Tenn. Judge Changes Child's Name From 'Messiah'

[shawn703]

Sorry if this has been posted before. ABCNews has the article dated just now, but apparently this name change happened last week so I won't put it in LBN.


A judge in eastern Tennessee has changed a 7-month-old boy's first name to Martin from "Messiah."

Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew ordered the name change last week, saying Messiah is a title that has been earned by one person "and that one person is Jesus Christ."

According to WBIR-TV, the parents were in court because they could not agree on the child's last name. When the judge heard his first name, she ordered it changed, so the baby was "Martin DeShawn McCullough."

That name includes both parents' last name.

http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=19931569&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2F

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. What about all those Latino kids named Jesus? Do they have to change their names, too?

Seriously, that's just out of line. I think Messiah is a weird thing to name a kid, but no judge has the right to arbitrarily un-name the kid just because she's got some religious bug up her butt.

[liberalhistorian]

3. I doubt that that is even legal, that the judge

even has the authority to do that. To my knowledge, there are no laws in any state regarding what you can and cannot name your children, so the parents were not breaking any laws, as weird as the kid's name is. If I were the parents, I would challenge that order and I don't think it would hold up under appeal.

[KittyWampus]

5. Child named Hitler removed from home:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/report-child-named-adolf-hitler-removed-home-new-jersey-article-1.371485

[shawn703]

6. I believe there are some laws

If the name you choose were to be abusive - "shitferbrains" for example - that is a name change that could be ordered.

[Posteritatis]

18. None where the judge can unilaterally choose the name, though. (nt)

[NightWatcher]

2. Damn your Sharia law

Or whatever the Christo-Fascist law is named.

It's not up to the judge to name the kid nor rule what name is religiously acceptable to same said "judge".

[Logical]

4. a judge can control that? nt

[Posteritatis]

17. There's no possible way that could survive an appeal. (nt)

[Fridays Child]

7. There's an appeal that needs to happen. eom

[madinmaryland]

8. Hmmm. I thought they were just big fans of Mark Messier who misspelled the name.

[indepat]

9. Speaking of the separation of church and state issue, those of other than the Christian

faith might have a problem with the reason given for this decision. But, hey, this is a Christian nation.

[mainstreetonce]

10. I heard of child protective services

taking a family to court to change a child's name from chlamydia.

Mom heard it and thought it was pretty.

[SoCalDem]

12. A woman who had a baby in the nursery with our second, named him Urea

poor little guy.. Maybe she was trying for Uriah, and missed..

I also have a friend whose Mom was aiming for Antoine..but he ended up with;
Antweoin

[Posteritatis]

16. Always wondered how many instances of that *weren't* apocryphal. (nt)

[RKP5637]

19. OMG - that is creepy. n/t

[appleannie1]

11. Bet she would find Allah or Mohammed to be just fine.

[LittleBlue]

13. How exactly do you decide on a name if the parents won't agree?

Never heard of parents being unable to come to an agreement on a name. Usually it doesn't require a court.

[arely staircase]

14. SATAN!

[Waiting For Everyman]

15. I had to rec this.

My daughter used to joke years ago when they were teenagers, that her cousin was so egotistical, that she would name her first child Messiah. Jess, is that you?

No, I guess not, because we're still waiting to find out, as she hasn't had any kids yet.

[Mnemosyne]

20. He had no right, period. I have ancestors with the first names General and Living. nt

[AnnieBW]

21. He's not THE Messiah

He's just a very naughty boy.

[csziggy]

22. So is she going to change people's names from "Major" or "Mason" or "King" to something

Else? I've known people with all those for first names.

Heck, BASIL means "king", so she probably wants to change that!

Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew needs to get her religion out of the secular courts.

[HiPointDem]

23. since when do judges get to choose people's names?