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Tenn. judge changes infant's name from 'Messiah' (1 Viewer)

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NEWPORT, Tenn. (AP) — A judge in Tennessee changed a 7-month-old boy's name to Martin from Messiah, saying the religious name was earned by one person and "that one person is Jesus Christ."

Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew ordered the name change last week, according to WBIR-TV (http://on.wbir.com/1cDOeTY). 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.

http://news.yahoo.com/tenn-judge-changes-infants-name-messiah-215423538.html

 
"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.
My guess is that line gets her overturned.

 
"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.
My guess is that line gets her overturned.
i am kind of wondering who in here will support her decision

i am guessing someone will
Well arguing is what we do. I was surprised to find out how popular this is becoming as a name.
yeah, that was a surprise to me too

 
You know while we are thinking of these things Christ is a title not a name. His parents weren't Joseph and Mary Christ after all. Christ is a translation of the Hebrew Messiah. So since Jews don't think Jesus was the messiah did he really earn the title? It is a Jewish title after all.

 
Feel sorry for the kid
Yup.

What I did find hilarious though is that the mom wants the name "because it's so unique" while the SSA says it's the 4th most name increasing in popularity.

My wife taught a kid whose parents called him Messiah at home. The names of the other kids?

King, Czar, Pharoah and Queen

 
so far no one thinks the judge was right here

this is gonna be it we are all going to agree!!!!

a thread involving religion AND courts where EVERYONE agrees

historic!

i'm prolly gonna get the Nobel Prize for starting this thread, and I will thank each and every one of you

 
so far no one thinks the judge was right here

this is gonna be it we are all going to agree!!!!

a thread involving religion AND courts where EVERYONE agrees

historic!

i'm prolly gonna get the Nobel Prize for starting this thread, and I will thank each and every one of you
Thanks are nice but I want a piece of the check.

 
so far no one thinks the judge was right here

this is gonna be it we are all going to agree!!!!

a thread involving religion AND courts where EVERYONE agrees

historic!

i'm prolly gonna get the Nobel Prize for starting this thread, and I will thank each and every one of you
Thanks are nice but I want a piece of the check.
i'll buy everyone who posted prior to this the mobile FBGs app for next season if i win

or some nueske's bacon, your choice

 
Feel sorry for the kid
Yup.

What I did find hilarious though is that the mom wants the name "because it's so unique" while the SSA says it's the 4th most name increasing in popularity.

My wife taught a kid whose parents called him Messiah at home. The names of the other kids?

King, Czar, Pharoah and Queen
Czar is a badass ####### name
As long as you don't make his middle name Dean.

 
Feel sorry for the kid
Yup.

What I did find hilarious though is that the mom wants the name "because it's so unique" while the SSA says it's the 4th most name increasing in popularity.

My wife taught a kid whose parents called him Messiah at home. The names of the other kids?

King, Czar, Pharoah and Queen
Czar is a badass ####### name
As long as you don't make his middle name Dean.
:lmao:

 
so far no one thinks the judge was right here

this is gonna be it we are all going to agree!!!!

a thread involving religion AND courts where EVERYONE agrees

historic!

i'm prolly gonna get the Nobel Prize for starting this thread, and I will thank each and every one of you
The decision is wrong, but she's right in that the kid would suffer because of the name. But that's on the parents. There are lots of horrible names out there and judges shouldn't have a right to change them except in the most extreme cases. I don't think this reaches that extreme.

Although my wife did remark to me that if the kid in her class actually went by Messiah she would have either requested him moved or used a different name for him.

 
so far no one thinks the judge was right here

this is gonna be it we are all going to agree!!!!

a thread involving religion AND courts where EVERYONE agrees

historic!

i'm prolly gonna get the Nobel Prize for starting this thread, and I will thank each and every one of you
The decision is wrong, but she's right in that the kid would suffer because of the name. But that's on the parents. There are lots of horrible names out there and judges shouldn't have a right to change them except in the most extreme cases. I don't think this reaches that extreme.

