Having trouble calling father "father"

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Robert Heibel:
I also have had a hard time calling any priest father, and when I told a priest this was because Jesus told us not to call any man father, he told me I was reading Scripture wrong. I then told him maybe I did read Scripture wrong, but I would ask Jesus if I had or not. Jesus told me it dangerous for both parties, to be called father or to call someone father.
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Oh, the perils of being your own magisterium. Robert, you are succumbing to the “sin” that Jesus was getting at when he gave this lesson about calling no man father where he was chastising the Pharisees for trying to gain for themself an inflated sense of self-importance. I urge you to link to the one referenced earlier by Contemplative: (catholic.com/library/Call_No_Man_Father.asp)
 
Robert Heibel:
I also have had a hard time calling any priest father, and when I told a priest this was because Jesus told us not to call any man father, he told me I was reading Scripture wrong. I then told him maybe I did read Scripture wrong, but I would ask Jesus if I had or not. Jesus told me it dangerous for both parties, to be called father or to call someone father.
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In John, he cautions against personal interpretation of scripture. It is one of the reasons the Church has a magisterium. As in Timothy 3:15, the Church is the pillar and bullwark of the Truth, not Holy Scripture.

When Jesus confirms the commandment honor thy father and thy mother as recorded by the Apostle Matthew (Mt 19:19), and called Abraham “father” (Mt 3:9) was Jesus contradicting himself? No. Is the Bible in error? No. The Holy Mother Church teaches that there are no errors in the Bible. What then could Jesus mean when he said to call no man father?

The Church has always taught that Jesus was refering specifically to those who were teaching right then and there as hypocrites, who were abusing their power. He was telling us to not listen to anyone who does that, to not acknowledge them as a ‘father’ if they do not earn the respect due that title.
 
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Orionthehunter:
Oh, the perils of being your own magisterium. Robert, you are succumbing to the “sin” that Jesus was getting at when he gave this lesson about calling no man father where he was chastising the Pharisees for trying to gain for themself an inflated sense of self-importance. I urge you to link to the one referenced earlier by Contemplative: (catholic.com/library/Call_No_Man_Father.asp)
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Don’t worry he’s not in the bible, we don’t have to listen to him.
 
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sententia:
See if these help at all:
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You mean you can’t see the difference? Jesus was telling us not to call another man father who wasn’t your father. Giving a man a position or rank higher than you. We are all equal in Christ.
 
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LSK:
In John, he cautions against personal interpretation of scripture. It is one of the reasons the Church has a magisterium. As in Timothy 3:15, the Church is the pillar and bullwark of the Truth, not Holy Scripture.

When Jesus confirms the commandment honor thy father and thy mother as recorded by the Apostle Matthew (Mt 19:19), and called Abraham “father” (Mt 3:9) was Jesus contradicting himself? No. Is the Bible in error? No. The Holy Mother Church teaches that there are no errors in the Bible. What then could Jesus mean when he said to call no man father?

The Church has always taught that Jesus was refering specifically to those who were teaching right then and there as hypocrites, who were abusing their power. He was telling us to not listen to anyone who does that, to not acknowledge them as a ‘father’ if they do not earn the respect due that title.
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What I quoted wasn’t a personal interpretation of Scripture, but an interpretation given to me by Jesus.
Bob
 
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Orionthehunter:
Oh, the perils of being your own magisterium. Robert, you are succumbing to the “sin” that Jesus was getting at when he gave this lesson about calling no man father where he was chastising the Pharisees for trying to gain for themself an inflated sense of self-importance. I urge you to link to the one referenced earlier by Contemplative: (catholic.com/library/Call_No_Man_Father.asp)
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Wow! I should listen to you not Jesus right? Here you are someone who won’t even believe the written Word of God.

What I quoted wasn’t a personal interpretation of Scripture, but an interpretation given to me by Jesus.
 
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Ruthmary:
What do you mean by that?
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You’re right, don’t listen to me. Why don’t you ask Jesus and see what He thinks about what He said?
 
Robert Heibel:
Wow! I should listen to you not Jesus right? Here you are someone who won’t even believe the written Word of God.

What I quoted wasn’t a personal interpretation of Scripture, but an interpretation given to me by Jesus.
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Probably coming from a person who likes to put his own slant on “This is my body,” and “you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church…”
 
Robert Heibel:
I also have had a hard time calling any priest father, and when I told a priest this was because Jesus told us not to call any man father, he told me I was reading Scripture wrong. I then told him maybe I did read Scripture wrong, but I would ask Jesus if I had or not. Jesus told me it dangerous for both parties, to be called father or to call someone father.
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Have you come across this?
In early America “Father” was a title of respect for elderly men. Although, for example, “Mister” (the designation of a gentleman and a college graduate) was the normal title for Puritan clergy in colonial New England, Congregationalists. Baptists, Methodists and German Reformed commonly addressed older ministers as “Father” well into the 19th century.
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Furthermore, Protestants also employed the title for younger ministers who influenced Christian commitment and served as spiritual fathers.
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Most significantly, the decline of “Father” in Protestantism coincides with the rise of Irish immigration to the United States in the 1840s. Before that time, Roman Catholic priests in America were usually addressed as “Mister,” for most were secular (nonmonastic) clergy with roots in Europe or England, where Roman Catholic practice restricted “Father” to priests of monastic orders. Secular priests were called “Mister,” “Monsieur,” “Don” or other vernacular equivalents.
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The title of ‘Doctor" gradually replaced “Father” as the professional expectation for Protestant parish clergy. Most Protestant ministers now looked forward to being called" Doctor," honoris causa, so “Father” (and its companion “Mother”) virtually disappeared from Protestant use.
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This information came from an article written by a teacher of religion at the College of William and Mary and can be found at religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1916
 
Thank you to all who participated in this conversation.
I believe the OP has enough references to look into the topic further.

This thread is now closed.
 
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