• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Tenn. judge changes infant's name from 'Messiah'

Should a parent be allowed to name their kid Adolph?

Not Adolph Hitler, as the Campbell family did, just Adolph. As is Adolph Christopher Smith.

Popularity of Adolph

Adolph is a somewhat popular first name for men (#642 out of 1220) and an even more popular surname or last name for all people (#16658 out of 88799). (1990 U.S. Census)

Adolph | meaning of Adolph | name Adolph

Popularity of Adolfo

Adolfo is a very popular first name for men (#567 out of 1220) and a slightly less popular surname or last name for all people (#53183 out of 88799). (1990 U.S. Census)
Displayed below is the baby names popularity of the name Adolfo for boys. (2012 statistics) Compare Adolfo with its source form and related boy baby names.
 
The case had ***NOTHING*** to do with the first name! Do you not get that?

I understand perfectly but except appeal, I seriously doubt there is anything they can do about it.
 
Re: Tennessee Judge orders baby's name be changed from 'Messiah'

Yes, some bullying is normal but with a name like Messiah one can assume/imagine that bullying will be much more often and for longer than normally. Your views about teaching children how to have respect/compassion/tolerance and how to stand up for themselves is how kids were taught 50 to 100 years ago. It is an antiquated way of teaching children valuable life lessons.

And there is no government hack who wants to take opportunities away but who is charged with not unduly negatively torturing a child with a totally in-appropriate name like for example "Methadon Molly" or "Crack-Whore" and names like that. Parents should generally be totally free to name their children but there are boundaries and that has nothing to do with not thinking like a sovereign but with compassion and the right to children to not be punished for the stupidity of parents.

Messiah is not likely to bring any more ridicule than many, many other names out there, especially some that celebrities have given their children, but even besides. 515 per every million babies in the year 2013 were named "Messiah". Thousands of children in the US today are named "Messiah". Do you think all of them should have their name changed because they may get teased?

What about the name "Sterling"? Or maybe "Money" or "Pryce"? Or "Disney" or how bout "Ikea"? Or perhaps you like "Vegas" or "Vader" better? Should those get changed by a judge just because they may get teased? Or what if it is just a judge who was teased for their name when they were younger so they changed their name as soon as they were able and want to change the name of anyone with it? How about the name "Dawn" or "Stephanie"? They easily become "Don-ald Duck" or "Step-on-me". Or Elizabeth goes to "Lizard Breath" pretty easily.
 
Re: Tennessee Judge orders baby's name be changed from 'Messiah'

So far as I can tell here, these two parents could not decide what last name to give the child, so they went to court over it.

That right there is insanity.

Then the judge decides to change the first name too, since apparently "the bible says this important son-of-god guy has first dibs on that" counts as a valid legal decision basis.

Twilight zone.

WTF is this ****.
 
Re: Tennessee Judge orders baby's name be changed from 'Messiah'

I have nothing new to add to this thread, but want to go on record agreeing with the majority. The judge overstepped her boundaries, and if the parents appeal, I have no doubt the judge's name change will be overruled.
 
Re: Tennessee Judge orders baby's name be changed from 'Messiah'

I have nothing new to add to this thread, but want to go on record agreeing with the majority. The judge overstepped her boundaries, and if the parents appeal, I have no doubt the judge's name change will be overruled.

Agreed. I don't see this surviving an appeal.
 
Re: Tennessee Judge orders baby's name be changed from 'Messiah'

Nonsense. As it is the kid's exposed to being called Marty Farty. Messiah is fine, call him Mess for short. Judge should be disciplined.

Your right....

With parents as ignorant as his.... he is bound to be a mess anyhow.....
 
Re: Tennessee Judge orders baby's name be changed from 'Messiah'

I knew a guy whose name was "Richard Dick". His honest-to-God last name was Dick and his parents still named him Richard. (He lived up to his names too.)

..... called him "Dick Squared"
 
I understand perfectly but except appeal, I seriously doubt there is anything they can do about it.

Which is wrong, completely and totally wrong... a judge rules based on her RELIGION, about something that was not part of the case, and they are screwed? Now how it's supposed to work in a free society.
 
