Elsie, my brother with a sister's name! (Don't worry bro - I won't tell anyone you're a transnamer! Who am I to judge?) How are ya? (I got a very limited opportunity to briefly jump back on FR here tonight, so, as you can see, I took advantage of it, but I'm on borrowed time here!)
Do you believe that the Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Gospels, and inspired the Apostle Paul, to do something wrong, when they were inspired to call a man "father" in the Scriptures? (Here's a couple quick examples, of many such similar "father" references in the New Testament.)
And going on from thence, He saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Matthew 4:21
"What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?...that he might be the father of all them that believe..." Romans 4:1, 4:11 (middle)
Did the Holy Spirit inspire them to do something wrong there (and many times elsewhere in their New Testament writings), when they wrote those inspired words, calling a man "father", again, and again, and again?
Then you’re going to have to explain what Jesus DID mean when he said those words, because you can’t reject them outright if the Lord said them.
Ignore Jesus words at your peril.
Would it not be SAFER to quit the spinning of this subject and merely obey?
Matthew 23:1-12 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Context here is Jesus instructing His disciples not to use the term with religious leaders or take titles themselves as religious leaders.
In no way is He implying that a child should not call his male parent *Dad*.
Even if that case could be made, then why would Catholics excuse direct disobedience to a clear, concise command of Jesus just because *everyone is doing it*?
The reasoning of *Kids call their fathers *Father* therefore we can disobey Jesus and call our priests *Father*?
That's some serious cognitive dissonance.