[Mrs. Don-o]

Many dozens of times in the New Testament men upon this earth are rightly called "father," and there is no offense given to anyone in heaven or on earth.

This is what God's Word says:

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Matthew 1:2
Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

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Matthew 4:21
As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee,

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Matthew 15:4
For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’

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Mark 15:21
They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.

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Luke 1:67
Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:

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Luke 2:33
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.

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Luke 8:51
When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother.

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Luke 15:20
So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

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Acts 7:2
And Stephen replied: “Brothers and father, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

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Acts 7:4
Then he left the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God had him move from there to this country in which you are now living.

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Acts 7:8
Then he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs

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Acts 22:1
“Brothers and father, listen to the defense that I now make before you.”

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Romans 4:16
For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us,as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”)—

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1 Corinthians 4:15
Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

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Ephesians 6:4
And, father, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

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Philemon 1:10
I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment.

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1 John 2:13
I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

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The Church has always understood this to be proper.

You might want to re-think your own personal interpretation.

[metmom]

However, context is everything.

Jesus is addressing His believers and telling them not to address religious leaders by the title of *father*.

In no sense in that text or context is Christ saying anything about calling your own father * Father* or *Dad* or whatever.

It’s a misapplication of that verse to claim that it means children should not call their own fathers *Father*. Hyperbole is not the best thing to use for proper interpretation of Scripture.

And even should it be that Jesus meant that children should not call their dads *Father*, then the argument is, if Jesus forbids it, is it OK for Catholics to call their priests *Father* just because everyone else does it?

Is everyone else (allegedly) sinning justification for the Catholic church to disobey a command of Jesus?

If everyone else jumped over Niagara Falls, would you too?

[Iscool]

You might want to re-think your own personal interpretation.

They are referred to as fathers but none are addressed by anyone as father as your references indicate...So it's not a personal interpretation, it's what God says...It would be very odd that millions of people could come up with the exact same personal, private interpretation...

Abraham is the only one who is addressed as Father but he in that case is a type of the real Father...

[CynicalBear]

Is the pope your earthly father or spiritual father?