Preferred tattoo design faith-based?

My tattoo was relevant to me the moment I got it and it still is because of the meaning it have for me.Should I have let somebody use a permanent ink and wrote the words on my body ? My answer is no and even if it was a bible ref I answer would still be no.For me its not about what the 'picture' or 'message' its about the temple.

I will have to witness in a way th does not include tattoos .
#personalopinion

Thanks for your comments, Kylie-jo; appreciated.

I think it's a matter of dispensational emphasis, right? if you see what I mean. Some Reformed Christians (a lot in Holland, South Africa, etc.) make the Old Testament law their emphasis, and will even claim that we are under the law and the purpose of the professedly Christian life is to keep the law. As I see it as a dispensationalist, however, the law was changed (Hebrews 7) and we now have a better hope.

The whole emphasis and direction of the New Testament believer's life under grace is to prioritize Gospel testimony.

So for example, Paul warned strongly against imposing circumcision, because it implied law-keeping. But he also circumcised someone as a voluntary thing - not because of its supposed intrinsic value - but so that people from a particular background (Jewish) would have a greater hearing for the Gospel.

Today many Christians feel that those who are themselves tattooed are more likely to listen to someone with a faith based tattoo. Not that the tattoo itself is of spiritual value intrinsically but because it pragmatically can help in witness situations.

And Romans 14 Christian liberty is the rule for Christians seeking to testify rather than the Old Testament law.

This is why I wondered if yours happened to be faith based.

(My further two cents'; I just hope I an making some sort of sense?)

Blessings.

Any more poll votes, folks? Thanks to those who voted so far.

PS:

Kylie-jo:

Well, you seem to regret yours. Some Christians do regret theirs, and some also try to make amends by having it altered so that's it's specifically God-honoring in its design. (Easier to alter it than remove it.) For example, a Christian woman who had the name of an ex-bf tattooed, e.g., "Bill", might well choose to have it changed to say "Bible", or something similar that might fit.

Blessings.

Sarah: So did you settle yet on the Bible text that you like enough to get inked?

Blessings.

Not quite. It may take a while for a verse or verses to come to me. I can be very picky.

Sarah: Well, it's good to be sure, before you tell the artist to go ahead, right?

I reckon you probably have a shortlist of possible verses, though.

Blessings.

Im actually still pretty clueless as to what verse I want. Though I have full confidence ill find it in time.

Sarah: I guess one way to figure is to estimate how often you go back to re-read particular verses over a period of time, and then you'll get a clearer idea of which ones have become the most meaningful to you in your life.

Yes, confidence in faith based tattoo plans is good.

And probably the placement is already clearer to you than the actual verse, right?

Blessings.

Of course placement to me is always easier for me to figure out. I kind of like to have them in areas that people usually see. The whole point to art is to show it off right? While avoiding trashy areas. In my opinion you can have the nicest tattoo in the world but the wrong placement can make it look tacky.

Sarah:

Well, exactly; this is a lot of common sense (which not everyone, unlike you, has figured out).

And especially with faith based tattoo designs, there is the witness element also, right? which is all about communicating the faith to others.

So a more visible placement makes a lot of sense, when getting faith related ink.

Often this means somewhere on the arms.

But other (non-tacky) placements work, too, right?

Blessings.

So folks, any more poll votes?

Of course there are other good placement areas. Though I think thats all up to personal preference. But yes tattoos are usually in my experience good conversation starters.

Sarah:

Well, this is exactly true. In fact my wife and I proved it just some hours ago since I last posted on this thread: we were out shopping and because a lady in a store had John 3.16 tattooed, we got talking to her; I told her it was my favorite verse and she said it was hers as well; we told her of the church we have been attending; my wife was quite intrigued. I said to my wife later that such conversations must surely be multiplied hundreds of times.

A faith based tattoo (Bible verse or ref.; Christian fish sign <><, etc.) really do make good conversation starters.

If you're determined to do it, sounds like you won't regret it.

Blessings.

General comment: a lot of people seem to be doing it for the first time; and many Christians, instead of fighting it, instead seem to be opting to embrace the medium as a means of testimony.

Generally speaking, not necessarily singling out this subject but generally speaking, Funny how a lot of people doing something wrong makes it right.

So what's your point about this subject? Re. post #34, it's hard to deny that my wife and I had a positive experience yesterday evening. Blessings.

I don't know, this is a tough one for me. I believe the Bible tells us not to get tats, that it's wrong, and that a bunch of people are trying to make it right by climbing on the bandwagon. And that's not just about tats, seems a lot of people here on a lot of subjects think there is "right" conferred by gathering the numbers. But, on subject, if your tat brings witness to the Christ, who am I to stand in the way? Kinda like when Paul said to not bicker, but even amongst the bickering be glad that Christ is preached.

Sarah:

PS: For faith based designs such as a Scripture verse, it's really a question of combining a pleasingly lettered verse or verse reference with the fact that a particular Scripture verse brings the wearer a lot of joy, right?

Blessings.

This is how many Christians feel about their ink, anyway.

Blessings.