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

The Judge overstepped his bounds.


OTOH, the US is nowhere near restrictions of naming children as other western countries.

mentalfloss.com... aming-laws

In Germany, you must be able to tell the gender of the child by the first name, and the name chosen must not be negatively affect the well being of the child. Also, you can not use last names or the names of objects or products as first names. Whether or not your chosen name will be accepted is up to the office of vital statistics, the Standesamt, in the area in which the child was born.

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Denmark's very strict Law on Personal Names is in place to protect children from having odd names that suit their parents' fancy. To do this, parents can choose from a list of only 7,000 pre-approved names, some for girls, some for boys.

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The Iceland Naming Committee, formed in 1991, is the group that decides whether a new given name will be acceptable.

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Originally posted by goou111
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..

edit on 11-8-2013 by goou111 because: (no reason given)

born in Tn, lived in the south more years than a person should have to.

WHEN ARE WE< AS A NATION> gonna stop allowing these RELIGIOUS NUTJOBS ANY AUTHORITY?

seperation of church and state?

this judge should be fired immediately for personal religious beliefs being a factor in something it should not..

Originally posted by NavyDoc
The Judge overstepped his bounds.


OTOH, the US is nowhere near restrictions of naming children as other western countries.

mentalfloss.com... aming-laws

In Germany, you must be able to tell the gender of the child by the first name, and the name chosen must not be negatively affect the well being of the child. Also, you can not use last names or the names of objects or products as first names. Whether or not your chosen name will be accepted is up to the office of vital statistics, the Standesamt, in the area in which the child was born.

Read the full text here: mentalfloss.com...
--brought to you by mental_floss!

Denmark's very strict Law on Personal Names is in place to protect children from having odd names that suit their parents' fancy. To do this, parents can choose from a list of only 7,000 pre-approved names, some for girls, some for boys.

Read the full text here: mentalfloss.com...
--brought to you by mental_floss!

The Iceland Naming Committee, formed in 1991, is the group that decides whether a new given name will be acceptable.

Read the full text here: mentalfloss.com...
--brought to you by mental_floss!

I would support legislation like this in the US. Years ago I worked in a clinic in Memphis, TN. A mother brought her young twin boys in and their names were Lemmonjello and Orangejello. No I'm not kidding. She named her sons after her two favorite foods. Whether parents should have the "right" to name their children "whatever the hell they want" should be up for debate in my opinion. I have seen other examples of naming abuse but that one still sets the standard.

To All New Parents:
Please give your child a regular name and TEACH them how to succeed in life. Don't hang some idiotic moniker on them hoping that's the last "favor" you'll need to do for them to achieve.

I don't know which is worse? The state stepping in to meddle in affairs down to the level of naming our babies? Or... The fact grown adults are so petty, selfish and outright immature they start naming kids things that scream for intervention?

When will these children in adult bodies understand that they've created a life. They didn't create a living punch line to their own inside joke or warm blooded billboard to their own special interests. Some people need sterilized. They REALLY do. Their continued presence in the gene pool screams for more than intervention for a name. It screams for chlorine by the gallon before it multiplies!

reply to post by DYepes

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.

I do see an action worthy of removal, and worthy of civil rights chargers. This judge made a decision based solely on Biblical principles; Roy Moore hung a plague with both Biblical and legal significance on his wall. I do not need to see a pattern in a judge in order to demand they be removed; a judge has extreme authority in cases which appear before them and thus must exercise extreme responsibility in the adjudication of those cases.

I am one of those poor unenlightened rednecks who believe that America is indeed a Christian country, not by law but by historic precedent. Yet I am also of the firm belief that we are not a theocracy, and thus the prominent religious leanings have no basis in law other than in the creation of those laws by the will of the people in accordance with our legal system and Constitutions. In other words, if the people of a state wish to make a law that states that no child may be named "Messiah," and if such a law could be somehow deemed to be constitutional, then that is the will of the people; but no judge should be able to effectively write such a law unilaterally. That is essentially what this judge did, and it is completely and wholly unacceptable.

I wish to worship my God in peace without interference of any kind from anyone else. As a member of society, that means I have to allow others the right to worship their deities or not in peace without any interference of any kind. It's not a hard concept, but it seems to be a concept too many people, including judges apparently, cannot grasp.

I have in the past taken the position where Muslim extremists performed heinous acts that if other Muslims wished to disassociate themselves from this there should be an outcry form those Muslims against it. I now find myself in this same situation, and I will raise a cry against such religious intolerance.

I may be many things, my friend, but I am no hypocrite. Right is right and wrong is wrong.

TheRedneck

reply to post by DYepes


Great response, it's reasonable to consider a child's welfare in family law court. I think you hit the nail on the head with reminding us of the judge's human nature, & possibility that this case hit some sort of nerve with her.
Also, it is possible she's sick and tired of ignorant folk traipsing through the courtroom with names like Neveah (heaven spelled backwards) or Lucifer. It could be that the judge knew full well she was overstepping her bounds, but did so anyway, betting that the parents wouldnt have it changed again. Because really, if the parents needed guidance into using BOTH last names when they were fighting over which to give baby Messiah, they're probably not the most civilized pair of parents.

