A Tennessee judge has ruled that a baby boy cannot have the name Messiah, even though the cute little guy has been living with it for several months now. His separated parents went to court to settle a dispute over his last name and got this surprise. According to the New York Times "The magistrate judge, Lu Ann Ballew, justified her decision by telling a WBIR reporter that the name Messiah was inappropriate. Ms. Ballew, who wore earrings in the shape of a crucifix during the interview, said: “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.”
Ms. Ballew is obviously not a trained theologian because the designation "messiah" is part of the Jewish tradition and the belief amongst Jews is that Messiah, the promised deliverer of Israel has yet to come. Christians use that term for Jesus and "Christ" is the latinized version of messiah. Of course the word "messiah" is used in popular parlance for anyone who can or thinks he/she can lead under extraordinary circumstances. I've heard Donald Trump has it on his letterhead.
What's in a name? How can a kid be called Moon Unit (Frank Zappa's lad) or Apple or any one of a thousand goofball or cutesy names people foist on their offspring these days. I'm sure Judge Ballew is an earnest Christian, and, truth be told, I would have my own problems with calling anyone Messiah with a straight face. What would the short form be anyway -- Mess?
Does the use of this name offend you? After all, there have been lots of pro ball players who are Jesus (Hey-Zeus.) Many jurisdictions have laws against giving frivolous or offensive names to unsuspecting children. Is there power in a designation such as Messiah?
Power in a name - self-fulfilling prophecies - parents often search baby name books carefully, to select just the right handle for their children... and perhaps, subconsciously, rear the children to fit the "meaning " of the name
ReplyDeleteRe "Messiah" - yep, I can see the shortened form being "Mess" or Messy" - and the child fighting very hard, as he grows, NOT to fit the full name or to be the epitome of the shortened name, and justify the behaviour with "Well, that's what you named me!"