Parents Refused Right to Name Son ‘Allah’

This week there is some interesting news with regard to religion and freedom. In Sweden (you know, the socialist utopia that many aspire to), some new parents were refused the right to name their child Allah.

The government official said:

Names that can give offence or be seen to cause discomfort for the bearer…that the name can be seen as objectionable for religious reasons. God or Allah or the Devil is offensive to the public. Not me personally, but there are religious people who think so. Some religious names though, like Jesus, are normal,” he added.

Not to be the Devil’s advocate, but here are some other names rejected by Swedish officials: Metallica, Q, Token, and Michael Jackson. Now, I know it might seem odd to name a child Allah. I’ve known several hispanic friends named Jesus. I even knew one named Dios (by the way, that means God). I never understood it. But I never questioned a parent’s right to choose their own child’s name.

Yes, of course I believe a parent should consider a child’s future when choosing a name. I’ve have known some other strange names in my time–like Vajina, Hitler, Male, Female, and (my personal favorite) Sh*thead.

The problem is, true freedom is letting people be free to be stupid. Plus, there is no way to make sure people are not ‘offended’. How on earth can you make that a right? Once you start down the slippery road of political correctness and government intrusion into your personal life, it never stops. Pretty soon the government is telling you what kind of car you should drive, how much salt to eat, the types of fat you can cook with, how many kids you can have, and what to name them.

As Ronald Reagan said in his farewell address at the end of his presidency:

What do you think?