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?

[*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.