Why do we call priests and the Pope father, when in the bible it says not to call anyone on earth Father? Matt 23:9 I called my dad, Father would this being going against Gods word?

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6 Answers

Jann Nikka Profile
Jann Nikka answered

Its "Worshipping" men.  Calling our human father, Father is not the same as "Worshipping" him. As you know millions worship the Pope and priests, confess to him, them and give him and them reverence. All against Bible teachings. Man-made ideas.

Call me Z Profile
Call me Z answered

The conflict arises most prominently among the Catholic Church, where such issues are quite commonplace. Again --as Jan said--, man-made ideas, to serve the agenda of the clergy, which frequently contrasts with the teachings of dogma (See Martin Luther's 95 Theses of 1517 as examples). 

IMO, calling a celibate priest "Father" is a gross disservice to that word, and an insult to those of us men who raise children. As such, I never address any cleric as Father. 

Didge Doo Profile
Didge Doo answered
In the Abrahamic religions the deity is always considered male. It isn't necessarily so in other equally valid (or equally invalid) religions.

I have less trouble calling a Catholic priest "father" than calling a pimply-faced, 20 year old Mormon evangelist "elder".

The Catholic church claims to stand "in loco parentis", representing God's interests on Earth and looking after his children. To that end, they cite Matthew 16 "Thou art Peter and upon this rock shall I build my church... " as their authority.

No matter how foolish or exploitative their interpretation, and no matter how much it has been massaged to maximise their influence, it's the basis for the sundry family titles: Father, mother, sister, brother for various religious orders.

It certainly doesn't disrespect "God". Nor does calling your own parent "Father", though that's a bit stuffy. I always called my father, "Dad".

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Perry Nuttal
Perry Nuttal commented
I called mine father when I was angry with him, as "dad" felt too close. I had a difficult upbringing, not the worst I'm sure, but not the easiest. Thank you Didge Doo
Didge Doo
Didge Doo commented
My father was an old man when I was born (would you believe he was born in 1884?) and he and I never communicated.

This question, though, reminded me of something Major Charles Emerson Winchester III said to Hawkeye Pierce in MASH: "I had a father. You had a dad." All the difference in the world, which is pretty much the point you just made.
Tom  Jackson Profile
Tom Jackson answered

Did you ever address you biological male parent as "father?"

(I know you did, but how would most respond to that?)

Would you deny a child the opportunity to tell someone that he or she loves his or her father?

"In the Bible the concept of fatherhood is not restricted to just our earthly fathers and God. It is used to refer to people other than biological or legal fathers, and is used as a sign of respect to those with whom we have a special relationship."

And of course, as individuals, we can interpret what we read any way we want.

But that doesn't mean that every interpretation is correct.

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Tom  Jackson
Tom Jackson commented
I see that your other comments were primarily an extension of your original list.

All armies legitimize their claims by in some way marching in the name of "God"---whether they think He exists or not.

Are you just figuring that out?
Darik Majoren
Darik Majoren commented
Ahh, so You're okay with the Catholic church slaughtering more in the Crusade (INCLUDING the Jewish), then Hitler did because it was the Church and they did it in the name of God. Yet Hitler says he is a Catholic doing God's work and was even originally sanctioned by the pope of that time, and say - "And you are surprised to find him claiming that he and God are on the same side?" . . . So "No True Catholic" would do what Hitler did, yet I give the crusades which you support -
"it's well established that God chose to work with men as He created them---both to write the Bible (as His instrumental causes and with deference to the writers personal idiosyncrasies) and to react (well or poorly) to their current environment---hence the occurrences you list." . . .
Oh wait, you just said "well or poorly" not choosing a side.
So what was it, did the Catholic SANTCIONED crusades act "WELL" .. or "POORLY" in the slaughter of hundreds of thousands . . . and do you not YET see the correlation.
History DOES have a way of repeating itself, and people killing people under the name of God deserves far more then a label of "Poorly" . . wouldn't you say.
Tom  Jackson
Tom Jackson commented
Good God, you do ramble.
Darik Majoren Profile
Darik Majoren answered

Hi Pea Nuts,

Here is a link to MANY Biblical contradictions - http://infidels.org/library/modern/jim_meritt/bible-contradictions.html

Here is a graphic representation of what these contradictions look like from Old Testament to New testament.

Most Theists will tell you the information needs to be interpreted by a Man of God Inspired by the Holy Spirit to Translate what all this means, but it is easy enough to understand.

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Darik Majoren
Darik Majoren commented
"So you think the Holy Spirit is behind the multiplication of religions?" -

Never SAID that, I ASKED -

"So, people like Desiderius Erasmus, Martin Luther, and John Calvin were also "Inspired" by the SAME Holy Spirit in coming up with their version of religion based on these SAME scriptures?"

Thomas, what you are trying desperately not to say is that the Holy Spirit speaks to the Catholics regarding their particular denomination . . . it cannot possibly be the SAME Holy Spirit that these other "God Centered" men used for their particular translation of the Bible . . .

Here's EXACTLY what I'm saying, IF man was truly in communication with the Holy Spirit, the message be unified. It was supposedly the means to the contents of the Bible 2 Timothy 3:16, . . . SO, to would inspiration in the translation be Unified.
How about Thomas, ready to say only the Catholics are listening to the Holy Spirit?
Tom  Jackson
Tom Jackson commented
@Dark Majinn

Are you pulling a Trump?---"Hey, what I said is not what I really meant."

"So a list of the MANY Denominations "Inspired" by the SAME EXACT Holy Spirit is pretty long."

Sounds like a declarative sentence to me.

You jump around so much, I think you must be dizzy most of the time.

That explains a lot of what I have been wondering about when I try and follow what I have assumed was you "train" of thought.

I understand now that what I mistaken for a coherent whole is is just a bunch of rail cars lying around in an abandoned train yard.
Darik Majoren
Darik Majoren commented
"So a list of the MANY Denominations "Inspired" by the SAME EXACT Holy Spirit is pretty long." -
Sorry, I though you could spot sarcasm.

Let's go with your answer now . . shall we?
"Here's EXACTLY what I'm saying, IF man was truly in communication with the Holy Spirit, the message be unified. It was supposedly the means to the contents of the Bible 2 Timothy 3:16, . . . SO, to would inspiration in the translation be Unified.
How about Thomas, ready to say only the Catholics are listening to the Holy Spirit? "

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