The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew of the Cocke County Chancery Court in Tennessee has ordered the parents of Messiah Deshawn Martin to change his name to Martin DeShawn McCullough. The case came before Magistrate Ballew because the mother of Messiah put her last name on the birth certificate, but the child's father disagreed, and so they went to court to determine what the child's last name should be.
Instead of merely making a decision regarding the baby's last name, the Magistrate changed the child's entire name because of the Magistrate's religious beliefs.
"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 told WBIR-TV, a local channel . . . The judge explained her decision to WBIR-TV in an interview by citing the area's heavily Christian population.
http://www.latimes.com/....
Messiah's mother was outraged by the Magistrate's decision.
"I didn’t think a judge could make me change my baby’s name because of her religious beliefs," Martin told the TV station, adding, “Everybody believes what they want, so I should be able to name my child what I want to name him."
http://www.latimes.com/....
Messiah's mother intends to appeal the decision and is continuing to call her son by his given name Messiah. Martin is not alone in naming her son Messiah. According to the The Los Angeles Times
In 2012, Messiah was the 387th most common name given to baby boys in the U.S.
http://www.latimes.com/....
After reading this article, I wonder what part of separation of church and state does Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew not understand.