http://www.wbir.com/news/article/283997/2/Judge-orders-babys-name-be-changed-from-Messiah
QuoteA Newport mother is appealing a court's decision after a judge ordered her son's name be changed from "Messiah."
Jaleesa Martin and the father of Messiah could not agree on a last name, which is how they ended up at a child support hearing in Cocke County Chancery Court on Thursday.
That is when the first name came into question.
Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew serves the 4th Judicial District of Tenn. including the following counties: Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson, and Sevier.
The name change was part of Judge Ballew's case; however, the parents did not think the first name would be changed.
Judge Ballew ordered the 7-month-old's name be "Martin DeShawn McCullough." It includes both parent's last names but leaves out Messiah.
"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," Judge Ballew said.
According to Judge Ballew, it is the first time she has ordered a first name change. She said the decision is best for the child, especially while growing up in a county with a large Christian population.
"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," Judge Ballew said.
Basically, the judge changed the kid's name to protect him from the idiot mafia.
Or something.
That makes me want to name my next dog Messiah.
I understand name change on the grounds of "no, that's not going to go well for the kid" but "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" sounds like the real motivation there.
That judge probably doesn't know that "Hay-soos" is actually "Jesus".
Somebody should tell him, just to make him turn all purple. :lol:
Messiah is a banned baby name in NZ, too.
You cannot name your baby "King" or "Justice" here, nor ""Mafia No Fear", "4Real" or "Anal". All of those actually attempted and rejected.
I'm glad to report that in the UK, while freedom is circumscribed in every other way, you can call your baby whatever you like, so long as it is not an "offensive" name. The Genera Registry has refused to comment on exactly what is meant by this or how often it has been invoked, but the suggestion is that so long as you're not naming your baby "Lord Arsebiscut the Fucker", you should be OK.
Which is a relief to all the parents of our little Supermans, 4Reals and and Gandalfs.
Quote from: Carlos Danger on August 12, 2013, 08:03:51 AM
I'm glad to report that in the UK, while freedom is circumscribed in every other way, you can call your baby whatever you like, so long as it is not an "offensive" name. The Genera Registry has refused to comment on exactly what is meant by this or how often it has been invoked, but the suggestion is that so long as you're not naming your baby "Lord Arsebiscut the Fucker", you should be OK.
Which is a relief to all the parents of our little Supermans, 4Reals and and Gandalfs.
True Story - I know a couple of people who work in Maternity wards.
There is a direct (and the numbers are anecdotally high enough to be worrying) correlation between naming trends and the latest releases by Disney. Also more recently, Pixar. Seriously. I've actually ended up meeting "Pocahontas" which was quite a surreal experience.
I don't get why anyone gives a flying fuck what people name their baby. Fucking hell, it's all a bunch of control-freak bullshit that's essentially based on colonialism. "Our names good; your names bad".
Quote from: YOUR Social Science Thinkmonkey on August 12, 2013, 03:38:13 PM
I don't get why anyone gives a flying fuck what people name their baby. Fucking hell, it's all a bunch of control-freak bullshit that's essentially based on colonialism. "Our names good; your names bad".
I don't think names should be banned, as a matter of principle.
But when someone names their kid "Gandalf" or "Messiah" or "Anal", I have to kind of wince, because the kid is gonna go through hell in middle school.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on August 12, 2013, 03:46:19 PM
Quote from: YOUR Social Science Thinkmonkey on August 12, 2013, 03:38:13 PM
I don't get why anyone gives a flying fuck what people name their baby. Fucking hell, it's all a bunch of control-freak bullshit that's essentially based on colonialism. "Our names good; your names bad".
I don't think names should be banned, as a matter of principle.
But when someone names their kid "Gandalf" or "Messiah" or "Anal", I have to kind of wince, because the kid is gonna go through hell in middle school.
I guess it depends. "Anal", sure. "Gandalf" or "Messiah"? I guess possibly in particular demographics, but mostly when you look at the divergence from "traditional" European names over the last few decades I doubt kids would particularly take note.