Although my wife did remark to me that if the kid in her class actually went by Messiah she would have either requested him moved or used a different name for him.
I'll focus on the first part

but i think your wife is WAY off base in the second

WAY off base

 
so far no one thinks the judge was right here

this is gonna be it we are all going to agree!!!!

a thread involving religion AND courts where EVERYONE agrees

historic!

i'm prolly gonna get the Nobel Prize for starting this thread, and I will thank each and every one of you
The decision is wrong, but she's right in that the kid would suffer because of the name. But that's on the parents. There are lots of horrible names out there and judges shouldn't have a right to change them except in the most extreme cases. I don't think this reaches that extreme.Although my wife did remark to me that if the kid in her class actually went by Messiah she would have either requested him moved or used a different name for him.
I'll focus on the first partbut i think your wife is WAY off base in the second

WAY off base
What if she were Muslim and the kid's name was Allah? Or if the kid's name was Ni*****?

If a parent wants to give their kid a name that could be offensive to some people that's on them. But I see no reason why anyone should be forced to respect their stupidity and use the name.

 
so far no one thinks the judge was right here

this is gonna be it we are all going to agree!!!!

a thread involving religion AND courts where EVERYONE agrees

historic!

i'm prolly gonna get the Nobel Prize for starting this thread, and I will thank each and every one of you
The decision is wrong, but she's right in that the kid would suffer because of the name. But that's on the parents. There are lots of horrible names out there and judges shouldn't have a right to change them except in the most extreme cases. I don't think this reaches that extreme.Although my wife did remark to me that if the kid in her class actually went by Messiah she would have either requested him moved or used a different name for him.
I'll focus on the first partbut i think your wife is WAY off base in the second

WAY off base
What if she were Muslim and the kid's name was Allah? Or if the kid's name was Ni*****?

If a parent wants to give their kid a name that could be offensive to some people that's on them. But I see no reason why anyone should be forced to respect their stupidity and use the name.
Your wife's right to be offended by someone else's name, especially when it isn't a slur, is pretty limited and in fact her being offended has no place in the classroom. It's the kids name get over it.

 
Feel sorry for the kid
Yup.

What I did find hilarious though is that the mom wants the name "because it's so unique" while the SSA says it's the 4th most name increasing in popularity.

My wife taught a kid whose parents called him Messiah at home. The names of the other kids?

King, Czar, Pharoah and Queen
A whole buncha little egos in that house...

 
so far no one thinks the judge was right here

this is gonna be it we are all going to agree!!!!

a thread involving religion AND courts where EVERYONE agreeshistoric!

i'm prolly gonna get the Nobel Prize for starting this thread, and I will thank each and every one of you
The decision is wrong, but she's right in that the kid would suffer because of the name. But that's on the parents. There are lots of horrible names out there and judges shouldn't have a right to change them except in the most extreme cases. I don't think this reaches that extreme.

Although my wife did remark to me that if the kid in her class actually went by Messiah she would have either requested him moved or used a different name for him.
She's not right that the kid would suffer because of the name. Not sure why you are saying that, and not sure why people feel sorry for the kid. Worse names than "Messiah" out there.

And sorry but if your wife would have requested a child named "Messiah" be moved or would call him by a different name-then your wife is wrong, very wrong. Who is she to decide she didn't want to teach a child because of his name? And arbitrarily choosing to call such child by a different name is beyond disrespectful to both the child and family, and also unethical IMO.

I actually worked with a child (pre-K) named Messiah in an inner city school environment. It was never an issue with other adults, administration, children, or his peers. Why should it be? I've also worked with kids with names like "Blessing", "Miracle", etc.

 
so far no one thinks the judge was right here

this is gonna be it we are all going to agree!!!!

a thread involving religion AND courts where EVERYONE agreeshistoric!

i'm prolly gonna get the Nobel Prize for starting this thread, and I will thank each and every one of you
The decision is wrong, but she's right in that the kid would suffer because of the name. But that's on the parents. There are lots of horrible names out there and judges shouldn't have a right to change them except in the most extreme cases. I don't think this reaches that extreme.Although my wife did remark to me that if the kid in her class actually went by Messiah she would have either requested him moved or used a different name for him.
I'll focus on the first partbut i think your wife is WAY off base in the second

WAY off base
What if she were Muslim and the kid's name was Allah? Or if the kid's name was Ni*****?

