going to literally “call no man father,” then call no man father.

Splitting infinitives where no man has split infinitives before.
 
I’m not sure where I picked this up, but I always thought this was a prohibition on forming sects founded upon one man. Both for preservation of unity and orthodoxy. As in "Luther"an or "Calvin"ist or "Wesley"an. This, I suppose, should extend to sects (or denominations if the term is preferred) where the sect is not named after the man who founded it, but are clearly based on the teachings/revelations of that head. Mormons for example.

I thought the stronger use of this argument against the Catholic Church would be religious orders named after founders. (Dominicans, Benedictines etc.)

Just a couple of cents, I’d like to learn more.
 
quasimodo said:
We call God “Father,” but If we literally “call no man father” then we would quickly loose the meaning of the word “father.” It would never be used in common parlance. There are a lot of words we no longer use and people have no idea what they mean any more.

I knew a woman who never used the word father for her own father. She only referred to him as “dad.” She, unlike everyone else, practiced what she preached.

If you are going to literally “call no man father,” then call no man father.

Splitting infinitives where no man has split infinitives before.
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I am pretty certain that the word that was used for father by Jesus could be translated as Dad, Daddy, Pops etc.
 
deb1 said:
I am pretty certain that the word that was used for father by Jesus could be translated as Dad, Daddy, Pops etc.
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This is true in the words, “Our Father”. Does He use the same word in this dialog?
 
quasimodo said:
I knew a woman who never used the word father for her own father. She only referred to him as “dad.” She, unlike everyone else, practiced what she preached.
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Of course, “Dad” is a word that means the same thing as “Father.” 😃
 
Anti-Catholics often lie about being ex-Catholics to pass themselves off as experts. If this ex-priest or ex-seminarian is for real, then his enrollment is a matter of public record and some evidence would exist of his honesty. I don’t think there is any evidence or honesty. The “call no man father” argument comes from the lowest branches of Protestant fragmentation: bizarre cults infected with scriptural nearsightedness, ignorance, fear, and rebellion.
 
epostle said:
Anti-Catholics often lie about being ex-Catholics to pass themselves off as experts. If this ex-priest or ex-seminarian is for real, then his enrollment is a matter of public record and some evidence would exist of his honesty. I don’t think there is any evidence or honesty. The “call no man father” argument comes from the lowest branches of Protestant fragmentation: bizarre cults infected with scriptural nearsightedness, ignorance, fear, and rebellion.
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So true, epostle. A number of years ago there was a former seminarian going around California advertizing himself as a “former priest”; there was also a “former” Jesuit priest (he truly was) who outright lied (in my hearing) about what the Catholic Church teaches about the Eucharist. Very sad, especially when one sees the gullible eager to lap up any anti-Catholic tidbit from those supposedly in-the-know. :rolleyes:
 
Had rien read any of our post? The OP has disappeared. I would like to read the OP’s views on what we are saying.:confused:

Come back Rien!!!
 
rien said:
Again I am unable to find an argument, other than indirect, that a priest should or can be called father.

This from a young former priest. Recently ordained from an orthodox sort of traditionalist seminary who was in his first 4 years of priesthood led out of the church by reading Scripture. So he says. He is now studying to become an AOG minister.

But he put it plainly:

Applying “father” to men as a formalistic or religious title was forbidden by Jesus. (Mt 23:9) Because of Paul’s bringing the good news to certain Christians and nourishing them spiritually he was like a father to them, but in no scripture is “father” applied to him as a religious title. (1Co 4:14, 15) Paul likened himself to both a father and a mother in his relation to the Thessalonian Christians. (1Th 2:7, 11) Whereas reference is made at Luke 16:24, 30 to “father Abraham,” this is basically in the sense of fleshly ancestry.
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…after sopme thought on this matter i ask do you know this priest personally ie; was he known to you by name and parish, if so report his activities to his bishop this man needs to be excommunicated if he does not repent of this hereratically activety.
 
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