The next judge may go with "Martin Messiah DeShawn McCullough"


Also, does anyone else here fund it entertaining that two of the kids are Mason & Messiah?

It is Tennessee, the land that gave us the monkey trials.

Still they judge is bound by the constitution and the 1st Amendment is also supposed to protect us from being force fed someone else's religion. She overstepped her bounds but probably a local hero because in that area people still think evolution is lie straight from the pits of hell.

Religion has no place in the court room.

Hebrew māshīaḥ literally, anointed one.
an exceptional or hoped for liberator of a country or people
www.thefreedictionary.com...

So what's the problem judge?

While I am a Christian myself, I completely disagree with this judge's decision. Rather I disagree that this judge should have the ability to make such a decision. In our legal system all decisions must be made based on our laws. So despite one's religious beliefs, those must be set aside when one serves in such a position. That is what is known as bias. We have separation of church and state for a reason...It doesn't work. Too many people have differing beliefs. To illustrate my point, if the Muslims would figure that out, then their countries wouldn't be so bad to live in.

reply to post by goou111


I read this yesterday and although i agree that the name 'Messiah' is a bit daft, I also agree that the name of a child is no one else's business but the Mother & Father!

On second thoughts there are Millions of 'Mohammed's' out there.... probably high up close to 1 Billion!

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

edit on 11-8-2013 by benrl because: (no reason given)

Good point.

reply to post by goou111


I think that judge was under the impression that letting the kid be named "messiah" would be misleading. I mean, alot of people out there, not just christians but also new agers and even Buddhists, believe in the Second Coming. Just playing the devil's advocate here, but I think the guy was afraid that this "Messiah" kid could well pass for the antichrist if he grows up and becomes popular.

"Hey, what's your name? "
"Oh, me? I'm the one and only Messiah. "

An counter-argument could be that, this judge seems to fail to realize that so many people are called "Jesus". But one has to remember that none of these people are called "Jesus Christ".

reply to post by goou111


From what I can see, the bigger issue here should be parents naming their children things that are virtually guaranteed to cause the child problems as they grow up, and later in life. had the judge stated that as a reason, her decision would hold more merit. I completely understand her sentiments (which she stated in a video I saw), but I don't know that her stated reason is legally valid.

As for the parents (and they aren't alone), they should step back and THINK. Some of the names some people choose for their children are flat out stupid, and border on emotional abuse. Some kids can be very cruel and they don't need free ammunition.

reply to post by LadyGreenEyes


You said it better than I did.

Originally posted by swanne
reply to post by LadyGreenEyes

 

You said it better than I did.

Well, read this earlier (like actually yesterday evening), and thought about it a lot. Then though about a poor kid being named after compass directions ,and other silliness I have seen and heard. Sadly, in this case, since the judge stated the wrong (legally) reasons, this poor kid will probably end up with that name.

Wow, just wow.

First wow that someone would actually call their child messiah.
Second wow that a judge can legally change a childs name.

What a crazy story.

I agree with others who have stated this story is ridiculous on multiple levels. Judge changing baby's name based upon personal religion? Nuts. Parents naming their son Messiah? Equally nuts.

I also think that people should have to have a license to breed. It could be similar to a driver's exam. Can't pass? No license. Can't pass after a certain number of tries and or years? Sterilization. Test items could include information on proper nutrition, parenting, basic information like "Can you point out Canada on a Map?".

We really need to slow the "Idiocracy" roll. And if all these really dumb people are breeding I can't figure out how that can be accomplished.

Originally posted by Malynn
I agree with others who have stated this story is ridiculous on multiple levels. Judge changing baby's name based upon personal religion? Nuts. Parents naming their son Messiah? Equally nuts.

I also think that people should have to have a license to breed. It could be similar to a driver's exam. Can't pass? No license. Can't pass after a certain number of tries and or years? Sterilization. Test items could include information on proper nutrition, parenting, basic information like "Can you point out Canada on a Map?".

We really need to slow the "Idiocracy" roll. And if all these really dumb people are breeding I can't figure out how that can be accomplished.

This might be controversial, BUT...

The stupid have as equal a right to breed as the intelligent.

Thats freedom. Its freedom for all or freedom for none. As long as no one is harmed.

But then that brings up the debate that would the child have suffered with a name like messiah?
Very probably. It turns the black and white into a big grey area.

Originally posted by swanne

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

edit on 11-8-2013 by benrl because: (no reason given)

Good point.

and Yeshua was a common name in Israel.

reply to post by OneManArmy


You do have a point about freedom, but there are other points to consider. If we live on a finite planet with finite resources where does it end? Do we want to be overrun with idiots or do we want to encourage the best and brightest to populate the earth?