If a parent wants to give their kid a name that could be offensive to some people that's on them. But I see no reason why anyone should be forced to respect their stupidity and use the name.
Your wife's right to be offended by someone else's name, especially when it isn't a slur, is pretty limited and in fact her being offended has no place in the classroom. It's the kids name get over it.
Exactly. Good posting. Amazing to me that any teacher would take such an unprofessional stance. Likely just talk because it would never actually fly.

 
You know while we are thinking of these things Christ is a title not a name. His parents weren't Joseph and Mary Christ after all. Christ is a translation of the Hebrew Messiah. So since Jews don't think Jesus was the messiah did he really earn the title? It is a Jewish title after all.
I'll say this much. That dude is the most over-rated person in the history of mankind.

 
You know while we are thinking of these things Christ is a title not a name. His parents weren't Joseph and Mary Christ after all. Christ is a translation of the Hebrew Messiah. So since Jews don't think Jesus was the messiah did he really earn the title? It is a Jewish title after all.
I'll say this much. That dude is the most over-rated person in the history of mankind.
Jesus is just alright with me

 
Looks like Mama lost the case for the child's last name and now she's arguing to give up "Martin" as the first name too. She's not going to be happy here.

 
so far no one thinks the judge was right here

this is gonna be it we are all going to agree!!!!

a thread involving religion AND courts where EVERYONE agrees

historic!

i'm prolly gonna get the Nobel Prize for starting this thread, and I will thank each and every one of you
The decision is wrong, but she's right in that the kid would suffer because of the name. But that's on the parents. There are lots of horrible names out there and judges shouldn't have a right to change them except in the most extreme cases. I don't think this reaches that extreme.Although my wife did remark to me that if the kid in her class actually went by Messiah she would have either requested him moved or used a different name for him.
I'll focus on the first partbut i think your wife is WAY off base in the second

WAY off base
What if she were Muslim and the kid's name was Allah? Or if the kid's name was Ni*****?

If a parent wants to give their kid a name that could be offensive to some people that's on them. But I see no reason why anyone should be forced to respect their stupidity and use the name.
Messiah is not a slur

I think teachers should be forced to respect their students even if they disagree with their interpretation of religion. It makes me wonder what other children she may refuse to teach

 
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.
Uh, what?
According to their website, Messiah was the 387th most popular name for a boy in 2012. That's more popular than Harold, Eugene, or Wilbur.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
She's not right that the kid would suffer because of the name. Not sure why you are saying that, and not sure why people feel sorry for the kid. Worse names than "Messiah" out there.

And sorry but if your wife would have requested a child named "Messiah" be moved or would call him by a different name-then your wife is wrong, very wrong. Who is she to decide she didn't want to teach a child because of his name? And arbitrarily choosing to call such child by a different name is beyond disrespectful to both the child and family, and also unethical IMO.

I actually worked with a child (pre-K) named Messiah in an inner city school environment. It was never an issue with other adults, administration, children, or his peers. Why should it be? I've also worked with kids with names like "Blessing", "Miracle", etc.
Not all teachers are nice people. I've had the misfortune of having to deal with some of them. Some are quite full of themselves, unfortunately.

 
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.
Uh, what?
According to their website, Messiah was the 387th most popular name for a boy in 2012. That's more popular than Harold, Eugene, or Wilbur.
if i was a teacher and there was a kid in my class named wilbur i would demand that he let me call him

"some pig!"

and i would make him call me Charlotte..

Mr. Charlotte of course, no need to be improper

 
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.
Uh, what?
According to their website, Messiah was the 387th most popular name for a boy in 2012. That's more popular than Harold, Eugene, or Wilbur.
if i was a teacher and there was a kid in my class named wilbur i would demand that he let me call him

"some pig!"

and i would make him call me Charlotte..

Mr. Charlotte of course, no need to be improper
I would call him Messiah.

 
She's not right that the kid would suffer because of the name. Not sure why you are saying that, and not sure why people feel sorry for the kid. Worse names than "Messiah" out there.

