Man Changes Name To 'I Am Who I Am' - Judge Would Not Let Man Change Name To 'God'

mycfnow ^

[chance33_98]

Man Changes Name To 'I Am Who I Am'
Judge Would Not Let Man Change Name To 'God'
Posted: 3:32 p.m. EDT October 8, 2002

LAKE CITY, Fla. -- Charles Haffey wanted to legally change his name to "God." It took a loophole of biblical proportions.

A Columbia County, Fla., judge initially denied his request in April to legally adopt the heavenly moniker, so Haffey took a passage from the Bible where Moses asks God who he is and hears "I am who I am or I will be who I will be," and asked Judge Vernon Douglas once more to change his name.

"That's kind of wordy, so I'm just going for 'I Am who I Am' as my full legal name," Haffey said before the court hearing. "My first name, of course, would be 'I Am."'

On Oct. 2, Douglas granted his petition.

Who I Am was so pleased he asked the judge to shake on it. Douglas politely declined.

"Well, Hallelujah judge," who I Am said, then walked out of the courthouse murmuring, "My heart's beating again."

The 55-year-old said he sought the name change as a way to gain release from feelings of "panic, anxiety, fear, rage, murder, suicide," that have plagued him since he served in the Vietnam War.

"I was fatally wounded in the mind and the spirit," he said. "I didn't suffer any bodily injury. It's just what I saw, what I did. I killed myself."

Who I Am said he became a Christian and was baptized in April. It was shortly after that when he decided to change everything, beginning with his name.

Last week, who I Am bought a tombstone to be inscribed with his former name. He plans to plant in the tall grass on his property.

He said it will read, "'Charles Walter Haffey, born Sept. 23, 1948, and died Oct. 21, 1968, Republic of Vietnam."'

[SamAdams76]

Does this mean that when I refer to him in the third person, I have to say "He is who he says he is"?

[SamAdams76]

And his baby sister "I Ain't Nuttin' but a Thang."

[SamAdams76]

And his baby sister "I Ain't Nuttin' but a Thang."

[SamAdams76]

And his baby sister "I Ain't Nuttin' but a Thang."

[SamAdams76]

And his baby sister "I Ain't Nuttin' but a Thang."

[ladyinred]

Grace Slick named her first child, god, small G. I think years later though, the girl changed it to something else. It was weird too if I recall. There is no law against naming a baby that......yet anyway. They would probably prefer that instead of god, you just named the baby Hillary in Florida.

[VRWC_minion]

It figures that the guy is a Florida voter.

[mhking]

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!
This has come about after much badgering by you, my friends and extended family...

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[Cicero]

You can say that again.

[Consort]

Is you is or is you ain't my baby?

[GirlShortstop]

"Well, Hallelujah judge," who I Am said,

Is anyone else thinking of Abbott & Costello...WHO? on First!    

[drstevej]

ping... bet this guy knows where some gold tablets are buried!

[Lazamataz]

He changed his name to Popeye????

No, that would have been "I Yam Who I Yam guh-guh-guh-guh-guh-guh-guh..."

[Black Cat]

It was a daughter and this is an urban legend...

http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/godslick.htm

[BulletBrasDotNet]

I am betting who I am would make it to the top of Who's Who.

[Skywalk]

Not necessarily, just a guy out for his own brand of publicity and maybe really feeling like he had to leave his old self behind.

Heck, he's a year older than my father, if he were still alive, and my dad had his own problems with Vietnam. Not out of the question in this case, if a bit loopy.

[Loyolas Mattman]

Don't forget former Washington Wizard God Shammgod.

[Dog Gone]

[BulletBrasDotNet]

My grand-father told me that he met a woman named Placenta. He asked her how her given name came about. She told him that when her Russian immigrant mother was giving birth to her, the doctor said, "Here comes placenta." And the mother named her daughter Placenta.

[RabidBartender]

grumble, grumble, grumble...ya beat me to it.


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/players/God.Shammgod/