Of course, I do live on the West Coast, but from looking at naming statistics, people seem to be getting more creative and less traditional everywhere. I mean, I have friends with kids in school with names like Galileo, Diogenes, Candle, Asher, etc. and they don't have any more trouble with their names than anyone else. Sam's been going by "Samwise" for years, kids don't even know that isn't a "traditional" name.
"Messiah" doesn't really sound that different to me from all the other religious/royalty names that people give their kids, like "Regina" or the forty million "Mohammad"s.
Quote from: YOUR Social Science Thinkmonkey on August 12, 2013, 04:00:36 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on August 12, 2013, 03:46:19 PM
Quote from: YOUR Social Science Thinkmonkey on August 12, 2013, 03:38:13 PM
I don't get why anyone gives a flying fuck what people name their baby. Fucking hell, it's all a bunch of control-freak bullshit that's essentially based on colonialism. "Our names good; your names bad".
I don't think names should be banned, as a matter of principle.
But when someone names their kid "Gandalf" or "Messiah" or "Anal", I have to kind of wince, because the kid is gonna go through hell in middle school.
I guess it depends. "Anal", sure. "Gandalf" or "Messiah"? I guess possibly in particular demographics, but mostly when you look at the divergence from "traditional" European names over the last few decades I doubt kids would particularly take note.
Of course, I do live on the West Coast, but from looking at naming statistics, people seem to be getting more creative and less traditional everywhere. I mean, I have friends with kids in school with names like Galileo, Diogenes, Candle, Asher, etc. and they don't have any more trouble with their names than anyone else. Sam's been going by "Samwise" for years, kids don't even know that isn't a "traditional" name.
This is reason #2 why I don't think names should be banned. What I find wince-worthy might be fine to other people.
Reason #1, of course, is "don't tell me what to fucking do".
Quote from: Doktor Howl on August 12, 2013, 03:46:19 PM
Quote from: YOUR Social Science Thinkmonkey on August 12, 2013, 03:38:13 PM
I don't get why anyone gives a flying fuck what people name their baby. Fucking hell, it's all a bunch of control-freak bullshit that's essentially based on colonialism. "Our names good; your names bad".
I don't think names should be banned, as a matter of principle.
But when someone names their kid "Gandalf" or "Messiah" or "Anal", I have to kind of wince, because the kid is gonna go through hell in middle school.
This kind of works both ways.
Depending on the kid, environment, parents and everything else they'll either go through hell and come out hard or broken.
I'm not convinced that the school system is designed to do anything other than these things anyway.
The other thing is, how can kids even figure out what names are "unusual", when names are all over the place? How many Ophelias do you think Ophelia goes to school with? It just isn't the days of half the class being named "Jennifer" or "Mary" or "John", anymore. If there IS a John in the school, he's probably the only one, and with so many kids with the only one of their name in a school of 300-400 kids, kids have no way of knowing which unique name is more unusual than any other.
So they're forced to pick on each other for other reasons, which, of course, they do.
I'm really okay with Adolph Hitler and Aryan Nation's parents getting shit on for being awful and naming their kids that.
Quote from: Queen Gogira Pennyworth, BSW on August 12, 2013, 04:24:51 PM
I'm really okay with Adolph Hitler and Aryan Nation's parents getting shit on for being awful and naming their kids that.
Ultimately, its the kids who pay for the parents getting shit on, though.
If anything kids will make fun of another kid's name if it can be mocked with a similar sounding word. The name itself isn't what causes the mocking, it's just a means to do so.
Names shouldn't be banned, but kids should be able to change their name without their parents' permission.
So when Messiah turns 7 and says, fuck no, he/she should have recourse to pick a new name.
What about Bobby Tables (http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/exploits_of_a_mom.png)?
