![]() |
|
August 12th, 2013
01:30 PM ET
Judge: Baby can't be named 'Messiah'A Tennessee judge has ordered the parents of a 7-month-old boy to rename their son "Martin" instead of "Messiah," CNN affiliate WBIR reports. "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," Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew said. Jaleesa Martin, the child's mother, told WBIR that she intends to appeal the decision. Do you agree with the judge's decision or do you think the parents should be able to name their son Messiah? Let us know in the comments below. Read the full story at WBIR |
![]() ![]() About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team. |
|
And here with additional insight are our panel...Moon Unit Zappa, Pilot Lee, Apple Paltrow, Kyd Duchovny, Sage Moonblood Stallone.....
what the fuck,.. i would like to see any judge ban me from naming my daughter Nemain. no that's it i order the judge to have every Child with the name Mórrígan to change their name that is a title only worthy of my ancestries, and those from long line of descendents from Macha the wife of Nuada no one can be named Mórrígan it is an affront to my faith, unless you are descendent of her
Thanks Tennessee.
You know the toothbrush was invented in Tennessee – anywhere else and it would have been called a teethbrush.
WHAT IS YOUR SOURCE FOR THE TRUTH?
If you are searching for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, who and what are you going to consult? If you are looking for advice, information and instruction on how to be saved from sin and how to live the Christian life, where can you find God's inerrant truth.
Are you going to consult books written by:
Clement of Rome
Irenaeus of Lysons
Tertullian
Augustine of Hippo
Polycarp of Smyrna
Bishop Fulton Sheen
Martin Luther
John Calvin
John Knox
George Whitefield
Charles "Chuck" Colson
Cotton Mather
Jerry Falwell
Billy Graham
John Piper
Max Lucado
Alexander Campbell
T. D. Jakes
Oral Roberts
Dwight Moody
Joesph Smith Jr.
Mary Baker Eddy
Charles Taze Russel
Sun Myung Moon
L. Ron Hubbard
DO YOU REALLY WANT TO TRUST YOUR SALVATION TO THESE MEN?
As for me I trust the book written by these men:
Moses
Daniel
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Paul
Peter
Jude
I trust the book that was inspired by God.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God....
WOULD THERE BE THOUSANDS OF DENOMINATIONS, IF ALL MEN WOULD JUST CONSULT GOD AND HIS VIEW FOUND IN, HIS BOOK, AND HIS BOOK ALONE?
THE BIBLE SHOULD BE YOUR MANUAL FOR THE TRUTH!
YOU ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW MY CHRISTIAN BLOG. Google search>>>steve finnell a christian view
Good point!
Get out.
WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING STEVE? Just get over yourself already and grow up you petulant child.
@Steve Finnel,
"YOU ARE INVITED TO [STAY IN YOUR] CHRISTIAN BLOG"
Thanks
The awesome logic of a Christian.
Christian: "My book was inspired by God."
Atheist: "How do you know it was inspired by 'God'?"
Christian: "My book said it was."
You mean an exasperated Christian confusedly sputters "My book said it was." because they can't get their tiny brains around why anyone would challenge their book... I mean, it was the book everyone was told was true from childhood, right? Didn't everyone grow up in a middle income white protestant faily from the mid-west?... didn't they?...
I doubt Moses even existed. He certainly didn't lead the Jews out of Egypt since they were never there to begin with.
Penn Jillette
Gavrilo Princip
Lance Armstrong
Jared Lee Loughner
Aesop
The Brothers Grimm
Hans Christian Anderson
Charles Perrault
Mother Goose
Dr. Seuss
Joseph Stalin
Malenkov
Nasser and Prokofiev
Rockefeller
Campanella
Communist Bloc
Roy Cohn
Juan Peron
Toscanini
Dacron
Dien Bien Phu Falls
Rock Around the Clock
Einstein
James Dean
Brooklyn's got a winning team
Davy Crockett
Peter Pan
Elvis Presley
Disneyland
Bardot
Budapest
Alabama
Khrushchev
Princess Grace
Peyton Place
Trouble in the Suez
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
LOL The song started playing in my head before I got 4 names in.
I decline your invite sir!
You DO realize that the "christian bible" was not what it is today, with out certain people like Martin Luther, who translated the book from Latin, into other languages like German and French so "regular" people could look at the teachings as you said, instead of groveling and paying money to the "Church". How about the fact the Bible, as it is now, was also formed by "Men" who ran the Roman Empire in the end when the "Last Emperor in Constantinople" was dying and became christian? So Men picked which gospels was to be the Bible? Maybe you should re work your thinking a bit on the history of the bible, Christianity, and such before you blast some for their views.... By the way, I am christian. I just know the facts behind my own faith...
