RSSTennessee Judge Lu Ann Ballew Orders Baby’s Name be Changed from ‘Messiah’ to Martin DeShawn McCullough
Huh, who knew that a judge could order your child’s first name be changed? So what would the judge have done if the child’s name was Jesus and the actual last name was Christ?
Talk about some judicial over-reach … A Tennessee Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew who serves the 4th Judicial District ordered a 7 month old’s name be Martin DeShawn McCullough. It includes both parent’s last names but leaves out Messiah.The issue came before the court initially, not because of the child’s first name, but because the parents could not agree on a last name. The judge stated, ‘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 went on to say, she made this the decision is best for the child, especially while growing up in a county with a large Christian population. Wow, how is this allowed because of a judge’s religious beliefs? Also, the judge claimed it was in the best interest of the child. So if the family was not in a predominately Christian area, it would have been OK? The case is supposed to be appealed on September 17th.
What ever happened to the First Amendment of the Constitution of Freedom of Speech and Religion?
Hmm, although I think it is poor form and sacrilege for the family to have named their child “Messiah,” there is no way in Heaven that a judge could be allowed to make this family change the child’s name because of her religious views. Sorry, but it is not the court’s right to do so. Look for the ACLU to be ll over this one. Does a court really have the right to determine what your child’s name should be? Really? Obviously, this case has some extreme religion undertones, but where does the government think they have the right to order a child’s name be changed? The only reason why this went to court was because the mother and father could not agree on a last name. So had that never happened, it would have been fine for the child to have gone through life as Messiah?
A 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.
What would Barack Obama, the Obamamessiah have to say about this?
Posted August 11, 2013 by Scared Monkeys Bizarre, Child Welfare, Civil Rights, First Amendment, Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Speech, Jesus Christ, Legal - Court Room - Trial, Religion, US Constitution, WTF, You Tube - VIDEO | 17 comments |
If you liked this post, you may also like these:
Comments
17 Responses to “Tennessee Judge Lu Ann Ballew Orders Baby’s Name be Changed from ‘Messiah’ to Martin DeShawn McCullough”
Leave a Reply
Well this is a clear violation of separation of church and state. While I would question the wisdom of naming your child “Messiah” in a very religious state, it is the parents’ decision. I have heard titles such as “Pharaoh” be used as first names without being challenged. If this judge is incapable of separating her religion from her secular, judicial duty, perhaps she should resign and let someone more qualified do the job.
_______________________________
SM: I do not even think it is separation of Church and State. I think its just a matter of the 1st Amendment and freedom of speech. If judges are concerned about kids names, I would think naming your child “Moon Unit” might be damaging as well. I cannot imagine how this is not going to be reversed.
R
This judge has no right to impose her personal religious beliefs upon this couple. If I were to make an argument about this, it would be 5 pages long. But the point is that everyone has the right to name their child whatever they want, no matter how outrages the name may sound to someone else! I am sure that if Angelina (the star) wanted to name one of her kids Messiah, the judge would have kept her mouth shut! Clearly, this couple’s social economic and race was considered when she made this illegal and bias decision! (How is that for an Obamaism!
__________________________
SM: I agreed with you right to the point of the families social, economic and race. What exactly does that have to do with the price of tea in China? This ruling was made by a judge who used her religious beliefs to cloud her legal judgement. Simple as that.
R
The judge is obviously a social conservative, who enjoys imposing her personal beliefs on people she feels cannot defend themselves. I hope that this couple calls her out by reversing her decision!\
_________________
SM: As opposed to a liberal judge who force their liberal doctrine upon the same people who cannot defend themselves. I think you missed the point in your political bias. I am a conservative, but call it fairly no matter who made the decision. A govt is not allowed to force some one to do this because of their beliefs, whether they be political or religious.
R
[...] Martin is right, says Dana Pretzer at Scared Monkeys. “I think it is poor form and sacrilege for the family to have named their child [...]
What a Bi#$h; who the he11 does she think she is?
An American can name their children anything they want. Truck, cargo, Judge or even Your Honor! That may be a cool name. Your Honor please erase the blackboard. hehehee
Michelle Daly: The judge is obviously a social conservative
Sure.
Common religious names include Jesús and Mohammed, as well as Old Testament prophets and heroes.
___________________________________
SM: But not the Messiah I guess? Hey Zachriel, I actually agree with you on this one. The courts have no right to do this no different than the liberal judges have no right to claim “separation of Church & State” where none exists.
But when we have a court system that allows the government to take away our liberties, the one’s you might agree with, who’s to say the same is not going to happen on the other side. Although I do not know this judges political persuasion. It would be a hoot if she was a lib.
R
How do you feel about “La-a” (pronounced ‘LaDasha’) as a name? Any bias there?
Forget separation of church and state. This is a violation of freedom on ridiculous grounds. There is no truth to Christianity, it is the most evil, corrupt, money hungry religion in the world and its followers are destructive murderers. This bi(edit)ch has no right to order a first name change, let alone PICK that name as well!. America is the most pathetic country in the world. I am very ashamed to be a part of this disgusting place.
___________________________
SM: You could always leave if you dislike it so much. It’s far from the most pathetic country in the world. you obviously don’t get out much.
“Messiah” isn’t a Christian title. It’s Hebrew, and the Jews certainly don’t regard Jesus as a messiah.
The mother definitely should appeal then state she wants Jesus Messiah DeShawn Martin as the child’s name.
Obviously, Lu Ann Ballew, a name that reminds me of the movie Deliverance or the tv show Beverly Hillbillies, is plain ignorant. Messiah is a common name, as is Jesus, pronounced “hay sous” especially in Latin cultures. As for the name being a title, so is the name Prince, Princess or Queen. So her reasoning is flawed.
This is clearly bible-belt ignorance and a zealot judge over stepping her authority by interjecting her own religious views. FIRE HER!!
The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that comprise the Bill of Rights.
You guys rock! That judge makes me wanna change my name to Messiah and move in next door to her and mow my lawn in my underwear at 3am
_______________________
SM: Alrighty Then.
I know a guy named Jesus not hayseuss but geezis and I wouldn’t buy an apple off of him…
The Jesus I know might take your wallet in a dark alley. Man I hope he doesn’t see this…
I bet she’d be ok if they named him Elvis
I think the judge is crazy and WAY WAY overstepped
her boundaries. There is a thing called FREEDOM OF SPEECH and you have a right to name your child whatever you want. It makes me mad that this judge
can even do this and I hope it gets overturned and she gets demoted for this and maybe even lose her title as Judge because at this point I think she thinks she is GOD!!!!
How does someone this fundamentally stupid get to be a judge? There are two possibilities here. 1) This “Judge” managed to get all the way through law school without ever once reading the US Constitution… or … 2) She knew very well that what she was doing was completely unconstitutional but thought she could get away with throwing her power around regardless. I’m guessing it’s door #2, which is exactly WHY we have laws like this, so tyrants don’t get to run roughshod over everyone else and impose their own brand of crazy on the general population. I hope she withers under the limelight she surely didn’t expect to have shown on her misdeeds.
_____________________________________________
SM: This judge is no different than the many other liberal ones who use social justice as their form of justice.