I realize people get offended or upset about different things when it comes to names. I know some Jews don’t care about [name]Cohen[/name], while others are appalled. Someone also posted that [name]Christian[/name]'s don’t get offended by children being named [name]Jesus[/name] or [name]Messiah[/name], and then someone else said that they are extremely offended by it. I am just wondering why no one seems to be offended by the name [name]Joshua[/name].
[name]Joshua[/name], or [name]Yeshua[/name], is [name]Jesus[/name]’ name. It has the same meaning as [name]Messiah[/name]. Yet no one is offended? I understand that a lot of Christians aren’t offended by the name [name]Jesus[/name] or [name]Messiah[/name] being used, but there are some who are. So, if you happen to be one of them, or would just like to chime in with your thoughts, I’d love to know what you think.
I’m a christian and the only time i have ever heard [name]Jesus[/name] used is in a hispanic context and it’s pronounced like hey-soos. However, it’s the equivalent of [name]John[/name]. [name]Messiah[/name] i’ve never heard used. ever. I didn’t even know that people use it, it seems in poor taste, but i’m not offended or bothered by it in the least. The name [name]Joshua[/name] is one of my personal favorites, and it’s my little brother’s name.
I feel like biblical names or names that are in direct reference to the [name]Lord[/name] are, perhaps, honoring names. For example, i’m going to name my future daughter [name]Rowena[/name] which is my mother’s name. Does she have a right to be offended because it’s HER name? I suppose she could be, but rather, she knows that it’s not coming from a mean spirited place and that it’s meant to honor her.
The same thing can be said about names like [name]Jesus[/name], [name]Messiah[/name], [name]Joshua[/name], etc…
I’m aware that many non-christians use christian related names… I believe [name]Elizabeth[/name] was mentioned on your other thread. However, by this point the name [name]Elizabeth[/name] is so common that people don’t even think about the meaning or the christian context of the name and that’s ok.
In any case, [name]Joshua[/name] is also a type of tree that grows in the desert. The tree is strong and resilient.
[name]Joshua[/name] is a hebrew name that means “God rescues”. That’s a beautiful, strong, handsome name with a hreat meaning for any little boy.
I have no problem with [name]Jesus[/name] as I’ve only ever heard it used with the Spanish/Hispanic pronunciation but even if I did hear it pronounced the Bible way, it’s a name. It’s fine. There were lots of other [name]Jesus[/name]’ around at the time that [name]Jesus[/name]-bar-[name]Joseph[/name] was alive. [name]Messiah[/name] on the other hand is a ridiculous thing to call a child. It’s a title, not a name. I think I’m less offended about the religious connection than I am about the fact that it’s the same as naming your child Saviour or Redeemer or Dentist or Lab Technician etc. Why be that silly? [name]Even[/name] something like [name]Princess[/name] or [name]King[/name]/[name]Rex[/name] falls into the same category for me.
I’m not [name]Christian[/name] and I don’t know the history or etymology of [name]Joshua[/name], but I think people probably started using [name]Joshua[/name] kind of the same way they started used [name]Christina[/name] - like an indirect “Hey! I’m [name]Christian[/name].” A way of honoring that person, and a variant of the original name. I guess I better way to put it would be to compare it to [name]Nevaeh[/name], which was an indirect way of naming a kid [name]Heaven[/name]. So instead of using [name]Jesus[/name], they used [name]Joshua[/name], plus the other aspects as stated above. [name]Messiah[/name] and [name]Zion[/name] are beyond my comprehension at the moment.
I wouldn’t say I’m offended by people named [name]Jesus[/name] pronounced hayzoos because it’s more of a cultural thing, but I do personally think it’s a namesake I would feel blasphemous to name my child after. [name]Messiah[/name] is offensive and frankly stupid in my opinion. For me [name]Joshua[/name] is different because there was a [name]Joshua[/name] in the Bible before there was [name]Jesus[/name], and [name]Joshua[/name] is not the exact name used for [name]Jesus[/name]. I would also never name my child [name]Yeshua[/name] or [name]Immanuel[/name] because those are more “direct” names for [name]Jesus[/name].
I recently read in one of my world history textbooks that [name]Jesus[/name] [name]Crist[/name] is actually the anglicized Greek version of [name]Joshua[/name] the [name]Messiah[/name] with [name]Jesus[/name] being the Greek equivolent of [name]Joshua[/name] and [name]Cristos[/name] meaning messiah.
Like others have said [name]Jesus[/name] was a name used by others in the time of [name]Jesus[/name], in the Hispanic community [name]Jesus[/name] is usually used by Catholics and is done out of reverence for [name]Jesus[/name] but I have discovered that many people are unaware of this on nameberry and find it offensive. I can’t bring myself to find [name]Joshua[/name] offensive or controversial seeing how it was also a given name used by others in Biblical times, for instance Joshua was the name of one of Moses’ 12 spies, no one was called “The Joshua” the way there were “The Messiah” as far as I know.
