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

Discussion in 'Freedom and Liberty' started by tulianr, Aug 12, 2013.


  1. tulianr

    tulianr Don Quixote de la Monkey

    I could have accepted this ruling more easily if the Judge had stopped at saying that the baby's name would likely cause the child great difficulty in life, such as in the case of the idiots who named their child "Hitler." She didn't stop there, she went on to explain her decision by saying that only Jesus Christ deserved the name chosen by the parents. That represents an intrusion of the Judge's personal religious beliefs into her ruling. That's a problem for me; and while many Christians may not immediately see a problem with the judge's ruling or reasoning, had the judge been Jewish, or Muslim, or Buddhist, and made a ruling based on personal religious belief, I believe they would see the problem clearly.

    The judge was asked in an interview if she had considered the popularity within the Hispanic community of naming a child "Jesus." To which she replied that it wasn't relevant in this case.

    IMO, "Messiah" is a stupid name for a kid, but it's not the worst name I've encountered, and should our courts be legislating against stupidity?

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    Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew ordered the name change last week, according to WBIR-TV. The boy's parents were in court because they could not agree on the child's last name, but when the judge heard the boy's first name, she ordered it changed, too.

    "It could put him at odds with a lot of people and at this point he has had no choice in what his name is," Ballew said.

    It was the first time she ordered a first name change, the judge said.

    Messiah was No. 4 among the fastest-rising baby names in 2012, according to the Social Security Administration's annual list of popular baby names.

    The judge in eastern Tennessee said the baby was to be named Martin DeShawn McCullough, which includes both parents' last name.

    The boy's mother, Jaleesa Martin, of Newport, said she will appeal. She says Messiah is unique and she liked how it sounded alongside the boy's two siblings _ Micah and Mason.

    "Everybody believes what they want so I think I should be able to name my child what I want to name him, not someone else," Martin said.

    Ballew said the name Messiah could cause problems if the child grows up in Cocke County, which has a large Christian population.

    "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," the judge said.


    Tennessee Judge orders baby's name be changed from 'Messiah' | wbir.com
     
  2. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    anyone else thinking separation of church and state?:(
     
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  3. VisuTrac

    VisuTrac Ваша мать носит военные ботинки Site Supporter+++

    Thank goodness the parents weren't hispanic. Could you imagine if they'd named the tike Jesus?

    I'm thinking that the judge over-reached on this one.
     
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  4. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    Definitely an overreach of the nanny state... let people name their kids stupid stuff.... it will just confirm to all the fact that the kid's parents are idiots.
     
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  5. Gator 45/70

    Gator 45/70 Monkey+++

     
  6. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    Like moon unit Zappa?;)
     
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  7. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    To me, it's appalling that the judge picked the name rather than ordering the parents to pick something else. Meddling a mile too far, IMHO.
     
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  8. Mountainman

    Mountainman Großes Mitglied Site Supporter+++

    That one only happened because Frank Zappa took to much acid.
     
  9. Mountainman

    Mountainman Großes Mitglied Site Supporter+++

    My first thought when I read this was: who the hell does that judge think she is to believe she has the authority to tell you what to name your child?
     
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  10. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    Definitely exceeding the judges authority. Intruding on the rights of parents. Any person can legally change their name when they get to an age of consent. It is not the states business.
     
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  11. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Well, it would seem the Parents couldn't agree on the child's name and brought the Case into Court, to have the Judge, settle the issue. If they were so STUPID as to "Go to Court" to settle the ISSUE, then the JUDGE wouldn't be over-reaching to do exactly THAT... She Settled, the ISSUE that was brought before her.... That is what the County, pays her for, to Settle Issues that are brought into Her Court. If you do NOT want your Kids name to be decided by a Judge, then do NOT go to Court, and ASK the Judge to do EXACTLY THAT......
     
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  12. Pax Mentis

    Pax Mentis Philosopher King |RIP 11-4-2017

    I would agree BT, if the conflict they had brought involved the first name (though I would still agree that the whole concept of having to have a judge decide what last name the child would use until he could make his own choice is still ridiculous)...but arbitrarily deciding that the first name, which was not a subject of the "controversy" should be brought into it and unilaterally choosing one exceeds even the parents' stupidity.
     
  13. Tracy

    Tracy Insatiably Curious Moderator Founding Member

    Not necessarily, BT. It says that they brought the last name before the judge - she also made the first name be changed. I believe that this was outside of the duty she was asked to perform.

    That being said... REALLY?!?! Can't decide on a last name? Good grief! What about giving the boy the father's last name (isn't that generally what happens?).
     
  14. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    That would be SOOOO traditional, T. Let's get modern and pull a few more Zappa kid's names out of the hat.
     
    Tracy likes this.
  15. Gator 45/70

    Gator 45/70 Monkey+++

     
  16. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    Acid, or not, the name stands. No judge decided the kid might not quite fit in with that name. The fight was over a Sur name (what clan or family do you hail from) not a given name which the parents DID agree upon. This is an arbitrary ruling, based solely upon the religious convictions of the judge alone.

    " First Amendment –
    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. "


    The purpose of the First Amendment concerning religion, was to prevent Government from imposing it's own religious views upon the public. That choice of religious was to be free of Government mandate, or interference. Clearly, the judge overstepped this line, drawn in the sand. The parents freely, and without conflict chose the child's first name (given name). the judge abridged their free speech, and did so while imposing a religious view, on a legal decision.
     
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  17. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    I thought that was odd that the judge decided to rename the kid Martin. I don't know how I feel about the whole case because I can't understand why anyone would name their child Messiah in the first place. What goofy people.
     
  18. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    well, Sifileus, and Gunoria were already taken...:rolleyes: My wife had a child in her class named Encentz.....:rolleyes:
     
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  19. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    Feeling slightly crazy Kellory? I can't even top that.:love:
     
  20. tulianr

    tulianr Don Quixote de la Monkey

    I used to get a class roster of my incoming students when I was training Intell Analysts. One class list had a young lady named "Rainbow" and her classmate "Calypso." I thought someone was having me on, and had to call to confirm those names. Of course, in the class I was teaching at the time, was a young lady with the name of "Fagot." (Think French pronunciation.)
     
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