What is a name worth?

This is a news clip I shared on Wednesday with the students. One of my loves is "strange news" where you find out just how weird people can be. It's like watching a car accident, you want to turn away but you're fascinated at the same time. This news story was just like that, I wanted to get mad and call the dad up and kick him in the shins but at the same time I thought "wow... officially, I have seen everything."
Here is the clip to the ABC News version of it through the AP. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/PainAtThePump/story?id=5357740

What is a name worth anyway? The great thing about parenting is to give your child a name that will last forever. Names in the Bible were significant to the person and to who they were and what they did. Israel means "God wrestler" which is an upgrade from "Deceiver." Jesus comes from the Hebrew Yeshua which means "God saves," the promise in Isaiah is Immanuel "God with us," and names like Timothy means "Honors God."

So what does it mean to give up the right to name your child for gas? It means that at least for that parent, a couple tanks of gas is worth more than being the one responsible for the legacy of a child. Names aren't as important as they once were, and in a day when people name their kids "Apple" and whatever else is out there, it's hard to think of the significance of it. But naming a child is a great responsibility and shouldn't be handled trivially. Sure this kid will have a great story, but it makes me sad to know that gas is worth more than the right of a parent.

I'd be curious to see what it's like when the child is born, or if $100 in gas will even matter so much then. Maybe the dad should have held out for $1000 or more?