More evidence religion makes people stupid. In this case, really stupid. Just for starters:
"I trust the book that was inspired by God."
You believe the Bible was inspired by God. Muslims believe the Koran was inspired by God. Pretty much any writings held to be sacred in any religion would be considered inspired by God by people in that religion.
There is no God. That's why there are thousands of religions.
So a mexican can call himself "Jesus" but soon a black child is named after a God who is black according to the bible..The man shakes..He cant stand to see a black child associated in any kind of way with the Lord. Black people wake up.
Didn't think it had anything to do with race. Good luck with that though.
If you are trying to say you have "Melanin" pigment in your skin then you are like most other animals on the planet. It is the verying degrees of melanin that determine how dark the skin might be. Only spiders and albinos have no melanin.
How ignorant of this mother, the irony being she didn't know the meaning of the name until the judge told her?!?! On top of that , with three children and no husband she is now running behind courts to appeal the name without taking care of the three children? Woman, where are your priorities? You began with a name which you were clueless as to what it meant to begin with, the only reason you chose this name was it sounded better alongside his siblings name? really?
THe mother didnt say she didn't know what the word messiah meant. She said she didn't pick it because it means "god" - meaning she picked it for a different reason. Learn some reading comprehension skills before you start calling other people ignorant.
Also, almost every single name can be made fun of. Kids are ingenious little jerks like that. And if it isn't the kid's name, it would be something else - if bullies want to pick on a kid, they'll find some way to do it, whether the kid's name is messiah tootifruits or john smith.
From what I have read, none of you have addressed the problems of what that child may go through as it grows up. Children can be cruel and they will be. I believe this is just a way for the mother to get attention otherwise she would not put her child in this situation. Freedom is not the issue here, it is about the child's well being and self-esteem. My husband named our daughter Tenya...a pretty name, BUT throughout her school life, people were surprised she was not black. A judgement-yes, but it is what people do.
I don't find Tenya to be any better than Messiah.
I guess you've never heard the story of a boy named Sue...
@Winny,
I agree that Messiah is an idiotic name for a child, but that's on the parents not the judge I don't think and there are worse names, e.g. Blanket Jackson, Seven Sirius Benjamin, Zowie Bowie, Kal-El Coppola Cage, and the classic Moon Unit Zappa.
I bet Kal-El only wishes his last name wasn't Cage.
Yeah, but none of those names offend the mythical Jesus.
It's difficult to offend any mythical being.
According to their followers most mythical beings are easily offended.
@johnny,
Good point. Although that would only be a mythical offense, correct.
Actually, several people have commented on it, but it's not germane to the article. The issue here isn't the advisability of give kids unusual names, but whether the government should control what names you can give your child. They are completely separate issues. I hope Tenya grows up to be smarter than her mom.
He'll likely have a nickname during his school years, and if he gets tired of it later on, he has the option to change it.
Okay, this place is a ghost town today, what happened? How about this: what's the stupidest name you ever heard? I think for me, it was a girl I met named Jynx.
How about the woman that named her twins Orangejello and Lemonjello because that's what she craved during her pregnancy.
Pronounced: or-Onj-ello & le-Monj-ello
Yikes! I would have had to name one of mine Marinated Artichoke Hearts!
Jello shots? ... oh wait "during" pregnancy not cause of pregnancy, got it.
http://www.snopes.com/racial/language/names.asp
seriously? damn you people are racist.
@suit,
Thanks for the link, but the description above neither 1) mentioned the race of the mother nor 2) claimed it was a mistaken understanding or pronunciation of other words.
Actual names. First & Last
Rusty Pipes
Eye Flutter
Eye Lash
Rosetta Stone
Sandy Beach
Rhoda Broom
Pat Fenis
Polly Esther
Ima Gay
Seymour Butt
Joy Rider
Justin Case
Neva Faithful
Bonk Register
Booby Ogle
Wanton Coward
Plegm Click
Some parents are just plain cruel.
Locally, we have:
Dick Schmuck
Dick Peters
Bob Peters
Jack Peters
... and a guy with the last name of Ogle, who has been convicted of felony possession of child po.rnography, peeping, prowling, eavesdropping, and who continues to offend.
How about the guy who was named Jack Shit. He hated that name for years, so he finally went to a judge and changed it to Joe Shit.
With a name like Lu Ann, she probably wishes someone had made her parents give her a different name.
Don't go to family courts to settle disputes relating to your baby's name, settle it amicably between your baby daddy and yourself!
Why do people have babies together if they can't decide on a name for their baby???
Hear! Hear!
That was at 'Moral of the Story'
The bigger question is , why do people procreate out of wedlock?
