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…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…

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…

“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.

Idjits in the Neo-Confederacy still manage to confuse their bible with law. This bonehead judge should be removed from office.



  1. Bob Loblaw says:

    Messiah? That’s just pretentious.

    • jpfitz says:

      Jesus as a Latino name is OK though.

      • Mextli says:

        Hay Zeus like Tray Von

      • deegee says:

        Jesus and the spelling variations on that name was a common proper name before the birth of Jesus, therefore using it then and now is not an issue.

        For the origination of the proper name, look up the name’s etymology.

        Because it was a common name even in his time, reference to Jesus was further clarified as to which individual was being referred to by the usage of “Jesus of Nazareth”, or “Jesus son of Joseph”, etc.

        For other people in that day who were confused with Jesus, see The Life of Brian*.

        * it’s a joke people!

        • Tim says:

          He was the “I’m the Jesus what God knocked my mom up when she was twelve” Jesus. He can still save.

  2. Tim says:

    Any other puritanical judge who had not recently misplaced his gavel but was sure he left it in his chair might have named the kid Muad’Dib.

    Well, now his name is Martin Martin. I wonder what the middle monicker should be? At least, ‘last name first’ won’t give him anxiety when he starts school.

  3. US says:

    If the government makes people buy insurance that is inconsistent with their beliefs then what is the problem with the government choosing the names for our kids?

    You let the government decide part of your life then you are opening the door to controlling the rest.

  4. LibertyLover says:

    Well, I guess it’s better than DeNephew. Or Ganorea. Or Saphyllis.

    But not much.

    Bill Cosby has it right.

  5. oldone says:

    The term Messiah has the basic meaning of ‘anointed one’. So, who anointed this kid and for what?

    As regards: ‘“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.’ This judge needs to do some Bible research as to the word ‘messiah’. It, or variations of the word, had been used for a number of people including the kings Saul, David and Solomon. It even had been used for Persian king Cyrus the Great. Each of these had been ‘anointed’ for a task.

    • The Pirate says:

      No, the judge should keep her religious prejudices to herself. Research won’t fix that problem.

      • oldone says:

        Totally agree with that, I was just pointing out her error in what she thinks she knows.

  6. Charlie says:

    He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naught boy!

    • Brian says:

      And in those last days shall one neighbor borrow another’s hammer and return it not…

  7. deegee says:

    I agree with the judge.

    People who name their children with oddball words or titles instead of proper names should be sterilized. They have proven that they are too stupid to be allowed to reproduce. If after that they attempt to adopt or use surrogacy, they should be terminated.

    Just imagine having to go through your life and school and the workplace with an actual first name like “Lord” or “Heavenly” or “Rainbow” or “Camera” or “Denim” or “Banjo” or “North West” or “Apple” or “Audio Science” or “Gaia” …

    * most of these names are actual names given to celebrity kids.

    • Tim says:

      But Moon Unit turned out o.k.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Zappa

      Cohen: Is one of your children named Moon Unit?

      Zappa: Yep.

      Cohen: Son or daughter?

      Zappa: Daughter.

      Cohen: What are your other children’s names?

      Zappa: Dweezil and Ahmet.

      Cohen: Is Moon Unit the oldest?

      Zappa: Yep.

      Cohen: What do you call her around the house?

      Zappa: I call her Moon and I call Dweezil ‘Dweezil’ and I call Ahmet ‘Ahmet.’

      Cohen: I’m wondering what psychological effects a name can have.

      Zappa: Well, first of all, I knew that they were going to be unique anyway because of certain other attributes, so why not have a name that goes with it. They all like their names and the kids at school do too. They don’t make fun of them; in fact, most of them are jealous of their names. You know, it always amazes me when someone who is in my age group, or even younger, asks me a question like why did you name your children that. It’s a reactionary kind of question. Why the f*ck not name your kids something like that? They’re having a good time. Besides that, if they ever wanted to change their names they can do it. It only costs about $15.

      Cohen: You can’t tell from the name Moon Unit whether it’s a boy or a girl. Had Moon Unit been a boy, would you have named him the same thing?

      Zappa: No, I would have named him Motor Head.

      — Frank Zappa interview, Outraged Consumer, 1975

      http://afka.net/articles/1975-12_Circus_Raves.htm

      What’s in a name? A rose by any other name is still pretty much inedible.

