In Ternopil, Protestant family names their son Judas

The Shevchenko family with their son Judas. Photo: TikTok anhelina.life

A young Pentecostal couple in Ternopil, members of the Oxygen church, named their son Judas, saying the name has been “slandered throughout history.”

Judas’s mother, Anhelina Shevchenko, explains that only two children in Ukraine are officially registered with this name — one of them being their son.

“We chose this name consciously. Even though it was once slandered in history, the real meaning of Judas is entirely different: it translates as ‘to praise the Lord,’” Shevchenko said in her TikTok video. According to her, it is “not just a name, but a future that God has prepared for our son.”

Commenters did not support the family’s decision, writing that a boy with this name will face serious difficulties.

“When a mother creates 1001 future problems for her child out of thin air,” wrote Daria Mois.

“I think once your son grows up, he’ll certainly say a ‘huge’ thank-you,” user9600053481577 commented.

“But you do understand that for both believers and non-believers there’s only one association with this name. It always and for everyone carries the most negative meaning,” another user noted.

Nastia Ladanska added that the parents’ argument about the etymology of the name is not convincing: “And what about the name Lucifer? It means ‘light-bearer’ or ‘morning star.’”

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that Zelensky deprived Metropolitan Onuphry of his citizenship on the day of the Apostle Jude. According to political analyst Kostiantyn Bondarenko, Zelensky is celebrating the wrong Judas.

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