I know this is a shot in the dark as i'm just guessing here... but I think it has something to do with how good pro-creating feels, though with some of you i'm sure it's more of an amature-creating moment but still feels good...
Two bigger questions are:
– Given how many marriages end in divorce, why do some people think getting married is such an obvious thing to do?
– Why do people ask such clueless questions?
Defective condoms?
I take that back, it is obviously Satan's fault.
The bigger question is who came up with the crazy idea of wedlock? Procreation is obvious and instinctual – wedlock, not so much.
In my state, if the father is ordered to pay child support, the father is entitled to have his last name on the birth certificate, and it has to be sanctioned by a court order.
That is if, of course, the baby had the mother's last name put on the BC at birth, if the parent's are not married at the time the child is born.
I have first-hand experience with the name, my nephew is named Messiah and we reside in New York state. I often wonder if I truly understand the fact that in government there is supposed to be a seperation of church and state because it seems there is less of a divide these days. I'll tell you this, I am an American and there would be no earthly way anyone would be able to get me change my child's name if I didn't want to. They can kick rocks!!!
Let's hope no child comes before her who has been disobedient to his parents, because Mosaic Law requires that he be put to death.
This is a disgrace, this judge should be removed...she's proving that she can't make a judgement without her religious beliefs! If this judge was Muslim, America would be up in arms over this story right now. Then to order her to name him "Martin" the mothers last name also is uncalled for, this woman wasn't a criminal who neglected her child...she has the right to name the baby whatever she wants (sadly, that includes some rather sick and sad names)!
One of the paramount attributes of the United States is that it is the "land of second chances."
Even if the judge made a mistake, you don't totally dismiss her. Instead, you give her a chance to fix the mistake. Trust me, that goes a long way, much longer than removing her!
As a resident of TN the only way she can fix this mistake is to resign.
...the "land of second chances."
First I've heard of that. While that may often be the case, it isn't a "paramount" attribute of the US.
...and how many second chances does she hand out daily? Don't worry... I'll wait.
This was an egregious failure in judgment. She needs to removed or at the least reprimanded to ensure other people in her position understand that letting their religious beliefs influence their rulings is unacceptable.
kcv,
The parents of this child went to Child Support Court on purpose to settle their dispute over the last name. They were not forced to appear before the court by anybody. The first name issue came up in the process.
And the first name was never0in dispute0 until this "judge" overstepped her bounds. At the very least, she needs to retake some basic Constitutional law classes, and every one of her decisions revisited to see where else, if any, she violated separation of church and state.
There ISN'T any excuse for this, Vic.
Don't know why the random zeros appeared.
@Akira,
In your comment... or on this blog in general?
The first name was never in dispute by the parents, and came up in the process by the judge. That's right.
Since the name was never in dispute by the parents the judge had no reason to change it. To not see this one would have to be brain dead.
ME II: yep.
Vic. As the child's first name wasn't in dispute, she had no business even looking at what it was. She noticed it, didn't like it, (as is her right) and changed it, (which WASN'T her right.)
Are you really that obtuse as to the meaning of such an act? Really?
ME II: I'll let you decide. Both are applicable, unlike this judge's blatant misuse of the law.
Vic, she shouldn't have even considered the first name, as that wasn't the reason they were in court. Would you agree if their last name had been Messiah she had the right to arbitrarily change the name that wasn't in dispute?
She needs to limit herself to a) the scope of the case, in which the first name was agreed upon by both parents, and b) the scope of what the Constitution lets her do legally. She did neither.
You, and she, are WRONG.
@Johnny: "To not see this one would have to be brain dead."
Vic can't see it. I'll let you draw your own conclusions.
"Ill. man changes name to 'In God We Trust'"
(http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2008-06-14-name-change_N.htm)
Great idea
This is what happens when you elect judges instead of actually getting qualified ones.
Judges, and sheriffs too. That system basically creates the redneck, corrupt Dukes of Hazzard image people have of rural America.
Very true. I'm not sure if this type of judge is elected, though. In my state, they are appointed. We can only hope that somehow, someday rational thought will prevail.
p.s. Well, make that "hope", with a generous amount of speaking up about realism.
I kind of miss the days when I didn't realize how embarrassing it could be sometimes to be an American.
It is no one's business or right to intervene into a parent's decision to name their children. This is typical of the southern right wing, always seeking to put a little more of their God into the public. Attempting to remove our freedom of choice. This is totally so wrong.
Mythologist sounds like a good name.
May God have Mercy on you. Neo
Isn't Neo that guy from the Matrix?
Neo is The One. Neo is the god of the Matrix, we're in the Matrix ergo Neo is our God.
Well, technically The Architect is the god of the Matrix, but let's not get too pedantic.