I found this article today about a [name_u]Tennessee[/name_u] judge ordering an infant boy named [name_u]Messiah[/name_u] to be renamed [name_m]Martin[/name_m].
The couple couldn’t agree on the boys’ last name, so they ended up going to court over it. But, the judge ended up ruling that the boy’s first name be changed as well, due to the large [name_m]Christian[/name_m] population in the county.
The parents are appealing, and I think they’ll win due to the First Amendment.
Thoughts?
EDIT: Forgot to put in my two cents, so here goes it.
I’m Christian, and Messiah does offend me. Jesus (in the Hispanic population) and Christian are names used in honor of Christ. Messiah is a title, not a name. But, Messiah had the fourth largest gain for boys in 2012, and is now part of the whole Biblical -iah trend.
The parents have a right to name their child Messiah. The judge also gave reasons that are most likely going to be struck down. If she had given reasons about it being a hindrance, than the ruling would have a better chance of standing. But, she mixed religion into this, so there is no doubt in my mind that the mother will be able to name their son Messiah.
I also think the judge was slightly annoyed that the parents couldn’t decide on what last name to use, as well.
Why [name_m]Martin[/name_m]? [name_u]Messiah[/name_u] is a ridiculous name, but the judge has no right to order a name change. Even if I do think Martin will serve him far better in life…
[name_m]Martin[/name_m] was the mother’s last name-- the parents were in court in the first place because they were arguing over whose last name the baby would have. The judge went with [name_m]Martin[/name_m] as the first name and the father’s surname as the last name.
If the judge had cited some kind of Best Interest Factors instead of religion, the new name might have a better chance of withstanding an Establishment Clause challenge, [name_f]IMO[/name_f], but I’m a patent attorney, not a family law attorney, so I could be completely off.
This was on the news this morning, so I know exactly what’s going on.
I have to stand by the judge. I do agree that the only one who earned the title [name_u]Messiah[/name_u] is [name_m]Jesus[/name_m] [name_m]Christ[/name_m]. Unfortunately, I have to agree that according to the First Amendment they will be able to change his name back. But seriously – who would name their child [name_u]Messiah[/name_u]?
I say bravo to the judge. [name_u]Messiah[/name_u] is a ridiculous name for a child. With the names I’ve been hearing lately, my sympathy lies with the judge. We need more decisions like this one to avoid parents giving their children names like Abcde. Of course, the parents will probably win the appeal so all common sense will be lost in the end. This baby’s brothers are [name_u]Micah[/name_u] and [name_u]Mason[/name_u] so why saddle a child with [name_u]Messiah[/name_u]? Isn’t there another “M” name that they can use?
[name_u]Messiah[/name_u] is a ridiculous name, but the parents have every right to use it. It’s #387 on the popularity list, higher than names like [name_m]Philip[/name_m], [name_m]Archer[/name_m], [name_m]Atticus[/name_m], and [name_m]Mitchell[/name_m]. [name_m]Little[/name_m] [name_u]Messiah[/name_u] probably won’t face any significant problems because of his name, particularly given the number of other Messiahs out there. The judge cited her own religion in the ruling, which is absolutely wrong and unconstitutional. The United States is not a theocracy (not to mention the fact that the mother is also a [name_m]Christian[/name_m] who happens to have a different view on how to express her faith.)
We can’t go around legally declaring certain names- especially such common ones- as detrimental to children. It is too subjective. Where do you draw the line? When does it just become a matter of taste, as this appears to be?
Someone’s religion should never infringe on another person’s rights. I don’t care if you happen to be in the majority, part of the point of [name_u]America[/name_u] was to avoid having the majority trump the minority. In a case like this, religious views have warped what is right. The question was about the child’s last name, not his first name – changing his first name was out of bounds, as far as I’m concerned. [name_u]Messiah[/name_u], while a religious title, is a name with a positive meaning. The parents were well within their rights to use it, and the decision to change it should not have been made by a third party, especially not a third party who cites religious reasons in an American court of law.
Good on the judge. I hate how popular [name_u]Messiah[/name_u] is getting. Frst off your kid isn’t God,so nope. Nd then also it’s just a rodiculous and awful name. I feel so bad for every little boy with that name. I’m sure there will be a lot of name changes in the future from guys named [name_u]Messiah[/name_u].
I think it’s outrageous. A judge has no business setting himself up as an arbiter of taste. What if a judge decided to change a child’s name–[name_f]Hermione[/name_f], say–on the grounds that it was too weird, or he/she thought it was ugly?
As for the religious question–not that it’s relevant–you could name a baby [name_u]Messiah[/name_u] in honor of the messiah; it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re claiming messianic status for your son. I imagine that not all those kids named [name_u]Mason[/name_u] are going to grab a trowel.
I agree with the judge. There is only one [name_u]Messiah[/name_u] and that is [name_m]Jesus[/name_m] [name_m]Christ[/name_m]. I think the parents would face a lot of ridicule if their son had that name.
In the judge’s defense, the parents gave the court the right to name their child because they were too immature to do it themselves. Can they say ‘only choose my child’s surname’? I don’t know what the law states. I would think that the child’s name, meaning their entire name, was placed in the hands of the judge.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] I think [name_u]Messiah[/name_u] is a ridiculous name? Yes. As a [name_m]Christian[/name_m], do I like it being used as a name? No. [name_f]Do[/name_f] I think the parents are going to win this one on appeal? Yes. The REASONS the judge gave are what’s going to kill the decision. You just can’t use religion like that.
If one judge can change a child’s name from [name_u]Messiah[/name_u] to [name_m]Martin[/name_m], why doesn’t someone else change all the other children’s names that are L-a, Abcde, and other ridiculous things? Not really necessary [name_f]IMO[/name_f].
