Tennessee Judge Deems Baby’s Name Unchristian; Orders Parents to Change It

When the parents of a seven-
month-old Messiah couldn’t come to agreement
on a last name for their son, they
left it up to the Cocke County
Chancery Court in Tennessee to decide.
They were shocked to
find child support magistrate Lu Ann
Ballew ordered a name change for the
baby’s first name, declaring it unfit instead of reaching a final verdict for the last name.
According to WBIR , Judge Ballew felt
it was imperative to change the name
for the boy’s own sake as he grows up
in a largely Christian populated county.
“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” she said and explained the
name could “put him at odds with a lot
of people and at this point he has had
no choice” in it.
So she ordered the parent’s to change
the toddler’s name to Martin DeShawn
McCullough.
But now Jaleesa Martin, Messiah’s
mother, is speaking out against the
ruling. “Everybody believes what they
want so I think I should be able to name
my child what I want to name him, not
someone else” she said. “I never
intended on naming my son Messiah
because it means God and I didn’t think
a judge could make me change my
baby’s name because of her religious
beliefs.” ( Culled from First to know )
ThinkProgres reports when the judge
was asked to comment on the
prevalence of the religion-based name
Jesus, she said “that’s not relevant to
this case.”
Martin is appealing the judge’s decision
on her son’s name change. The case will
be held in September.
Images: WBIR