Man Claims to Be Christ Options

[fameONE]

A Manhattan man's holiday spirits soared to celestial heights on Friday when a judge gave him permission to change his name to Jesus Christ.

Jose Luis Espinal (42) said he was "happy" and "grateful" that the judge approved the change, effective immediately. Espinal said he was moved to seek the name change about a year ago when it dawned on him, "I am the person that is that name."

Espinal, who acted as his own lawyer, got the change approved by Manhattan Civil Court Judge Diane Lebedeff, who said she was "satisfied that this application is neither novel, nor would granting it pose practical problems".

The judge said name-change applications usually are not denied just because the change might cause practical difficulties or be thought unwise, as long as a person with the same name does not object to the proposed change.

She cited a 2001 Utah case in which a man legally changed his name to "Santa Claus" and a Washington, DC, case earlier this year in which a name-change applicant obtained a driver's licence and Social Security card in the name of "Jesus Christ".

The judge compared those cases with that of actor Peter Lorre's widow, who objected to a man who said he was the actor's relative changing his name to "Peter Lorie".

Though laws differ by jurisdiction, the judge said, there seems to be a nationwide consensus that a name cannot be changed to a number. She cited a South Dakota court ruling against a change to "1069" and a California court rejecting "III" as name.

The judge said she held a hearing in which Espinal, who also uses the last name Tejeda, testified. She said he was aware of the "common-law right to assume another name without legal proceedings so long as the change is not made to deceive or perpetrate a fraud or to avoid an obligation", but wanted to go the formal route anyway.

The judge said Espinal's "reasons were primarily those applicable to his own private religious beliefs and he stated no desire to use his proposed name to secure publicity, to proselytise, to fund-raise or advise others that he had been cloaked by the courts or government with a religious authority".

Espinal, who is unemployed and unmarried and has no children, said: "This was not done for any reason other than I am that person. You're dealing with the real deal."

Discuss. How do we know he's telling the truth? How do we know he's another religious zealot?

[illumineering]

What do his actions reflect? Personally, I don't care what he chooses to call himself.

[vash1530]

saying h e is jesus proves nothing. his is obviously a aging man's desparate attempt at notoriety after a life that hasn't had him reap any benefis.
sad.

[MFDOOM]

What is changing his name going to do? What is a claim?

My name stated is MF Doom. I am your Lord and Savior. Worship Me.

Can I make headlines?

[HolyMoly]

I don't think the real Jesus would do that. stupid.

[sporadic]

Hah. You can't really prove anything just by saying you are (blank). It's not really a big deal to me. Unless he starts getting a big group of followers or something...

[MFDOOM]

I don't think the real Jesus would do that. stupid.

Am I the only person who caught this? Jesus declared he was the son of Christ; thats one of the reasons he faced so much persecution and scrutiny.

What a dimwitted response.

[Joss-eh-lime]

does her actually think hes jesus? i guess it doesnt really matter what he changes his name too.

[*kryogenix*]

Am I the only person who caught this? Jesus declared he was the son of Christ; thats one of the reasons he faced so much persecution and scrutiny.

What a dimwitted response.

Jesus never talked like that. He was never like "Check me out, I'm Jesus Christ! The real mccoy!"

[sadolakced acid]

^ no, i think he said something like... i'm the son of god and you're betraying god!

[*kryogenix*]

Well he's not Jesus Christ. Jesus would not be concerned with the frivolousness of a legal name. Jesus would be saving the world, one person at a time.

And I seem to recall something about the end of time before Jesus returns.

[sadolakced acid]

george bush got reelected. that's good enough for me.

[*kryogenix*]

george bush got reelected.  that's good enough for me.

HUR HUR HUR.

[simx]

Hah. You can't really prove anything just by saying you are (blank). It's not really a big deal to me. Unless he starts getting a big group of followers or something...

I agree

[timeflies51]

george bush got reelected. that's good enough for me.

lmao.

and of course this is bull. but if he wants to name himself that... whatever floats your boat...

[voguelove]

uhh? just saying his name is jesus christ doesnt mean he is jesus christ.

[sillakilla220]

i think the bigger issue here is who the f**k would want to change their name to 1069 or III?? that shit is funny tho had me thinkin wat number i would change my name to if i could

[sadolakced acid]

bigger issue it may be, but it's not on topic. this is about whether or not the man could be jesus christ.

to which i say: may christians believe in the second coming of the christ. when he does come, he will be thrown in a mental institute for saying he's god and refusing to prove it because "you should be faithful".

he would join the ranks of thousands of others who also claim to be god.

[juliar]

What I'm thinking is, hey, what if he actually IS jesus christ? Granted, chances are he isn't considering he isn't saving people or anything. But, I mean, at least from my crappy knowledge of religious history, no one really believed Jesus much when he said that he was the son of God, right?

[*kryogenix*]

Let's learn how Jesus got his name.

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

[sadolakced acid]

okay... so a bride to be turns up pregnant. she claims she's still a virgin, and that an angel told her she would have the son of god. her son is named jesus and grows up thinking he's the son of god.

it's the looney house for both of them in this modern world. even if all the people dealing them them were devout christians.

[*kryogenix*]

okay... so a bride to be turns up pregnant. she claims she's still a virgin, and that an angel told her she would have the son of god. her son is named jesus and grows up thinking he's the son of god.

it's the looney house for both of them in this modern world. even if all the people dealing them them were devout christians.

