Tennessee 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?

From WBIR 10:

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?