Update (Sept. 18): A Tennessee baby will once again be named Messiah after a court prohibition against the moniker was overturned.
Chancellor Telford E. Forgety Jr. said Lu Ann Ballew, a child support magistrate, overstepped the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution last month when she ordered the baby's name be changed to "Martin DeShawn McCollough." The purpose of bringing the child to court was to determine only his last name, ruled Forgety.
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Update (Aug. 21): The growing controversy over a Tennessee judge's decision to change a baby's name from Messiah to Martin (more details below) has unexpectedly united two often-opposing forces: the American Family Association (AFA) and the American Civil Liberties Union. The AFA's Tim Wildmon told ABC News that the group agrees Jesus Christ is the only Messiah but disagrees with judges having control over what parents name their children.
Meanwhile, The New York Times notes the ruling "raises two interesting ...
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