      • bobbo, learning to cook from scratch has its rewards. Losing weight is not one of them says:

        Rose petals and buds are high on the gastronomical favorites list.

        Learn to cook. Its who you are and what you shit.

        • Tim says:

          Really?? But I bet you need a pressure cooker for that.

          • bobbo, learning to cook from scratch has its rewards. Losing weight is not one of them says:

            Nope. Having my custom mixed herbal tea right now with 20 % rose hips. Adds a nice flavor but no different than hibiscus which is much cheaper. But I get rose hips for free so might as well eat them.

            Hips for health and flavor, petals for color.

            I think the flavanoids and the colors would be destroyed by high temps….so no pressure cooker there. Actually, I do use the PC pot to make my tea as I make a weeks worth at a time.

            Maybe if I paid attention there would be a taste degradation over time. Thats why I very specifically don’t pay attention.

          • deegee says:

            I’m betting there are some other “special herbs” in that tea other than rose hips and petals…

          • bobbo, learning to cook from scratch has its rewards. Losing weight is not one of them says:

            Thanks for your interest deegee. My standard mix is 2-1-1 of black tea, green tea and hibiscus. As you know while the tea leaf is the same, roasting it black creates different anti-oxidents for health. I prefer the flavor of the black tea but it is harsh without the hibiscus. The green tea then becomes almost filler. Right now, the Mix has camomile and rose hips added to it … only for variety.

            I am looking to add stevia but my local nursery doesn’t sell the plant for me to grow. I am waiting on a special order to plant it next to my bay leaf.

            Fun in the kitchen. I would love to add MJ and anything else I could grow my self. Not off the grid as much as floating above it?

    • So What? says:

      Define “proper name”.

  8. t0llyb0ng says:

    Name yer next girl child Chlamydia

    or Plethora (accent on second syllable)

    • Tim says:

      I was born a subsidized thorium miner but we were not in want for anything…

  9. xyz says:

    why didn’t the parents name their baby Lucifer, or Satan, or Devil, if they think every name is free from religious implication? If they name their child Messiah, they are testing his fate to be a false Messiah.

  10. xyz says:

    Maybe the next time some parents will name their baby “God”

  11. bobbo, we think with words, and flower with movie references says:

    What is not reported is that each parent was in court to name the kid the other parents name. Some Moon Units are born under a bad sign. Imagine being burdened with a name like McCullough.

    I pity the childrens.

  12. orchidcup says:

    There are Hispanic kids named Jesus and nobody complains about that.

    Sheesh.

    I can’t wait until someone names their kid Antichrist.

    • Tim says:

      Or Elijah Neo Omega Prophet (Jr.)

    • deegee says:

      Read what I posted at the top.

      Jesus was a common proper name before the time of Jesus who is called the Christ, which is why he was also referred to as “Jesus of Nazareth”, “Jesus son of Joseph”, and other extended names in order to signify which person named Jesus was being referred to.

      • Tim says:

        I’m the penultimate Jesus. I’m the last but one Jesus. That’s me, right there in the middle. The two skinny ones on the left balance out the fat one on the right. I built your hot rod.

    • msbpodcast says:

      Antichrist was one of my nicknames growing up. 🙂

  13. dadeo says:

    Meh..it’s why gawd created nicknames.

  14. spsffan says:

    Well, I think the judge is nuts. Messiah is actually a pretty nice name. I have more of an issue with DeShawn which sounds like bastardized* French.

    But there was that couple in (I think) New Jersey that named their kid Adolph Hitler. The story came out when the local bakery refused to put the name on a birthday cake.

    And then there’s Sue I mean Johnny Cash.

    I went to school with James Bond. He was born right after Dr. No was released. Although the school records and so forth referred to him as James, he went by his middle name, Kevin. Lucky for him that his parents didn’t give him a middle name like Municipal. 🙂

    *sorry. couldn’t resist.

  15. BubbaMustafa says:

    Typical uneducated hillbilly redneck reaction to something he doesn’t like.

  16. flatwombat says:

    I can’t contemplate any State allowing that idiot to remain on the bench. Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew has not only shown that she can’t separate her faith from her duty, she’s also overstepped her legal grounds. Here’s her full dumbass explanation:

    “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.

    Also mentioned in the article: ” 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.”

    Guess the idjut’s got a lot of work to do to fix them all.

