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The Man Who Would Be God

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dot23

Justified & Ancient
Joined
Aug 21, 2001
Messages
1,097
From BBC news.

An American veteran of the Vietnam war who lost his legal bid to change his name to God has decided to call himself I Am Who I Am instead.​
​
The former Charles Haffey said he searched the Bible for a backup name after a judge rejected his first choice in April.​
​
He drew on a passage where Moses asks God who he is and is told: "I am who I am or I will be who I will be".​
​
"That's kind of wordy," the former Mr Haffey said. "So I'm just going for I Am Who I Am as my full legal name. My first name, of course, would be I Am." ​
​
The 55-year-old said he hoped the name change would free him from feelings of anxiety and rage that have plagued him since he served in Vietnam. ​
​
"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."​

Suitably fortean, I thought :)
 
hmmm - good point, hadn't made the connection myself.
 
He's definately the sniper, but what about old God, then? "I am who I am etc..." he's a vague sort isn't he! You wouldn't play poker with him.
 
Rich said:
He's definately the sniper, but what about old God, then? "I am who I am etc..." he's a vague sort isn't he! You wouldn't play poker with him.
Click to expand...

Dunno. Sounds like Popeye.
 
dot23 said:
From BBC news.

An American veteran of the Vietnam war who lost his legal bid to change his name to God has decided to call himself I Am Who I Am instead.​
​
The former Charles Haffey said he searched the Bible for a backup name after a judge rejected his first choice in April.​
​
He drew on a passage where Moses asks God who he is and is told: "I am who I am or I will be who I will be".​
​
"That's kind of wordy," the former Mr Haffey said. "So I'm just going for I Am Who I Am as my full legal name. My first name, of course, would be I Am." ​
​
The 55-year-old said he hoped the name change would free him from feelings of anxiety and rage that have plagued him since he served in Vietnam. ​
​
"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."​

Suitably fortean, I thought :)
Click to expand...

So if asked "Who are you?", he would answer: "I am I am Who I Am."

That could get very tiresome, very quickly.

Edit: Here he is:

slide_2.jpg
 
Yep, he's his own special creation.
 
He yiz what he yiz.
 
The part that's missing (above) is whether he was allowed to change his name on the second try.

He was. Here's the article from his hometown (Lake City, Florida) newspaper.

Name Change Lets a Man Legally Become `Who I Am’
By The Associated Press
Posted Oct 9, 2002 at 1:34 AM

Charles Haffey wanted to legally change his name to “God.” It took a loophole of biblical proportions.

A Columbia County 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.

“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.

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.′ ”
Click to expand...

SOURCE: https://www.theledger.com/article/LK/20021009/news/608130680/LL/”//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html
 
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