Tenn. judge changes infant's name from 'Messiah' to Martin

Hello

A judge in Tennessee has ordered a 7 month infants name changed from Messiah to Martin saying the religious name was earned by one person and "that one person is Jesus Christ.

The boys parents were in court because they could not agree on the childs last name.

the mother says she is going to appeal She says Messiah is unique and she liked how it sounded alongside the boy's two siblings Micah and Mason.

The story says Messiah was No. 4 among the fastest rising baby names in 2012..

bigstory.ap.org...

I don't think a judge should have any authority to name our kids, there are so many worse names than Messiah out there.

How many kids are named Jesus?

Fyi the judge gave the boy both parents last name "Martin DeShawn McCullough".

So she can decide that the first name should be changed and just change it in against the parents wishes but she can't even make a decision on which last name to give the baby..

If this is allowed, then lots of celebrities need to have their children renamed. For instance Michael Jackson's kid "Blanket".

There are lots of people named Jesus, so why not Messiah?

The judge is an idiot.

Originally posted by groingrinder
If this is allowed, then lots of celebrities need to have their children renamed. For instance Michael Jackson's kid "Blanket".

I thought blanket was just a nickname? Or at least I hope so.

I find this unacceptable. The judge's religious beliefs have no place in the court room. I think that judge should be kicked out and never be able to enter a courtroom as anything other than a defendant.

Basically we are being legally forced to revere Jesus. That's what his ruling basically says.

Originally posted by groingrinder
If this is allowed, then lots of celebrities need to have their children renamed. For instance Michael Jackson's kid "Blanket".

Or Kim Kardashian and Kanye West and their kid "North"

What about Jason Lee (My Name Is Earl), his son's name is.....Pilot Inspecktor, no kidding.

I also met a hippie couple who named their baby boy.....Baby Huckleberry, as in the whole first name is, Baby Huckleberry jeez, I had a hard time not cringing when I heard this.

Still it is the parents right to name their child, the child can change their name when they get older if they should wish to. This judge should have no right to proclaim his messiah is everyone elses's. I can't imagine that this is even legal.

reply to post by goou111

A judge in Tennessee has ordered a 7 month infants name changed from Messiah to Martin

I would say the judge is clearly overstepping his bounds.

What I don’t get is that the couple apparently didn't contest it. If they had, Any lawyer could have easily argued that it was Not the judges place to make such determinations. After all, if the judge felt that he had the authority to do so wouldn't he also be required, by some standard, to haul parents into court that had named their child "Messiah"?

I call this a Failure of the Judicial System and I find the judges reasoning to be completely erroneous to say the least. The parents, although I don't think they will, should appeal this to a higher court.

It is also very suspect as to what reasoning he used to determine the name.

I have to admit that I really hate to hear about a child being named something that's going to cause them grief. At the same time, my name caused me a lot of grief.

In any case, the state has no authority to dictate anything in regards to the name of a child. NONE.

Then again, the state has no authority to do 99% of what it does. Somebody puts on a costume (black robe) and has folks with lots of guns (SWAT) and therefore things get done as they deem appropriate regardless of common law.

Welcome to reality....circa 1984.

I envision that day when a BRT (Black Robed Tyrant) tells you what you can wear or eat and if you disagree or refuse to comply, you get the 'ol contempt charge and get tossed in the klink by the JBT without any due process, habeas corpus, justice......you get the drift.

We have allowed it. Never forget that.

Christ I don't even know how to respond to this...

separation of church and state...

1st amendment free speech...

Or you know just the right to name your own offspring...

Probably could of named the kid Yeshua and no one would care, because the judge would be to stupid to get what that meant.

Name becoming popular for boys it seems...762 kids in 2012 this site says.
www.ourbabynamer.com...

Hey maybe this is what they REALLY meant in Mathew!
For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,'

reply to post by goou111


Seems I made the same thread, but you hit enter first.

I will ad my OP to this thread so mine can be closed...

A Newport mother is appealing a court's decision after a judge ordered her son's name be changed from "Messiah." Jaleesa Martin and the father of Messiah could not agree on a last name, which is how they ended up at a child support hearing in Cocke County Chancery Court on Thursday. That is when the first name came into question.

