If we take this saying literally, we see
it broken a number of times in the Bible, including by Jesus himself:
Paul tells the Corinthians: “Even if you
should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I
became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 4:15)
In Romans 9:10 Paul speaks of “our
father Isaac,” and in Romans 4:12 he speaks of “father Abraham.” Jesus himself
calls Abraham “your father” in John 8:56, and has the rich man in his parable
call to “father Abraham” in Luke 16:24.
Zechariah calls Abraham “our father” in Luke 1:73, as does Stephen in
Acts 7:2. Paul says that people who have faith are “children of Abraham” in
Galatians 3:7. He tells the Thessalonians: “As you know, we treated each one of
you as a father treats his children.” (1 Thessalonians 2:11)
It seems there are a lot more people to
take to task over this issue before approaching one’s Catholic friends and
neighbors.