And sorry but if your wife would have requested a child named "Messiah" be moved or would call him by a different name-then your wife is wrong, very wrong. Who is she to decide she didn't want to teach a child because of his name? And arbitrarily choosing to call such child by a different name is beyond disrespectful to both the child and family, and also unethical IMO.

I actually worked with a child (pre-K) named Messiah in an inner city school environment. It was never an issue with other adults, administration, children, or his peers. Why should it be? I've also worked with kids with names like "Blessing", "Miracle", etc.
Not all teachers are nice people. I've had the misfortune of having to deal with some of them. Some are quite full of themselves, unfortunately.
I don't disagree. But teachers get extensive cultural sensitivity (for lack of a better designation) training, they deal with a huge variety of cultures, socioeconomic statuses, etc., and their mission is to teach regardless of these differences, while being respectful of families.

One's personal religious fervor doesn't change that. A teacher can "request" all they want but any teacher that made a request to have a child moved due to the name "Messiah" would be laughed out of the room. And any request like that calls into question that teacher's ethics and professionalism (much less choosing to call the child by a different arbitrary name-I suspect that would result in disciplinary action).

 
so far no one thinks the judge was right here

this is gonna be it we are all going to agree!!!!

a thread involving religion AND courts where EVERYONE agrees

historic!

i'm prolly gonna get the Nobel Prize for starting this thread, and I will thank each and every one of you
The decision is wrong, but she's right in that the kid would suffer because of the name. But that's on the parents. There are lots of horrible names out there and judges shouldn't have a right to change them except in the most extreme cases. I don't think this reaches that extreme.Although my wife did remark to me that if the kid in her class actually went by Messiah she would have either requested him moved or used a different name for him.
I'll focus on the first partbut i think your wife is WAY off base in the second

WAY off base
What if she were Muslim and the kid's name was Allah? Or if the kid's name was Ni*****?If a parent wants to give their kid a name that could be offensive to some people that's on them. But I see no reason why anyone should be forced to respect their stupidity and use the name.
Messiah is not a slur

I think teachers should be forced to respect their students even if they disagree with their interpretation of religion. It makes me wonder what other children she may refuse to teach
And with that, I'm out. So much for civility or not making things personal. Once again the FFA shows its true colors.

 
You know while we are thinking of these things Christ is a title not a name. His parents weren't Joseph and Mary Christ after all. Christ is a translation of the Hebrew Messiah. So since Jews don't think Jesus was the messiah did he really earn the title? It is a Jewish title after all.
The answer is no. Jesus of Nazareth is only one of several Jews throughout history to claim the title of Messiah (one of the most famous was the 17th century Rabbi Shabbatai Zvi.) The Messiah is not the son of God, but more like a reincarnation of Moses, and supposed to lead the wandering Jews back to Israel. Since (1) Jesus was already in Jerusalem (2) He only preached to a very few people (3) after He died, more Jews actually LEFT the Holy Land than arrived there, it's hard to see from a Jewish perspective how Jesus could be the Messiah.

Jesus claiming to be the Jewish Messiah is like me starting my own football league, winning it, and then claiming to be Superbowl champion.

 
so far no one thinks the judge was right here

this is gonna be it we are all going to agree!!!!

a thread involving religion AND courts where EVERYONE agrees

historic!

i'm prolly gonna get the Nobel Prize for starting this thread, and I will thank each and every one of you
The decision is wrong, but she's right in that the kid would suffer because of the name. But that's on the parents. There are lots of horrible names out there and judges shouldn't have a right to change them except in the most extreme cases. I don't think this reaches that extreme.Although my wife did remark to me that if the kid in her class actually went by Messiah she would have either requested him moved or used a different name for him.
I'll focus on the first partbut i think your wife is WAY off base in the second

WAY off base
What if she were Muslim and the kid's name was Allah? Or if the kid's name was Ni*****?If a parent wants to give their kid a name that could be offensive to some people that's on them. But I see no reason why anyone should be forced to respect their stupidity and use the name.
Messiah is not a slur

I think teachers should be forced to respect their students even if they disagree with their interpretation of religion. It makes me wonder what other children she may refuse to teach
And with that, I'm out. So much for civility or not making things personal. Once again the FFA shows its true colors.
True colors:

my wife did remark to me that if the kid in her class actually went by Messiah she would have either requested him moved or used a different name for him.
 