The name change was part of Judge Ballew's case; however, the parents did not think the first name would be changed. Judge Ballew ordered the 7-month-old's name be "Martin DeShawn McCullough." It includes both parent's last names but leaves out Messiah. "The word Messiah is a title and it's a title that has only been earned by one person and that one person is Jesus Christ," Judge Ballew said.

Source
This kind of blows the whole "separation of church and state" out of the water but whatever, that's not why I'm posting this.

The judge claims this is a decision based on the child's future and how he will be treated by others, but I call BS. I think it's just cause she is Christian and takes offense to it.

Personally I think this is ridiculous! It would be one thing if the child had an expletive for a name or something, but cause this is a name of someone from the "good book" it's a problem?

When the Judge is asked how she feels about people with the name Jesus, the Judge responds with "That isn't relevant to this case."

I ask, what do others think of this? Perhaps others of faith could respond too.
Is it so wrong to name your child Messiah? What about Jesus?

The story says Messiah was No. 4 among the fastest rising baby names in 2012..

So other children have been allowed the name?

The judge perhaps saved the child from a lifetime of ridicule, unrealistic expectations and self-delusion.

Originally posted by Visitor2012
The judge perhaps saved the child from a lifetime of ridicule, unrealistic expectations and self-delusion.

Nah i doubt it, my first names John-Paul and i don`t suffer any expectations of becoming a pontiff or think i am Jesus` messenger or am head of the Catholic church

Messiahs maybe a bit over the top but the judge hadn`t got any right what so ever to change the babies name and to think she had just goes to show how willing we are to allow the judicial system to interfere on our freedoms as human beings. I really hope the parents can appeal and reverse this infringement on their rights.

Absolutely ridiculous

I would consider the name "Messiah" to be offensive to others, a source of ridicule for the child, and a ridiculous way to make a religious statement using a defenseless child.

But that's my personal opinion, and the parents have the absolute right to name the child whatever they wish to name it. Period. This judge needs to be drummed out of office and brought up on civil rights charges. This is exactly what violation of the First Amendment looks like, but I guarantee Judge Roy Moore got a heck of a lot more attention for just displaying a plaque in his courtroom than this will get.

(For those who do not know of Judge Moore, he is the Alabama Judge that came under fire for having the Ten Commandments displayed alongside other historical documents, including the Magna Carta and the US Constitution on his courtroom walls. He never was even accused of making a decision based on the Ten Commandments, but was ordered by a Federal Court to remove the Ten Commandments plaque and was removed from office when he refused.)

I can be a Christian without telling others how they must live.

TheRedneck

Martin is not the Messiah... he's a very naughty boy

Sorry, couldn't help the Monty Python reference.

Seriously that is one uptight judge who's integrity for the first amendment is seriously compromised. A constitutional lawyer would rip that case apart, but they could easily settle for an ambulance chaser to save money.

Now in all fairness TRN, Judge Moore had a much higher status as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, handling criminal and civil cases that could have many constitutional implications. Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew is some backwoods family court Judge quite obviously from a less educated background. Much lower profile. However, I do agree that Judge Moore should have been allowed to keep the Ten Commandments up as it is pretty much supports our penal code and I believe is completely relevant considering the crimes that come through a courtroom of his caliber.

I do not believe Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew should be stripped from the bench though, as one could argue that she was practicing her own first amendment rights and acting within reason for the welfare of the child based on her beliefs, which the county's lawyer could probably somehow connect to some legal relevance. At least they can force the name to be changed back to the parents decision. I would only support taking her off the bench if she has shown a repeated pattern of integrity compromising behavior, and not based solely on this spontaneous, obviously emotional knee jerk decision which struck a nerve for her.

I don't see the problem unless Judges are about to start telling Muslim American parents that they cannot name their sons Mohamed.

reply to post by goou111


Judges ruling is absurd and will never stand the test of a higher court.

BTW Does anyone here remember what Grace Slick named her kid back in the good ole 60's????