The tattoo thread.

[JohnDB]

Paul said that all things are lawful but not everything is helpful. Based on that I don't see how getting a tattoo is a sin. I would keep it small though and perhaps in an inconspicuous place.

Too inconspicuous and.....
Well nobody likes overhandled tomatoes.

 

[tourist]

i did it . i not under the law. i didnt get anything rude or suggestive. just something meamingful

Good for you Robert.

 

[PennEd]

What are your thoughts on Christians getting tattoos?

We have freedom in Christ. So I certainly wouldn’t judge those that got them.

But on a personal level, I simply don’t like them. Even the “tasteful” ones.

I understand some get them for sentimental reasons, but I just don’t get permanently marring God’s beautiful work.

 

[brighthouse98]

Dear sisterThe Narrowpath, pray about it, and YOU decide!! God will put a mark on us anyway!! LOL (2 Tim 2:19 and Rev 7:3) Now I have none myself, I came close while being in special forces, but never did, but I know many believers who have them, I sure do not judge what they themselves wish to have upon them. If you can do it in faith and you believe the Lord wants you to do then forget what anyone else says about it, because there shall be only one judge at the end, and it sure as hell will not be any of us!!! lol

 

[Subhumanoidal]

Yeah I got one for sentimental value (family member) before I got saved. Been about six years that Ive thought about getting more, again for sentiment but the consensus here seems to be that the Bible says no.

Consensus here is limited. I've known Many Christians (both personally, casually and in the public eye) that had them. Here's one pastors comments on them. You'll notice his own tattoos, all received after he'd been a pastor for many years.
Lots of religious pharisee types on the site that love to create and enforce rules for others.

 

[Lanolin]

Did people get them in case they forgot something?

I tend to write things down in books, on paper or online, not on peoples bodies permanently

Not really a thing in my culture

God has not told me to get one...Jesus already has his hands nailed, so I dont feel I need to

Also, I dont feel my identity is tied to my skin, but more my soul.

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

I'm not going to judge anyone who has a tat.
Why?
You can't change what's already done.
It's not my concern what others do with their own body.
My Dad showed me his tattoo he got while in the military. An eagle on his upper arm.
As a little boy, he showed it to me and told me at least a couple of reasons why I should never think of getting a tattoo. My Dad was very wise even as an unbeliever.

Since a good question was brought up, I think I should share what the Lord says on the matter because 99 out of 100 ministers behind pulpits this morning won't touch this topic with a ten foot pole for fear.

Leviticus says,


" Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD."

Tattoos, and body modifications were always common among heathens and are still a part of the religious practices of some cultures.
Again, there are a lot of believers who have old art and old scars. Someday the Lord will give us a new body clothed in white. He will wipe away those tears.

I'll post a few examples.

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

Modern example

Listening to this Dude's explaination, it's a "religious" manner of expression. Notice what religion?

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/nG3bcAv3Ehs

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

These are a LOT more popular than they were when we were children.
Culturally, tattoos are no longer frowned upon. If anyone thinks that's just so pase' and 1990s, I learned that it was against policy for anyone with tattoos to be allowed to enlist into the Marines according to a former Marine in our church.
Anyhow, here's some that we can ask, are they of God or the devil?

 

[TheNarrowPath]

I don't think that they are going to send you to Heaven or Hell...

However....
Sometimes they are gotten in the dumbest manner possible and often these are the ones getting them for the dumbest reasons.

CIP: my brother-in-law put his daughters names on his pecs so that they would "always be near his heart" ....
As if he was going to forget their names?
Was he planning on stopping his love for them?

It flat out doesn't make sense.

It made sense to your BIL.
I dont understand your comment about him stopping his love for his kids just because he has their names tattooed?

 

[TheNarrowPath]

We must also remember


Matthew 15:11-20
New King James Version

11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
16 So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

God focuses on the heart of each matter. So legalistic practices that hold no bearing on the soul are outward and can not defile the individual from within.

The body decomposes but the soul is eternal and a new body will be given again one day. Thank God for that.

We simply must ask will the message we portray on our body glorify God. Will it be good as a witness for Christ. Today many have tattoos so it could also be a way to be like the lost but not of the lost like Paul did in,



1 Corinthians 9:19-23
New International Version

Paul’s Use of His Freedom
19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Thank you for that. Im finding your posts are really making me think, as opposed to doing the thinking for me Will these tattoos glorify God? Thats what it comes down to right? And I think I really have to question that even if the tattoos would be deeply personal for me.

 

[TheNarrowPath]

On top of this the lettering is bad...no talent whatsoever. He never looked into who it was that was going to do the work.

Theres some really good tattoo artists out there. And because it is basically going over my parents handwriting, it wouldnt really be the tattoo artists work.

 

[TheNarrowPath]

We have freedom in Christ. So I certainly wouldn’t judge those that got them.

