Call no man father?

"Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven."—Matthew 23:9

This verse has been used by anticatholics to claim it to be wrong to call a priest (or anyone) father, the verse previous would logically also prohibit calling men "doctor" since it means "teacher," but if Jesus was prohibiting calling men father then what about.....

"And say, if we had been in the days of OUR FATHERS..." (Matthew 23:30)

"...so worship I the God of my FATHERS..." (Acts 24:14)

When Elisha saw it happen he cried out, "My father! my father!* Israel's chariots and drivers!" But when he could no longer see him, Elisha gripped his own garment and tore it in two.(2 kings 2:12) *traditionally Jews regard both Elijah and Elisha as celibates.

When the king of Israel saw them, he asked, "Shall I kill them, my father?" (2 kings 6:21)

Hazael went to visit him, carrying a present, and with forty camel loads of the best goods of Damascus. On his arrival, he stood before the prophet and said, "Your son Ben-hadad, king of Aram, has sent me to ask you whether he will recover from his sickness."(2 kings 8:9)

"Stay with me," Micah said to him. "Be father and priest to me, and I will give you ten silver shekels a year, a set of garments, and your food."(judges 17:10)

"But Timothy's worth you know, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel." (Philippians 2:22)

"Look to Abraham, your father..." (Isaiah 51:2) **Abraham MEANS "father of many nations"**

And he replied, "My brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia, before he had settled in Haran, (Acts 7:2)

“Thus he was to be the father of all the uncircumcised who believe”—Romans 4:11 *Thos is an OBVIOUS reference to Abraham as being a spiritual father

"as well as the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but also follow the path of faith that our father Abraham walked while still uncircumcised." (Romans 4:12)

"For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us," (Romans 4:16)

"Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?" (James 2:21)

"To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." (1 Tim. 1:2)

"Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as a father. Treat younger men as brothers" (1 Tim. 5:1)

"To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." (2 Tim. 1:2

"To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior." (Tit. 1:4)

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the evil one. (1 John 2:13)

I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have manyfathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (1 Cor. 4:14-15) *Literally reads “I begat you in Christ..”

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him... then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." (Gen. 1:27, 2:7)

"When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth." (Gen. 5:3)

"Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (John 20:21-22)

"Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands... guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us." (2 Tim. 1:6, 14)

Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophesy, with imposition of the hands of the priesthood. (1 Tim 4:14)

Conclusion: Call no man father was not a prohibition against the use of the word father to human beings, if it were well....everyone of the Apostles and God Himself would be guilty of this.