BEIJING, May 13 -- Jesus Christ is having trouble convincing U.S. courts to let him keep his name.

    It¡¯s not the Messiah who is facing this problem, of course, but an American small business owner who, some 15 years ago, adopted the name of the Christian God¡¯s son.

    The man, born Peter Robert Phillips Jr., started his legal battle in 2003 when authorities in West Virginia refused to put his godly name on the property he bought in the southern state.

    So Jesus went to a district court in Washington, where he currently lives and where he has now been fighting a two-year battle to use his Biblical name.

    The U.S. capital ¡°permits a common law name change at will. You can change your name as long as it¡¯s not for a fraudulent purpose,¡± Jesus Christ¡¯s attorney, Afshin Pishewar, said Tuesday.

    An appeals court overturned the judge in late April, and a new hearing should take place in the next two months, the attorney said.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been remanded for a second coming,¡± he said. ¡°We look forward to the hearing so we can have redemption.¡±

    (Source: Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)