Alluding to Blasphemy, U.S. Judge Orders Name of Baby with ‘Messiah’ Changed
His parents went to seek a court's assistance and ruling as to whose last name should he carry throughout his lifetime. However, the judge, on hearing his first name, had ordered it changed immediately and then affixed both his parents' last names to complete his identity. What was the original first name? 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," Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew told WBIR-TV, a local channel. The baby's full name was officially Messiah DeShawn Martin.
She further explained the name change was for the benefit of the child later. "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," Ms Ballew said, noting the area where the child resides was a heavily Christian populated area.
But the mum of the renamed boy, now to be known as Martin DeShawn McCullough, will not take the matter seating down.
"I didn't think a judge could make me change my baby's name because of her religious beliefs," Jaleesa, Martin's mum, told the TV station. "Everybody believes what they want, so I should be able to name my child what I want to name him."
Jaleesa, who has two older children named Micah and Mason, has sought an appeal to recant the name change in Baby Messiah also known as Baby Martin's name.
Based on statistics from the U.S. Social Security Administration, the name Messiah, between 2011 and 2012, was actually the fourth-fastest-growing name for boys in the U.S.
Jaleesa said she would continue calling Martin as Messiah.