But on a personal level, I simply don’t like them. Even the “tasteful” ones.

I understand some get them for sentimental reasons, but I just don’t get permanently marring God’s beautiful work.

I understand. That was me 20 years ago. Ive already marred Gods work in other ways, some are regrettable, others I can live with for now.

 

[TheNarrowPath]

Dear sisterThe Narrowpath, pray about it, and YOU decide!! God will put a mark on us anyway!! LOL (2 Tim 2:19 and Rev 7:3) Now I have none myself, I came close while being in special forces, but never did, but I know many believers who have them, I sure do not judge what they themselves wish to have upon them. If you can do it in faith and you believe the Lord wants you to do then forget what anyone else says about it, because there shall be only one judge at the end, and it sure as hell will not be any of us!!! lol

Lol thank you, I did step away from the site and pray about it and it was the strangest feeling, it opened up the floodgates to all these other things that I had put on the backburner with Him. I dont think He answered my tattoo question specifically but I will continue to pray on it.

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

What are your thoughts on Christians getting tattoos?

I just realized that there's a first page to this that I didn't see.
It might not be what you are looking for, but this is just a little Tattoo.
😉

 

[TheNarrowPath]

Consensus here is limited. I've known Many Christians (both personally, casually and in the public eye) that had them. Here's one pastors comments on them. You'll notice his own tattoos, all received after he'd been a pastor for many years.
Lots of religious pharisee types on the site that love to create and enforce rules for others.

Thank you I watched the videos and I too know Christians with tattoos, however Ive never asked them for the backstory on how they made those decisions. With so many interpretations of Gods Word its difficult for newer Christians to know if they are on the right path iykwim.

 

[TheNarrowPath]

Did people get them in case they forgot something?

I tend to write things down in books, on paper or online, not on peoples bodies permanently

Not really a thing in my culture

God has not told me to get one...Jesus already has his hands nailed, so I dont feel I need to

Also, I dont feel my identity is tied to my skin, but more my soul.

That is a good point!
It is in my culture to tattoo, however it is of the tribal sort. For me I want the tattoos because I have a fear of forgetting my parents. They wrote me these love letters which like my memory each year, is fading away. Its 6 years since I first thought about it so I could still wait another 6 years.

 

[TheNarrowPath]

I'm not going to judge anyone who has a tat.
Why?
You can't change what's already done.
It's not my concern what others do with their own body.
My Dad showed me his tattoo he got while in the military. An eagle on his upper arm.
As a little boy, he showed it to me and told me at least a couple of reasons why I should never think of getting a tattoo. My Dad was very wise even as an unbeliever.

Since a good question was brought up, I think I should share what the Lord says on the matter because 99 out of 100 ministers behind pulpits this morning won't touch this topic with a ten foot pole for fear.

Leviticus says,


" Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD."

Tattoos, and body modifications were always common among heathens and are still a part of the religious practices of some cultures.
Again, there are a lot of believers who have old art and old scars. Someday the Lord will give us a new body clothed in white. He will wipe away those tears.

I'll post a few examples.

Someone asked me a long time ago, why do we celebrate the dead? And I said we dont (meaning Christians) but his point was that having a wake for the deceased, visiting the cemetery etc are part of the cult of the dead. It made me think, is this what I am doing by wanting tattoos of my dead parents writings?

 

[TheNarrowPath]

These are a LOT more popular than they were when we were children.
Culturally, tattoos are no longer frowned upon. If anyone thinks that's just so pase' and 1990s, I learned that it was against policy for anyone with tattoos to be allowed to enlist into the Marines according to a former Marine in our church.
Anyhow, here's some that we can ask, are they of God or the devil?

For me those tattoos are extreme but then I see someone can think that tattooing your body is extreme.

 

[Amanuensis]

You will be very happy that you didn't do it when you are older and more mature. We change over time. We look back and shake our heads at how we used to think about things.

I am of the opinion that they give a negative first impression.

Even if they are a nice message they still look like they belong to a "culture" of sin.

Men think they make them look tough and intimidating.

Women, I don't know what they are thinking, but they need to know it gives a "I'm not a pure girl" vibe.

I think they look dirty, ugly and gangster or some kinds look military, but like tough guys.

I think most people see them that way. I think most people even those who get them think they look more evil than Godly but that is the look they are going for. A tough person image. Like don't mess with me image. And so why would they expect people not to "judge them" as being of a certain type of "culture?" That was the look they were going for when they got the tattoo.

I could say a lot more but I would make people that have them feel bad and I don't need to do that. I am only answering for the sake of those who don't have them and are asking what I think about them. DON"T DO IT. You'll wish you could go back to less "war torn" look and you won't be able to.

And women especially will regret them. It could cost you many potential dates from the guys who would be the best kind to marry. Tattoos are a deal breaker for MANY mature men with money and good careers.