[name]Messiah[/name] is the title of a savior in Christianity as well as other religions so I would put it on par with [name]Cohen[/name], it is a title and not an actual name so it’s the same as naming your child Pope, Reverend, [name]Priest[/name]. I was reading about [name]Cohen[/name] controversy on another site and someone commented saying people can go ahead and use the name, instead of finding it offensive consider that it lets you know who the idiots are, so that’s now pretty much how I feel about the use of religious titles that are sacred to people and never used as first names by the.religion in question
I don’t understand how people can defend cultural appropriation and their privilege and right to use sacred names because they like it and know 2 people who are OK or indifferent to it (classic excuse used by people who perpetuate this) when as a whole there’s a good chance a religion/race/etc is offended by it but that might be because I’m mixed race and feel my people have been subjected to this throughout history. Want to note: when someone of the minority or religion in question is OK with it I do not find it idiotic, everyone is entitled to their opinion to begin with and when that’s your cultural experience I can respect it even more so but I would find it very strange if they used it as a name for their child or encouraged it’s use.
I’ve only ever heard [name]Jesus[/name] being used as a given name in a Hispanic context, so that doesn’t bother me. I associate [name]Joshua[/name] with a different one of the Bible, so I don’t make the [name]Joshua[/name]-[name]Jesus[/name] association.
[name]Messiah[/name] on the other hand, just seems highly inappropriate to me as a given name. [name]Messiah[/name] is a very specific and high-reigning title, and giving it to a child would almost seem blasphemous.
Like someone else said, [name]Messiah[/name] is a title. It would be more like “[name]Joshua[/name] the [name]Messiah[/name].” Cristo actually means “anointed,” to rub with sacred oil. Nook of Names has a great post on it.
I think they’d be in the right to be offended, [name]Messiah[/name] isn’t a name it’s more of a title. I’m not a [name]Christian[/name], I wouldn’t take offense, but I’d certainly take it as being pretentious thinking your kid is going to be the savior of the world.
Yes, this would be exactly where I would be coming from. I find [name]Messiah[/name] extremely offensive, while I wouldn’t find fault in [name]Jesus[/name] (which is a very popular name in Hispanic culture) or even [name]Joshua[/name] (while [name]Jesus[/name] is a form of [name]Joshua[/name], [name]Jesus[/name] isn’t the only connection to the name–[name]Joshua[/name] was the name of one of the early leaders of [name]Israel[/name] in the Bible–a great leader, a spy, a man of God). I would find [name]Christ[/name] just as offensive–[name]Messiah[/name] is essentially the Hebrew term, [name]Christ[/name] is the Greek one, from my understanding. I have [name]Joshua[/name] on my list because of [name]Jesus[/name], though, in honor of Him. I have no problem with [name]Joshua[/name] for that reason. And I honestly don’t think most people make the connection to [name]Jesus[/name] for [name]Joshua[/name]–I think they just think of [name]Moses[/name]'s successor.
[name]Jesus[/name] has never been known as [name]Joshua[/name] though, that’s the difference.
Yehoshu’a ([name]Yeshua[/name] is the Aramaic form) would have been [name]Jesus[/name]’ given name yes, but in terms of Christianity, he is simply known as [name]Jesus[/name]. [name]Jesus[/name] is one of the English forms of Yesoshu’a, but not a direct form, as it’s the English form of Iesous (a Greek form of [name]Yeshua[/name]). [name]Joshua[/name] is the direct English form of Yehoshu’a. So while Yohoshu’a was [name]Jesus[/name]’ real name, it isn’t the name we know him as, so I have no problem with [name]Joshua[/name] being used.
As a [name]Christian[/name], I would think it strange to meet a child named [name]Messiah[/name]. It seems pretentious to me. [name]Messiah[/name] is a title, not a name. Like others have mentioned, [name]Joshua[/name] is a name used in the Bible before [name]Jesus[/name] is mentioned, and in the Bible, [name]Jesus[/name] is never referred to as [name]Yeshua[/name]. Regardless, [name]Jesus[/name], [name]Joshua[/name], [name]Yeshua[/name]-- all names. [name]Messiah[/name] is a title.
I don’t have a problem with [name]Jesus[/name] being used as a name, it’s cultural for Hispanics when pronounced hey-zoos, and like others have mentioned it was a name used by others at the time, rather than being unique. [name]Messiah[/name], though, is a title rather than a name and I agree with Dindlee in that it sounds pretentious.
I do remember reading something about how some Christians (possibly Catholics, bit hazy on the details) in some countries wouldn’t use the name [name]Mary[/name]/[name]Maria[/name]/[name]Marie[/name] for a long time because of the association with [name]Mary[/name] of the Bible, so I guess it’s a case of a change in perceptions over time, but I think there’s a line between a name that honours [name]Christ[/name] (all [name]Chris[/name]- names, for example) and a name that’s pretty much declaring you as on par with [name]Christ[/name], like [name]Messiah[/name].
I am not religious so I have never thought to associate [name]Joshua[/name] with [name]Jesus[/name], just with ‘tree’. Regardless, as it is technically a seperate name I don’t think it would be a problem for most Christians. And in Hispanic cultures using the name where the ‘j’ makes an ‘h’ sound is an incredibly common practice meant to honor and certainly not to offend, so I don’t think anyone should take that personally.