So I guess if you have no response to scripture passages, you ignore them. I see.

[sadolakced acid]

i thought i did reply to it.

if someone said what mary said in that scripture passage, the looney house for them.

[*kryogenix*]

i thought i did reply to it.

if someone said what mary said in that scripture passage, the looney house for them.

No. Instead of taking the passage I quoted, you chose to dismiss it as a made up story.

[sadolakced acid]

^ no, i was trying to show how that would sound if someone said it in the modern day

because jesus is supposed to have a second coming. and i'm trying to say that if he does have one, no one will believe him unless he shows some miracles, which is apparently against the way god works, as he works on faith alone, so won't prove himself.

[*kryogenix*]

^ no, i was trying to show how that would sound if someone said it in the modern day

because jesus is supposed to have a second coming. and i'm trying to say that if he does have one, no one will believe him unless he shows some miracles, which is apparently against the way god works, as he works on faith alone, so won't prove himself.

I'm assuming your understanding of the Christian faith comes mostly from Protestants, as you state that God works on faith alone (sola fide). The problem with that belief occurs here:

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Both faith AND works are required.

If you want to discuss this issue, please see my Questions for Protestants thread.

[sadolakced acid]

hmmm.

but even without the whole faith only thing, would not even christians have doubts that this was actually jesus reincarnated?

[IceCream4U]

Well, I honestly don't care!

If he wants to be called Jesus Christ, so be it.

Haha, but my dad always says, "JESUS CHRIST DO YOU EVER GET OFF OF THE COMPUTER?!" Haha.

[NoSex]

Both faith AND works are required.

Ephesians 2:8-9

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

[*kryogenix*]

Ephesians 2:8-9

So? Men cannot save themselves by doing works alone. Faith is required as well. But faith alone cannot save either. Faith and works are required for salvation.

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

-James 2:24

[xosteffanator]

There's a guy at my school called Jesus.
I don't know......some people just have an odd sense of humor

[*kryogenix*]

There's a guy at my school called Jesus.
I don't know......some people just have an odd sense of humor

Jesus (pronounced Hey-Zeus) is a fairly common hispanic name.

In fact, there was this nurse or doctor named Jesus, and it caused some trouble for a hospital. Why? Because the attendant had to tell the patients "Jesus will be with you shortly."

[NoSex]

So? Men cannot save themselves by doing works alone. Faith is required as well. But faith alone cannot save either. Faith and works are required for salvation.

Read it again. It seems to say that we can not be saved by works at all. Faith saves us, not works.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

[*kryogenix*]

Read it again. It seems to say that we can not be saved by works at all. Faith saves us, not works.

You read it again. And in context.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

-Ephesians 2:8-10

God gives us His grace which is an offer through salvation, we cannot brag about it. Being faithful means you accept that grace. For example, if I gave you a present for no reason at all, you cannot brag that you deserved the present because you did something good.

[*kryogenix*]

By the way, you have impeccable timing. Today's second reading had the passage of Ephesians you brought up! I was smiling so much when I heard it. And to top it all off, today's Gospel contained the verse in my sig, John 3:16!

[*SuzieRawkSoxx*]

Maybe he was drunk and then he thought to himself sh*t im jesus christ. lol thats some funny ish LMAO im telling my grandmother so she'll have a ♥ attack. She'll probably yell at me for what that man did haha.

[*Kathleen*]

To quote Shakespeare,

What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;

Names aren't tangible. The result of miracles are.

[sweetangel2128]

Changing your name to Jesus and claiming to be God is a sin against God and that person will be punished for eternity for it. In the Bible it talks of false messiahs.

[*mishyerr*]

I thought when Jesus comes, a lotta shit happens. Big shit.

[jennyt13]

saying h e is jesus proves nothing. his is obviously a aging man's desparate attempt at notoriety after a life that hasn't had him reap any benefis.
sad.

i agree 100%. he's just desperate for attention that's it. If he really want some attention maybe he shuld crap in his pants in public and after that. go around screaming he craped in his pants. all he wants is attention and nothin more thatn that. you cant be jesus christ by changing your name to his.

1. you didnt die for us
2. u weren't crucified
3. you probally nearly done anything close to what he has done for us.
4. u probally never done any miracles in your whole entire life of living or your life afterwards.

so dont even bother!!!

[sweetangel2128]

I thought when Jesus comes, a lotta shit happens. Big shit.

Yes, in the Bible it states that when it comes close to Jesus's second coming that there will be floods/disasters and chaos which we sorta already have if you look around :-/ People believe he will be returning VERY soon and everyone will know about it. I think it's been like 2 or 3,000 years since his last arrival.

[*mishyerr*]

...and everyone will know about it.

So, if everyone is gonna know about it, isn't it obvious that this man isn't Jesus? I don't understand how people can actually believe that some random man is "Jesus."

[sweetangel2128]

So, if everyone is gonna know about it, isn't it obvious that this man isn't Jesus? I don't understand how people can actually believe that some random man is "Jesus."

I don't know, people are gullible lol. In the Bible it says that people will follow false messiahs but to not be tricked because it is a sin to follow another person or God that isn't actually "God". It's called worshipping an idol.