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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 |
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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. |
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Must have been a Teacup Republican judge. Is the name copyrighted? Doubt it. Just another stupid intrusion by the bench into an area that doesn't concern it. Who brought the suit anyway?
Before passing judgement, think that the child will have to live with his name. Growing up will be painful for the child. How would like to be called Martha if you were a boy, just because your parents had the IQ of an amoeba?
Actually, if you chose to name your child Amoeba, it should be your choice. This judge has no law to base this on, and she overstepped her authority.
There atre people actually named Jesus. Does the judge want them to change thweir names too? How did that person get the name "judge"?
LOL you should've stopped before 'how did he get the name of judge.' he isn't *named* judge, it is his job. and there's more than one of them.also i bet he's the kind of good-ole'-boy southern judge who insists people call him Your Honor at parties, or possibly Colonel. or heck, maybe Messiah, which is why the kid can't be named.
at any rate, this is America, and there's a thing called free speech, which should include naming one's kids. otherwise, lots of little "apples" and "moses" and "denim" and "Diezel" and ... i'll stop there ... would all be named james or donna.
Add it to the list with Adolf Hitler.
What if the child is the Messiah?
What does the Dad have to say....oh wait, nevermind.
Messiah is a popular name, according to the Social Security Administration.
Indeed, it was #387 for boys in 2012. What is this judge thinking? http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/popularnames.cgi
I worry about how the child might feel or be treated and his name made a mockery of.
I'd tell that Judge to get effed. Hispanics name their kids Jesus all the time.
There is only one messiah...OK judge – thanks for confirming you are bigoted towards all the other religions and their messiahs.
Well said, Sensed.
These parents couldn't agree on a name? What kind of parents are they? They can't even name a child to begin with.
The last name of the child is what they were going to court for.
1. The woman is a fool for trying to name a child that. It's a little over the top.
2. The judge has no legal standing to say she cannot name her child that.
3. If a child doesn't like his or her name, he can use his middle name until adulthood and then legally change his own name when he hits 18.
So you're suggesting "DeShawn" then?
The parents are idiots. Who cares about whether they have the right to name a child what they want or whether or not a judge has any say. The parents should pick a normal name to keep their poor child from a lifetime of being made fun of.
Who cares? As an American, I care about a judge who is overstepping her role. That judge has absolutely no right to change the name of a child based on the judge's religious beliefs !!!!!
Paris that lives at Hilton Head does take some ribbing. She was cleaning rooms at a Ramadan.
your definition of "normal" is probably very different than others around the world. This judge has no business telling these people they can't name their child Messiah.
This is the dumbest thing I have read in awhile. Fire that bigoted monotheist of a judge!
Are you a monotheist bigot??
Very silly, for a kid's name. It would be like naming someone "Reverend" or "Rabbi" or "Father." See the problem? Not appropriate.
It was #387 for boys in 2012, according to the Social Security Administration: http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/popularnames.cgi
What about all the Hispanic babies named Jesus (pronounced Hay-suse)? She gonna un-name them, too?
There is no way this does not get overturned, and I would bet her jurisprudence career is rapidly approaching its endpoint.
Whatever happened to separation of church and state!?!
The state has usurped more power than any corrupt church dreamed of.
Organized religions have usurped more power, corrupted more people, caused the death of more people, and obstructed the advance of humanity, more than than anything else – including governments.
Go ahead and paint everything you see. Your brush is broad enough.
I think that's a fair ruling by the Judge.
Messiah, God, Allah, etc.. should be banned as names for children or anyone.
Just my opinion.
What about Emmanuel?
Or Mathew, Mark, Luke, John, Simon, David, Judas................OK nobody names their kid Judas, Agreed!
It is not a fair ruling by the judge. It will be overturned if the mom decides to persue it.
In like manner, i also feel that Cow, Rodent, Rat, Feces, Unicorn, and numerous other potential names for children should be banned, due to simple sillyness and inappropriateness,
Also, the name Edna, Bertha, Edith, etc..
Activist judge makes me mad.
One of the consequences of freedom is that people do stupid things with their freedom. That does not mean that their rights to do stupid (legal) things (that don't really hurt anyone else in this case) should be taken away.
This is ultimately just ridiculous. I find it hard to believe the judge was hired to enforce her religious views on others. I rather suspect it was to enforce the laws of the state and municipality in which she worked. I hope this judge is retrained or fired; I do not trust her impartiality any more.
-Pete
Zues, Thor, Ra ??
Really? This judge has gone too far. We have the right to name ourselves and children what we want?
So, perhaps I should be allowed to name my child "Moron"
Get real.
Yes you should
Legally they can name the child anything they want. However, I think the judge has a lot more brains than the parents. She's probably just trying to spare the little 'Messiah' from a childhood full of verbal taunts and a lifetime of expensive psychotherapy. What is WRONG with some of these idiot parents?!
"Legally they can name the child anything they want. However, I think the judge has a lot more brains than the parents. She's probably just trying to spare the little 'Messiah' from a childhood full of verbal taunts and a lifetime of expensive psychotherapy. What is WRONG with some of these idiot parents?!"
I guess they don't base life decisions on the opinion of others. IF the kid gets taunted because of his name, it's the parent's fault? It's not the fault of the kids picking on me, or the environment our society fosters when it becomes acceptable to taunt someone simply because their name is different?
It's unconventional and a stupid name, but you know what? So is "Jesus".
Heck, one of the most popular names nowadays is "Christian" and that name literally means 'stupid follower' so... :shrug::
Yeah, who names their kid 'Kevin'?
Oh, and let's not forget that at some point, the child gets to say, "Just call me 'Mess' for short."
And I'm very sorry that your parents named you "Hey! You!" 🙂 I hope you weren't subjected to too much bullying?
Thanks for caring!
messiah is a little extreme. people please use commons sense.
Big mistake on her part. Who cares about religious names. Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Adonias, Adam, Eve ... all have been used before.