Can we call God by first name instead of Lord/God?

[Cory]

First, I would like to preface. I do not want to make this about the word Jehovah, an English transliteration. We call him Jesus not Yeshua, so let’s leave it at that.

Second, please don’t make this about Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Someone told me that to call him Jehovah would be disrespectful like calling your Earthly father by his first name. Your dad is your dad so you call him dad out of respect. So is it wrong to be on a first name basis with God?

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

He created the universe. I don’t consider myself his equal.

 

[Irishmom2]

Your dad is your dad so you call him dad out of respect. So is it wrong to be on a first name basis with God?

So based on your comment about calling your dad “dad” out of respect, why would you want to call God anything else? Doesn’t he deserve respect?

 

[Cory]

My comment doesn’t make what’s good and right, good and right.

 

[Irishmom2]

I am not sure what you are actually trying to say in either of your posts.

 

[Mi_Rose]

I call my dad dad not by his first name. I give my God the same respect.

 

[Shakuhachi]

I think it appropriate to follow the pious Jewish custom of not speaking God;s name as given to Moses out loud. Especially since very few of us really know how and thus corrupt it. I do think it ok in our hearts and there is scripture to support it.

 

[TheLittleLady]

We rejoice that we can come to the creator of the universe and call him “Father”.

 

[Shakuhachi]

Can’t do much better than that.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

If we’re talking about the first person of the Trinity, “God the Father”, “Father”, or “God” all work for me. “God” also can mean the whole Holy Trinity, not just one person of it.

I don’t think Yahweh, Jehovah or Allah are bad or disrespectful names but they’re not what my culture and faith tradition uses so I stick with God, Father, God the Father, Father God, etc.

It’s interesting you said that about being on a “first name basis with God” because I am reading this book of Lenten meditations by Fr. William Barry, SJ, that is all about “Friendship with God” and one of them is about how the author believes that the best model for a relationship with God is like you’re an adult child of a parent, which in the author’s mind is almost like you’re peers. Most of the meditations in the book are OK but that one was kind of ugh because I most definitely do NOT want to have a peer relationship, or anything approaching a peer relationship, with God. I understand about acting like an adult as far as taking responsibility for your life and sins and choices and stuff, but I want God to be God and me to be little if you know what I mean. So I basically don’t want to be on a first name basis with God. If I want that I would probably turn more to Jesus who we do call by his first name and who is like our brother.