Judge orders baby's name to be changed from "Messiah"

[Trainwreck2100]

Next time someone named Jesus comes before her she changes his name to Frank.

"But I didn't want my named changed Your Honor, just to have my parking ticket overturned."
"Shut up Frank."

She probably couldn't do that unless Jesus came in with an explicit case of having his name changed

 

[Xeno]

Next time someone named Jesus comes before her she changes his name to Frank.

"But I didn't want my named changed Your Honor, just to have my parking ticket overturned."
"Shut up Frank."

She's like a bad Southern stereotype. I used to coordinate with child support enforcement and CPS, and if we spent time worrying about kids names we would never have gotten anything else done. We did see some strange names, though. When little Demean or Tondelayo's birth certificates crossed my desk, all I did was roll my eyes at the names and process the cases. There was a girl named Titicaca once. Some workers were really outraged about that one but no one called in a judge to change it. One woman named her daughter after herself and checked "Junior" on the birth certificate: Jane Doe, Junior. People just give their kids strange names sometimes and that's their right, unfortunately.

I don't think an odd name is going to ruin anyone's childhood. My own name was considered unusual by some of my relatives and the smalltown people we had to deal with. In fact, I wasn't called by my real first name until I started school. It's a normal name, just not popular like other girls' names. I got teased for it a bit until kids got tired of making up lame puns, but for a while I hated my name. Now I'm fine with it, and in retrospect I got teased a lot more because I had a speech impediment when I was little than for my name. I'm sure little Messiah will be fine, too. I have my doubts about Titicaca and Tondelayo, though.

 

[JOlsen]

My name is Christopher Robin. I wonder if that judge would stop my parents from using that had I been born today.

 

[Manic]

My name is Christopher Robin. I wonder if that judge would stop my parents from using that had I been born today.

Is that a coincidence, or did your parents intentionally name you after a popular children's character?

 

[jaymes_e06]

My name is Christopher Robin. I wonder if that judge would stop my parents from using that had I been born today.

Awww you poor dear...

 

[KevanG]

The judge wouldn't unless she found him to be a religious figure that might possibly go against her views. If she found that to be the case? **** YEAH! You'd be named Frank in a second.

 

[Manic]

I just found out the origin of the name Joshua. Nobody tell that judge, because Joshua is literally just the name Jesus translated through a couple of languages.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I just found out the origin of the name Joshua. Nobody tell that judge, because Joshua is literally just the name Jesus translated through a couple of languages.

Jesus > Iesous > Yeshua > Joshua > Josh Groban

 

[JOlsen]

Is that a coincidence, or did your parents intentionally name you after a popular children's character?

Named after my great grandfather. Probably a coincidence. Oddly I was never made fun of. (for my name that is)

 

[Lord]

My name is Christopher Robin. I wonder if that judge would stop my parents from using that had I been born today.

You're real!

 

[JOlsen]

You're real!

...

 

[KevanG]

You may regret having said your real name here JOlsen.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

I've already stolen his identity...twice. Mwahaha.

 

[KevanG]

Only twice? Pfft... Amateur.

I've taken out three loans, two new cars and gotten a high powered job earning $200,000/year using his identity.

Also, JOlsen. The IRS may be interested in talking to you in the near future.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

I just bought some pharmaceuticals from Canada and subscribed to a few, ahem, adult magazines

 

[KevanG]

I buy canadian pharmaceuticals all the time.

And dirty magazines? In this day and age?

Shame, shame.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I buy canadian pharmaceuticals all the time.

And dirty magazines? In this day and age?

Shame, shame.

Hey, get your mind out of the gutter. He said "adult" magazines, not dirty magazines.

I'll have you know DS and I have been fellow subscribers to Antique Clocks Monthly and Cardigans Today for years now.

 

[KevanG]

Those aren't adult. Those are ancient. Those are "I'm so old I fart dust" ancient.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Those aren't adult. Those are ancient. Those are "I'm so old I fart dust" ancient.

No, sadly Fart Dust Times stopped printing two years ago. We could all see it coming, since you can get all the fart dust content online these days.

 

[Breogan]

Martin[the Mother] is appealing the judge's decision. It will go before the Cocke County Chancellor on Sept. 17.

Some followup - http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/tenn-judge-parents-baby-messiah-20292026

"At an appeal hearing in Cocke County Chancery Court on Wednesday, Chancellor Telford E. Forgety overturned Ballew's decision, finding that she acted unconstitutionally."

 

[Teelie]

About five minutes ago, ABC News reports:

A Tennessee woman will be allowed to name her 8-month-old son "Messiah," a judge ruled Wednesday, overturning an order from another judge who said the boy's name should be changed to Martin because "'Messiah' is a title that is held only by Jesus Christ."

[...]

At an appeal hearing in Cocke County Chancery Court on Wednesday, Chancellor Telford E. Forgety overturned Ballew's decision, finding that she acted unconstitutionally.

Forgety said that there is no basis in the law for changing a child's first name where both parents are in agreement about it. He also said that Ballew's decision violates the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

 

[Manic]

Woohoo, the system works can be fought!

 

[Trainwreck2100]

Woohoo, the system works can be fought!

no it can't

 

[Dr.]

In Hebrew, messiah simply means a duly recognized king or high priest (who has been ceremonially anointed with oil - the equivalent of being crowned). So it’s a title, not an individual; and as such, it can be applied to various persons. Arguably, (King) David was a messiah. And Cyrus (king of Persia) was explicitly referred to as a messiah. So naming your child “Messiah” would be the same as calling him/her “King” or “Queen” (or, in Latin, “Rex” or “Regina&#8221.

 

[Breogan]

So naming your child “Messiah” would be the same as calling him/her .... in Latin... “Rex”

Our saviors...

Y igualmente