    • Tim says:

      She can warm up to it with the Messiah #4 Holy Fuck Tactile-Warming Dildo(tm) — Perhaps, she will be more compentently judgemental in the morning.

  17. It’s hard to imagine that even a crimson-red state like Tennessee has the flimsy legal underpinnings to support this silly decision. It’s always a shame when good sense and legal logic don’t prevail at step 1.

    Think of the name as aspirational, and in trying to live up to his name, Messiah might grow up trying to save us from our petty politicians and judges. The judge recognized that this would place her in jeopardy and took the necessary step for self-preservation.

  18. shooff says:

    More wasted tax dollars. Millions on the litigation, civil rights lawsuit vs. Magistrate. Are you kidding me. Getting a position in government only confirms lack of brain power.

    This chic is going to get taxpayers on the hook for millions. The teaparty should hang her.

    • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

      I guess its “fair” to call the Legal System a branch of the gubment but it is very different from the other two. almost not of the same “type.”

      an appeal from the decision should only cost a few thousand dollars. A few thousand more to appeal that. No where near millions.

      And yes–it should be an issue for some internal judicial review panel if the state has such a thing.

      “Thats a Judge?”–I think that every time I hear Gomert talk. This gal could give me a run for his money. religion does something to you. Imagine TEA-dud behing told “yes sir” to everything he said for 20 years??????

      Oh…. the HORROR!!!!

  19. NewformatSux says:

    Nice quote there from an editor who supports the mandate that companies pay for birth control and abortion.

    • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

      What does access to healthcare as part of a general benefits package got to do with naming a kiddie based on one religious set of principles/dogma instead of being nut sack neutral?

      • NewformatSux says:

        If you could read, or understand what you read, you would know the answer.

  20. NewformatSux says:

    Hey, why is it OK to name the kid after the Roman God of war?

  21. The Watcher says:

    In so far as the Hispanic population naming their boys “Jesus”, it seems to me that we’re already used to it. Just unusual among non-Hispanics….

    And, apparently, this family aren’t part of a “minority”, so the Judge felt safe….

    Friend of mine’s daughter is “Divine”…. Can’t say what planet, but she’s also enough of a minority to keep this Judge silent….

    IMHO, kind of silly, but harmless. However, the kids may suffer from this sort of thing.

    Apparently nobody’s noticed that “Jesus” is “Joshua” in the original Hebrew, and nobody seems to notice kids named “Joshua”….

    (Maybe it’s because “Jesus” is pronounced “Heysus”?)

    AARGH….

    • (blank) says:

      Care to tell us how you feel about the names DWEEZEL or MOONUNIT? I think I already know how Frank Zappa feels.

      And by the way, anyone happen to catch what State Al Gore emanates from? Still think it’s a coincidence that it’s right about mid way between Florida and Illinois (Obama’s old turf)?!

    • deegee says:

      Jesus was a proper name long before the time when Jesus of Nazareth was born, used by many people.

      Messiah is a title, not a proper name. It’s like naming your child “Lord of All”.

  22. Dallas says:

    Why do Teapublicans want to regulate the names of America’s children?

    • Mextli says:

      Because we still want to tell the boys from the girls but it’s a lost cause especially on the left coast.

    • Daniel says:

      I’m sure more rational people would agree, it’s irresponsible of either of the parents to want a name that will invite divisiveness and teasing towards a child, and possibly start riots in the streets. Unless the parents are looking for a paycheck from the publishers, that is, when the child goes nuts and blows people away in a theater from all the “emotional trauma”. What hind-sight questions will be asked then? Didn’t the liberals “puss-a-fy” our schools to eliminate bullying in the first place?

  23. Uncle Patso says:

    A kid named Jesus could be called Jesse or Jess; Joshua/Josh or Joss.

    What will other kids call Messiah? Messy?

  24. deowll says:

    You don’t name your kid Judas or Messiah unless you or foolish or vicious enough to want them to be abused full time.

  25. Supreme Ultrahuman (I see the comment system is still designed for retards.) says:

    The US should be like the Foremans – name all children George.

  26. JimD says:

    Her “opinion” is CLEARLY AND ESTABLISHMENT” and ought to be THROWN OUT !!!

  27. Bob Johnson says:

    Judge graduated from Liberty University, maybe?
    Bob Roberts U. ?
    Probably one of ’em.


0

Bad Behavior has blocked 4639 access attempts in the last 7 days.