A California mother-to-be is asking Internet users to pick the name of her unborn baby—and in exchange, a website will give her $5,000. The mother, 26-year-old Natasha Hill, said she was having trouble coming up with a name for her baby. So when she heard about a contest sponsored by the website Belly Ballot, she leapt at the chance. Let’s face it: Giving birth is always hard work, but now Hill won’t have to labor over a name, too.  Hill believes the public will select a fabulous name for her new progeny—helped by the fact Belly Ballot gives voters a pre-selected list of names: No one can vote for names such as “Fruity Mooty” or “Tiberius Rex” or for those interested in voting for lifelong product placement, “Toyota.” Hill’s boyfriend (and presumably the baby’s father) is not as confident. There are plenty of weird names voters could select within the restrictions. Hill doesn’t have to take the name, of course—but if she doesn’t, she doesn’t get the $5,000. We only can hope she puts the money in a savings account for her child when he or she turns 18, explaining that’s why he or she suffered with the potential name of “Lemonywise” for all these years. (New York Daily News)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.