Church & State: Woman Forced by Court to Change Son's Name

"Where's your Messiah now?"

There are a lot of unusual baby names. There are a lot of dumb parents with names like Pigg, Ball or Cox who really ought to be more careful with names like Ima, Harry or Sharon. And I'm of the personal opinion that if you want to give your child an unusual name, use it as a nickname, and give him or her a legal name that is more standard. Example, if you want to name your kid "Cloud," maybe give him a legal name like "Chloe." If you want a boy called "Steeple," maybe call him "Steve" on his birth certificate? Gives him an out if he outgrows the nickname. Just a helpful hint.

But that's just it, it's a hint. A suggestion. I'd never demand or insist that a mother name her kid something. That would be. . .oh, I don't know. . .insane? And when the court does it, and uses religion as its reasoning? I'd say that's pretty clearly un-Constitutional.

[Excerpt]

Judge Declares Baby’s Name Unchristian; Orders Parents To Change It

Tennessee child support magistrate Lu Ann Ballew unilaterally decided to rename a seven-month-old boy “Martin” because she objected to the parents’ selection of “Messiah.” Her reasoning, she explained, was that, “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. . .”

Read more at: ThinkProgress