I do have reservations about the children who are named [name]Messiah[/name]. To me it seems like one of the most rediculous choices you could make in terms of a word-name. Then again, any first names such as [name]Angel[/name], [name]Princess[/name], [name]King[/name] or [name]Duke[/name] are equally baffling to me as that is a strange choice to bestow upon your child who clearly does not hold that title. I wonder though, if some of the parents were foreign to English-speaking countries and just liked the sound of the word but didn’t fully understand that the meaning was so literal?
That would at least be more understandable.
To be honest I’ve always thought a weird name choice was ‘[name]Christian[/name]’ which I know is not offensive but has always struck me as pretentious. I know a few people who have it as a middle name, but especially as a first it seems like too much of a gamble.
It’s as though you are assuming your child will grow up completely devout and never make any mistakes. But suppose at some point he decides that he wants to live the rest of his life practicing Buddhism? Awkward. Or he grows up to be a career criminal… is his behavior offensive to other followers of the faith synonymous with his name? Obviously no parent wants to imagine their child not ending up perfect, but no one calls their son “Muslim” or “Jewish” so why is “[name]Christian[/name]” still an acceptable adjective for a name?
Honestly, naming your kid [name]Messiah[/name] is the same thing to me as people who use the names [name]Prince[/name], [name]Princess[/name], [name]Queen[/name], [name]King[/name], etc.
I’m not offended, it’s just stupid. The same as naming your child Ambassador, [name]Governor[/name], Emperor, Chief, [name]Priest[/name], [name]Doctor[/name], or really any sort of title.
If you’ve ever read Catch-22 you recognize the inherent comedy of [name]Major[/name] [name]Major[/name] [name]Major[/name] [name]Major[/name]. I wouldn’t want my name to be a joke. I wouldn’t want my name to be a political statement. I want my name to be a name. Let your kid’s actions speak for them.
I’ve never met a child named [name]Messiah[/name]…but if I did, I’d assume the child’s parents were devout Christians and thus just as qualified to decide if that name was insulting to their religion as I am. Christianity is a diverse and varied religion that encompasses a lot of different cultures and traditions. White, protestant Americans don’t traditionally give their children titles-as-names (although with the popularity of names like [name]Archer[/name] and [name]Hunter[/name] maybe it’s coming), but that doesn’t mean it isn’t traditional for somebody.
I am [name]Christian[/name] and I not fond of [name]Jesus[/name] [even the Spanish version] I just find it odd when I hear it being used, I just want to giggle. I admit [[name]Yeshua[/name]] is a name I adore, is gorgeous, and would use it if I could but couldn’t bring myself to use I just find it odd on anyone because [name]Jesus[/name] [[name]Christ[/name]] is all I think of. It doesn’t really offend me if used, I just find it odd/unusual. I don’t like [name]Messiah[/name] nor [name]Christ[/name] being used all.
I totally agree with this PP. I don’t mind the Spanish pronunciation of [name]Jesus[/name] (hay-soos) but the Anglican pronunciation (Jee-zus), as well as the names [name]Christ[/name], [name]Cristos[/name], and [name]Messiah[/name], all make me cringe a little inwardly before moving on. Pretentious is a good word…presumptuous, maybe. I definitely wouldn’t voice any discomfort…and I wouldn’t say they grossly offend me, because I am fairly open-minded. It takes a name like Yahweh or the Anglicized Jehovah to trigger my “WHAT???” response.
I feel like some people blur the line between honoring God (I would put [name]Joshua[/name] in the honoring category because it was a fairly common name before the birth of [name]Jesus[/name]) and essentially profaning the sacred. I think [name]Jesus[/name] and [name]Cristos[/name] etc are hovering right around that line, but I like to give people the benefit of the doubt even if I would never personally use the name. But Yahweh is firmly in the sacred category for me, that being the name of God that is so holy that the scribes never fully wrote it out when transcribing the Bible, so all we have of it is YHWH (usually translated as “the [name]LORD[/name]” if anyone is curious as to why [name]Lord[/name] is capitalized sometimes in Scripture and sometimes not). Someone told me they met a child named Yahweh and I was nonplussed. I don’t know how to explain why I feel this way, except to say that I believe some things are meant to remain holy and sacred and not be translated into the mundane.
um… [name]Joshua[/name] does not equal [name]Jesus[/name]. They are 2 different people, and the meanings of the names are slightly different.
“the [name]Lord[/name] is my salvation” VS “the [name]Lord[/name] is salvation”
and [name]Messiah[/name] means: expected savior or deliverer
[name]Joshua[/name] was the successor to [name]Moses[/name] who finally led the Israelites, after many battles, into the Promised [name]Land[/name], inspiring the rousing hymn “[name]Joshua[/name] Fit the Battle of [name]Jericho[/name]”. - Joshua - Baby Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity | Nameberry
That’s why.
Overall, I’m against it because why, if you have no religious ties, would you name your kid after the son of God? That makes 0 sense what soever, it’s like a Catholic naming their kid Buddah or [name]Zeus[/name].