Re: Tennessee Judge orders baby's name be changed from 'Messiah'

I have nothing new to add to this thread, but want to go on record agreeing with the majority. The judge overstepped her boundaries, and if the parents appeal, I have no doubt the judge's name change will be overruled.

AND local citizens' tax dollars be used to correct the dumbassery of an arrogant judge who doesn't know her hole from an ass in the ground.
 
Which is wrong, completely and totally wrong... a judge rules based on her RELIGION, about something that was not part of the case, and they are screwed? Now how it's supposed to work in a free society.

That doesn't work in a free society. This incident, however, occurred in Tennessee.
 
Re: Tennessee Judge orders baby's name be changed from 'Messiah'

Probably not constitutional.
 
Last edited:
Which is wrong, completely and totally wrong... a judge rules based on her RELIGION, about something that was not part of the case, and they are screwed? Now how it's supposed to work in a free society.

And they can appeal.
 
Re: Tennessee Judge orders baby's name be changed from 'Messiah'

Maybe not in general but it's somewhat worthwhile to point out the parents were in court because of the kid's name.

They shouldn't have been. They shouldn't have named the kid 'Messiah' but no judges should have been involved.
 
Re: Tennessee Judge orders baby's name be changed from 'Messiah'

Dutch law says that civil servants must refuse inappropriate names (like swearwords, commercial names like coca-cola are mostly also seen as inappropriate, a name like Mercedes which is a brand but also a first name will be accepted), also it is not legal for someone who is called Johnson to give his child the first name Johnson, it is not legal to call your child Johnson Johnson.

This is done to protect children from names like Messiah or for example Crack-Pipe.

I always err on the side of caution to protect the child from ridicule and the judge did that, he protected the child from the parents stupidity to give that child such a name.



Well, no disrespect to the Dutch, but this is the United States of America where you can name your kid whatever the hell you want to name it... There is absolutely nothing wrong with the name that they chose for this child...
 
And they can appeal.


Again, you are missing the point. Now it requires their time and effort and money to do so. For something that should never of happened.

Are you just one of those bible thumpers that thinks all things must be based in or on religion, or do you really not get the point?
 
Re: Tennessee Judge orders baby's name be changed from 'Messiah'

We can know for sure it wasn't Jesus for Hebrew speakers or anybody who knew him. So what are we arguing about? What Jesus was named in his time and by the people around him? We know it was a form of Yeshua, Joshua, Yoshua etc. Even Jesus himself wouldn't have answered to that name. Doesn't that tell you a little something about what his name was?



I know that there are certain Christan sects that will 'only' use Yeshua and not Jesus...
 
Re: Tennessee Judge orders baby's name be changed from 'Messiah'

Well, his name according to the only source that counts was Iesvs. Since roman 'v' could be an 'u' then we have Iesus.
It's exactly what I said before.

The jews may have called him yoshua. the Romans called him Iesus. The greeks called him something similar to Iesus. As is spread out, people called him differently depending on the language filter. But in Europe, the name that got spread around wasn't the hebrew name, that didn't matter. It was the latin name of Jesus, Iesvs.



Well I'm not a christian, but as he was a Jew, I would think that it mattered quite a lot on what they called him...
 
Every person should be allowed to legally change their name at age 18 without cost. Some of the names kids get stuck with by their parents...

The judge is a marooon. She should legally change her name to Dumbass.



If she was a maroon, she probably wouldn't have changed his name.:mrgreen:
 
Again, you are missing the point. Now it requires their time and effort and money to do so. For something that should never of happened.

Are you just one of those bible thumpers that thinks all things must be based in or on religion, or do you really not get the point?

Yes, I get the point.

1. I like it that a judge had the guts to refuse a name that would assure bullying and ridicule for a child

2. I do not like the reasoning the judge used. She should have kept her religious feelings out of the court room

3. If they had not brought this case in front of the courts, the judge would not have had the opportunity to change the name

4. no matter how I feel about it now, the only recourse for the family is to appeal the verdict of this judge

5. the judge cannot be sued for her decision
 
Back
Top Bottom