Naming your kid Messiah IS, however, an insult to religious Jews and Christians. Of course a judge has no business changing the name, but it's pretty stupid to do that to your kid all the same.

 
You know while we are thinking of these things Christ is a title not a name. His parents weren't Joseph and Mary Christ after all. Christ is a translation of the Hebrew Messiah. So since Jews don't think Jesus was the messiah did he really earn the title? It is a Jewish title after all.
The answer is no. Jesus of Nazareth is only one of several Jews throughout history to claim the title of Messiah (one of the most famous was the 17th century Rabbi Shabbatai Zvi.) The Messiah is not the son of God, but more like a reincarnation of Moses, and supposed to lead the wandering Jews back to Israel. Since (1) Jesus was already in Jerusalem (2) He only preached to a very few people (3) after He died, more Jews actually LEFT the Holy Land than arrived there, it's hard to see from a Jewish perspective how Jesus could be the Messiah.

Jesus claiming to be the Jewish Messiah is like me starting my own football league, winning it, and then claiming to be Superbowl champion.
So there we go folks time to drop the Christ thing.

 
so far no one thinks the judge was right here

this is gonna be it we are all going to agree!!!!

a thread involving religion AND courts where EVERYONE agreeshistoric!

i'm prolly gonna get the Nobel Prize for starting this thread, and I will thank each and every one of you
The decision is wrong, but she's right in that the kid would suffer because of the name. But that's on the parents. There are lots of horrible names out there and judges shouldn't have a right to change them except in the most extreme cases. I don't think this reaches that extreme.Although my wife did remark to me that if the kid in her class actually went by Messiah she would have either requested him moved or used a different name for him.
I'll focus on the first partbut i think your wife is WAY off base in the second

WAY off base
What if she were Muslim and the kid's name was Allah? Or if the kid's name was Ni*****?If a parent wants to give their kid a name that could be offensive to some people that's on them. But I see no reason why anyone should be forced to respect their stupidity and use the name.
Messiah is not a slur

I think teachers should be forced to respect their students even if they disagree with their interpretation of religion. It makes me wonder what other children she may refuse to teach
And with that, I'm out. So much for civility or not making things personal. Once again the FFA shows its true colors.
Lol. You're "out" only because what you've related is indefensible. It was a fair question,one you're not willing to respond to, and I wondered also. It is also a convenient pretext to "exit stage left".

 
Naming your kid Messiah IS, however, an insult to religious Jews and Christians. Of course a judge has no business changing the name, but it's pretty stupid to do that to your kid all the same.
So the thousands of people naming their kid that are just doing it to insult people?

 
Naming your kid Messiah IS, however, an insult to religious Jews and Christians. Of course a judge has no business changing the name, but it's pretty stupid to do that to your kid all the same.
So the thousands of people naming their kid that are just doing it to insult people?
Not at all. But it's insulting all the same, IMO. I suppose it depends on where you live. If I chose to live in a part of Tennessee which was 90% conservative Christian, I wouldn't do it. It's disrespectful to the community I chose to live in. I would have a RIGHT to do it, but it would be stupid- for me and my kid.

If I lived in a more cosmopolitan area, I suppose it's OK. Nobody's going to care. But I wouldn't try and join a conservative church or synagogue and expect to get approval.

 
Naming your kid Messiah IS, however, an insult to religious Jews and Christians. Of course a judge has no business changing the name, but it's pretty stupid to do that to your kid all the same.
So the thousands of people naming their kid that are just doing it to insult people?
Not at all. But it's insulting all the same, IMO. I suppose it depends on where you live. If I chose to live in a part of Tennessee which was 90% conservative Christian, I wouldn't do it. It's disrespectful to the community I chose to live in. I would have a RIGHT to do it, but it would be stupid- for me and my kid.If I lived in a more cosmopolitan area, I suppose it's OK. Nobody's going to care. But I wouldn't try and join a conservative church or synagogue and expect to get approval.
Religion seems to lay claim to a lot of words they don't own. "Marriage" and now "Messiah". A messiah can be a liberator-no religion owns the word as a title.

 

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