A judge from East Tennessee has been fired after ordering a baby's name to be changed from Messiah to Martin. The judge argued that the name was for Jesus Christ only and that the name would be an offense to the Christian community in which they lived in.
According to CBS news, the ordered name change was a group decision made by local judges. The hearing in August was when the baby's named was changed. The father, Jawaan McCullough, also made a request to change the last name from Martin to McCullough.
Judge Lu Ann Ballew explained that "Labeling this child ‘Messiah’ places an undue burden on him that as a human being, he cannot fulfill.”
Reuters writes that Messiah is actually a very popular name. In 2012, it was the 387th most popular name for baby boys in the United States.
Ballew is now facing accusations of violating Tennessee's Code of Judicial Conduct and has been replaced by the district chief judge.. The judge denies that she violated any rules.