On the one hand they say it's a lesson in not accepting unsanitized user-input, but on the other hand they made their kid's name a WEAPONIZED CYBER ATTACK ... :)
In a world dominated by the von Neumann computing paradigm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Neumann_architecture), a world where there is no inherent distinction between CODE = DATA, can you really make a distinction between Freedom of Speech (DATA) and "freedom of action*" (CODE EXECUTION) ? ;-)
* there is probably a proper legal term for this, I'm referring to the fact that while you should be able to SAY anything you want, you cannot just DO anything you want, there's rules against certain acts
Looks like a pretty complex case.
Seems like it may just be Tennessee bullshit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23626986
QuoteThere were 762 American baby boys named Messiah last year, and that figure is growing. The Social Security Administration ranks it the fourth fastest-growing name for baby boys - it leapt from 633rd in 2011 to 387th in 2012. And it's not just a boy's name or a first name.
The rest is pretty much a puff piece with a guy who is 26 and also called Messiah in NY. No real problems for him it seems.
They could always go for the "Intentional Mispelling" gambit and call him Messayah.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on August 14, 2013, 06:10:32 PM
They could always go for the "Intentional Mispelling" gambit and call him Messayah.
Or wait for a girl and call her Miss Aiya.
Just think. The generations now being born will be the first to truly understand how to give your child a good troll name.
It's really just a matter of time until we get the story about little baby Satan/Antichrist.
I think the judge just has a God complex, herself. GOD personally put her in a position of power so that she would enforce HIS will on the heathens in her kingdom.
I mean it says so right in the bible. (Romans 13)
QuoteLet every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
GLORY!
It's the only way to save him from the jews and the catholics.
Quote from: Aloha Ackbar on August 12, 2013, 05:31:45 PM
If anything kids will make fun of another kid's name if it can be mocked with a similar sounding word. The name itself isn't what causes the mocking, it's just a means to do so.
THIS! When I was at primary school my name was (and still is) normal and boring as fuck. So the mean kids would tant me with shit that rhymed and try and piss me off that way. It didn't piss me off but I'd beat the shit out them anyway since they'd obviously gone to all the effort and it seemed rude not to.
I'm with Junkenstein. The only real thing I learned at school, that I couldn't have picked up on my own was - violence is the only 100% effective form of communication :lulz:
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on August 14, 2013, 06:10:32 PM
They could always go for the "Intentional Mispelling" gambit and call him Messayah.
Could always go to the root of things and call him Moshiach....or pick an abscure language and name him whatever "covered in oil" translates to.
Better...he is now called "greasy": simple english for one who is covered in oil.
Quote from: P3nT4gR4m on August 15, 2013, 01:39:10 PM
Quote from: Aloha Ackbar on August 12, 2013, 05:31:45 PM
If anything kids will make fun of another kid's name if it can be mocked with a similar sounding word. The name itself isn't what causes the mocking, it's just a means to do so.
THIS! When I was at primary school my name was (and still is) normal and boring as fuck. So the mean kids would tant me with shit that rhymed and try and piss me off that way. It didn't piss me off but I'd beat the shit out them anyway since they'd obviously gone to all the effort and it seemed rude not to.
I'm with Junkenstein. The only real thing I learned at school, that I couldn't have picked up on my own was - violence is the only 100% effective form of communication :lulz:
I had a similar time at highschool, except it took a decade before i got good at hurting people.
Quote from: TALK TO ME ABOUT YOUR GENITALS on August 12, 2013, 04:08:32 PM
So they're forced to pick on each other for other reasons, which, of course, they do.
This is truth.
The people at the school I'm working with tell me they have more than one child named "Messiah" and nothing unusually bad seems to happen to them.
Well, all the hippy names went thru, if stuff like RainbowPrairieRiver are valid...
Higher court overturned the ruling. Hallelujah!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24164027
Good!
Weird that they're making him take the father's last name but whatever.
Also that's a really cute baby.
And Judge Ballew is a shitbean for putting the parents through this bullshit.