Why don't non-Catholics call their leaders Father?
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Why don't non-Catholics call their spiritual leaders "Father"?
"Look on the bright side, if this is the best they've got around here, in six months we'll be running this planet." (Planet of the Apes)
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I think they do, in a sense.
By referring to them as: 'Pastor', 'Doctor', 'Preacher', 'Reverend', 'Elder' or other honorary titles.
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I agree, Allen. They do assign them titles, of which some are equivalent to "Father" and "Teacher".
"Look on the bright side, if this is the best they've got around here, in six months we'll be running this planet." (Planet of the Apes)
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I believe this has to do with a passage of Scripture that JESUS stated that we call no man father and no man rabbi. For there is only one Father (In Heaven).
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quote:
Originally posted by Admin
Why don't non-Catholics call their spiritual leaders "Father"?
I'm thinking you already know the answer to this, right? 
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Well, me answer may not be what non-Catholics would say. I would say it's because of an anti-Catholic reading of Scripture.
"Look on the bright side, if this is the best they've got around here, in six months we'll be running this planet." (Planet of the Apes)
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Methinks it was a loaded question - but one with a purpose. 
Happy Freyaday!
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Thanks! You too!
"Look on the bright side, if this is the best they've got around here, in six months we'll be running this planet." (Planet of the Apes)
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hey guys and girls. i havent posted here in awhile. i think this subject was up already awhile ago. a long while ago actually. paul said that he became our father through christ jesus through the gospel or something along those lines. when i started my study of catholicism this was the easiest subject for me to understand. i dont see complication in it at all. i have to find my notes and when i do, if this is still being discussed, i will explain it the best that i can.
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This time the roles are reversed - this is asking non-Catholics why they don't call them father.
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ohhhhhhhhhhh. i see now. well whats the answer?
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If Rick Warren ("Purpose Driven Life") helps others as "their spiritual father" through his ministry, then shouldn't they call him "father Rick" or "father Warren". For the fundamental Christians take the bible so literally on ALL things, except for those things which seem "Catholic" by nature. Interesting....
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that is true. have you read that book, the purpose driven life? im reading it right now. it says some gooood stuff.
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quote:
Originally posted by Admin
Why don't non-Catholics call their spiritual leaders "Father"?
Hi folks, I thought I should put up a post to let you all know that I haven't fallen off the edge of the earth. I've just been very busy for the past few months and haven't had time to make any replies to any subject. But I'll start with this one and hopefully I'll be able to keep contributing a couple of times a week..
This question is pretty much easy to answer, although it will take a short time for explanation. But first a little biblical background. it is quite clear from Scripture that the word "father" may be applied to one's biological parent (Lk. 15:18), or to a nation's ancestors (1 Kgs. 15:24; Acts 7:39). Jesus' prohibition, however, if taken in context, did not permit calling any man "father" as an official spiritual title, such as was being used for the Jewish religious leaders of the day. The primary reason was given by Christ himself: we have only one Father, who is in heaven.
In opposition to this view, Catholics will refer to Paul's statement to the Corinthians as a means to justify calling their priests "father":
For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for I have begotten you through the gospel. 1 Cor. 4:15
Was Paul here saying that he considered himself as a kind of father to the Corinthians? In a sense, yes, for it was he who brought the gospel of Christ to them and had begotten them through it, and is also why he called them his "sons". But on the same token, we must temper this idea with more Scripture, so as not to conclude that Paul was claiming an official spiritual title of "father" in the church. This is made clear in his letter to Timothy, in which he said:
Rebuke not an elder, but exhort him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; the elder women, as mothers; the younger, as sisters, with all purity. 5:1-2
The church, therefore, is put in terms of familial relations. Older men are to be regarded as one would regard his father, and the older women are to be regarded as one would his mother, etc. So apparently this familial kinship of a father/son spiritual relationshiph was not reserved alone for just the spiritual leaders in the church, but all the older men were to be regarded as such as well.
Therefore, it can be safely deduced that neither Paul nor the early church employed the same practice that Catholics did in later centuries. And once again, the reason is simple: men are born again or from above, by the Spirit of God, their heavenly Father, and not by men on earth. Furthermore, Paul made it clear that he had begotten the Corinthians "by the gospel" of Christ and not by his baptizing them in the name of Christ as the Catholic priest thinks to do.
The secondary reason why Christ prohibited "father" as an official title for religious leaders is because it has a tendency to lift up the pride of men, just as it had done for the Pharisees, who loved all the special attention they got with their position. While the average Catholic would argue that this is hardly the case with their religion, consider that these are the same people who have no qualms about their pope accepting the same title of "Holy Father" that Jesus had given to God in Jn. 17:11! This reminds me the spirit of Lucifer, who said "I will be like the Most High," or the spirit of antichrist "showing himself that he is God".
Something to chew on.
SchracktheBaptist
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Well! Good to see you back! Welcome back!
"Look on the bright side, if this is the best they've got around here, in six months we'll be running this planet." (Planet of the Apes)
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quote:
But first a little biblical background. it is quite clear from Scripture that the word "father" may be applied to one's biological parent (Lk. 15:18), or to a nation's ancestors (1 Kgs. 15:24; Acts 7:39).
Great! We see this clearly. But, it is very interesting that what began as a Scripture text “plainly” prohibiting calling “ANY man father” has now become a text with many exceptions to this “clear” prohibition.
quote:
In opposition to this view, Catholics will refer to Paul's statement to the Corinthians as a means to justify calling their priests "father":
For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for I have begotten you through the gospel. 1 Cor. 4:15
Was Paul here saying that he considered himself as a kind of father to the Corinthians? In a sense, yes, for it was he who brought the gospel of Christ to them and had begotten them through it, and is also why he called them his "sons". But on the same token, we must temper this idea with more Scripture, so as not to conclude that Paul was claiming an official spiritual title of "father" in the church. This is made clear in his letter to Timothy, in which he said:
Rebuke not an elder, but exhort him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; the elder women, as mothers; the younger, as sisters, with all purity. 5:1-2
The church, therefore, is put in terms of familial relations. Older men are to be regarded as one would regard his father, and the older women are to be regarded as one would his mother, etc. So apparently this familial kinship of a father/son spiritual relationshiph was not reserved alone for just the spiritual leaders in the church, but all the older men were to be regarded as such as well.
Therefore, it can be safely deduced that neither Paul nor the early church employed the same practice that Catholics did in later centuries.
We have seen and you have given an exception for the word “father” for religious leaders and also an exception for biological fathers. Now you say it wasn’t really a tradition? Now I’m not sure what you’re saying.
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And once again, the reason is simple: men are born again or from above, by the Spirit of God, their heavenly Father, and not by men on earth. Furthermore, Paul made it clear that he had begotten the Corinthians "by the gospel" of Christ and not by his baptizing them in the name of Christ as the Catholic priest thinks to do.
Regardless of where they were born, they still have a biological father and they still have a father in heaven, and they still have religious fathers. Do you see any of these “fathers” contradicting God? I don’t see it and you’ve admitted the Biblical multi-faceted use of that word.
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The secondary reason why Christ prohibited "father" as an official title for religious leaders is because it has a tendency to lift up the pride of men, just as it had done for the Pharisees, who loved all the special attention they got with their position.
So, now you say religious leaders can’t be called Father which contradicts what you said above. (BTW, do you think the word 'Pastor' can't lead to this same problem? Or 'Minister'? Or 'Doctor' which means '
"Look on the bright side, if this is the best they've got around here, in six months we'll be running this planet." (Planet of the Apes)
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