Jesus Christ Meets "Your Papers Please" (fwd)

[J.A. Terranson]

If you think this is stupid, just wait till the "Real ID Act" takes
effect.

-- 
Yours,

J.A. Terranson
sysadmin at mfn.org
0xBD4A95BF

	"What this country needs is a good old fashioned nuclear enema."


http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/05/10/jesus.lawsuit.ap/index.html

Jesus Christ in legal battle to get license

Tuesday, May 10, 2005 Posted: 7:58 AM EDT (1158 GMT)

CHARLESTON, West Virginia (AP) -- Even Jesus Christ can't circumvent the
rules for getting a driver's license in West Virginia.

Attempts to prove his name really is Christ have led the man born as Peter
Robert Phillips Jr. through a lengthy legal battle and a recent victory in
the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

"This all started with him expressing his faith and his respect and love
for Jesus Christ," attorney A.P. Pishevar told The Associated Press. "Now
he needs to document it for legal reasons."

Described by his attorney as a white-haired businessman in his mid-50s,
Christ is moving to West Virginia to enjoy a slower lifestyle. He bought
property near Lost River, about 100 miles west of Washington, and has a
U.S. passport, Social Security card and Washington driver's license
bearing the name Jesus Christ.

But he still falls short of West Virginia title and license transfer
requirements because his Florida birth certificate has his original name
on it and he has been unable to obtain an official name change in
Washington.

"We just need official documentation that that's his name," said Doug
Stump, commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles. "He
will be treated no different than anybody else."

Christ applied for the legal name change in May 2003, but it was denied by
District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Tim Murphy because "taking the
name of Jesus Christ may provoke a violent reaction or may significantly
offend people."

In his appeal, Christ's attorney argued that Phillips had changed his name
to Jesus Christ 15 years earlier, and "has been using the name since then
without incident."

The appeals court last month sent the name-change proposal back to the
lower court, saying some required hearings in the case had not been held.

Any comment from the man in the middle of this legal tussle?

"Christ is not speaking to the press at this time," Pishevar said.