Tattooed Christians

[faroukfarouk]

I'm not sure I understand your first question. I have seen other religious tattoos from a multitude of faiths.

I think she means only people without tattoos are spiritually minded. Or something like that.

 

[Waddler]

I think she means only people without tattoos are spiritually minded. Or something like that.

I'd like her to clarify what she means, so I don't base my reply on assumptions. I could assume her meaning, but I also might be way off.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I'd like her to clarify what she means, so I don't base my reply on assumptions. I could assume her meaning, but I also might be way off.

Okay; I won't pre-judge; I guess I was partly going by the fact that the same person has made a whole series of comments by which she seemed to state incomprehension that a Christian could want a tattoo.

Blessings.

 

[NorrinRadd]

I think she means only people without tattoos are spiritually minded. Or something like that.

I think she means "Spirit-Filled" in the sense the term is used in defining that forum here on CF. At the risk of speaking for her, I think she's wondering if "Spirit-Filled" believers are more open to ink than are "traditional" or Fundamentalist believers.

I wouldn't be able to give a definitive answer. I tend to think most Spirit-Filled believers that are in the "holiness" Pentecostal traditions would be resistant to tattoos, but overall most of the people I see here arguing for liberty are Spirit-Filled. And the most inked-up believer I've ever seen is Lutheran pastrix Nadia Bolz-Weber.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I think she means "Spirit-Filled" in the sense the term is used in defining that forum here on CF. At the risk of speaking for her, I think she's wondering if "Spirit-Filled" believers are more open to ink than are "traditional" or Fundamentalist believers.

I wouldn't be able to give a definitive answer. I tend to think most Spirit-Filled believers that are in the "holiness" Pentecostal traditions would be resistant to tattoos, but overall most of the people I see here arguing for liberty are Spirit-Filled. And the most inked-up believer I've ever seen is Lutheran pastrix Nadia Bolz-Weber.

These phrases have nuances which are sometimes lost on some readers, I guess.

The fact is that a lot of Christians have tattoos, and some get them for witness reasons.

 

[Norah63]

Thank you NorrinRadd, you heard me best,
Just wondered if other religions got tats to spread their faiths. Especially wondered about Muslims if
they did that too. As they seem very fundamental as I have learned.
Until this thread I didn't know it was important to spirit filled believers to have these markings.
And no I don't consider myself more or less anything because I have no ink.
Forums are for sharing.

 

[Norah63]

Thank you NorrinRadd, you heard me best,
Just wondered if other religions got tats to spread their faiths. Especially wondered about Muslims if
they did that too. As they seem very fundamental as I have learned.
Until this thread I didn't know it was important to spirit filled believers to have these markings.
And no I don't consider myself more or less anything because I have no ink.
Forums are for sharing.

 

[acehighinfinity2015]

Interesting topic! I believe and more likely the tone is Mark 7:20-23 and 1 Samuel 16:7

"What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person."

How do you feel about Leviticus 19 - Various Laws including verse 28 was only addressed and apart of the Mosaic Law (Old covenant was also used as a 'Guardian' Galatians 3:23-25 and Ephesians 2:8-9 is another reason why. If the Mosaic Law was still in place today then the messiah and the prophecy would not be fulfilled yet.

Now believing in Christ we based our Faith in these two commandments (Mark 12:20-31):
- Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind
- Love thy neighbor as yourself

So the inside of the cup is greatly important than the outside of the cup

 

[acehighinfinity2015]

Interesting topic! I believe and more likely the tone is Mark 7:20-23 and 1 Samuel 16:7

"What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person."

How do you feel about Leviticus 19 - Various Laws including verse 28 was only addressed and apart of the Mosaic Law (Old covenant was also used as a 'Guardian' Galatians 3:23-25 and Ephesians 2:8-9 is another reason for the fulfillment. If the Mosaic Law was still in place today then the messiah and the prophecy would not be fulfilled yet.

Now believing in Christ we based our Faith in these two commandments (Mark 12:20-31):
- Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind
- Love thy neighbor as yourself

So the inside of the cup is more greatly important than the outside of the cup, also be wise how we feed our desires e.g. tattoos

 

[Waddler]

Thank you NorrinRadd, you heard me best,
Just wondered if other religions got tats to spread their faiths. Especially wondered about Muslims if
they did that too. As they seem very fundamental as I have learned.
Until this thread I didn't know it was important to spirit filled believers to have these markings.
And no I don't consider myself more or less anything because I have no ink.
Forums are for sharing.

I wondered if that was the intent of your question. As I said in a previous post on this thread, tattoos are not righteous or evil by themselves, and therefore cannot make someone more righteous or more evil. We are born as "corrupted good" (made in the image of God but corrupted by sin), and so the only righteousness we have is through Christ, not through what we put in or on ourselves.

 

[Norah63]

So Muslims have tats, Methodists have tats and buddists,have tats, all about the same.
I never said it had anything to do with salvation.
Not all who post on spirit-filled forum may be spirit filled, I get that too.
Just wondered if there was any spirit-filled faiths that didn't use this way to witness.
Norrin answered me, thank you.

 

[standingtall]

How many of you:

1) Were told by God to get yourself a "faith-based" tattoo?

2) Wanted to get a "faith-based" tattoo...prayed asking God if it was OK....and then felt "led" to go get one?

3) Went out and got a "faith-based" tattoo just because you liked it?

4) Realize that God isn't going to tell you to get a "faith-based" tattoo, isn't going to give you the "OK" if you pray about it, and frankly doesn't really care if you get one or not?

5) Realize that the people getting the "faith-based" tattoos are only using that as a reason to sooth their conscience, as if somehow it's "OK" as long as it portrays a "Christian" message to use as a "witness" to others?

6) Realize that getting a tattoo - no matter what kind - is a matter of personal preference and we are under grace?

Disclaimer: These questions come from a man with 6 tattoos - none of them "faith-based" - who was young and stupid when he got them.

 

[ColoradoGrrrl21]

Hi, ColoradoGrrrl21:

Have you have opportunities sometimes to have conversations with people about the meaning behind your faith based tattoo?

A lot of Christians feel they are a proven effective way of stimulating witness discussions with people.

Blessings.

A few. Mostly at work when I first started and my co-workers saw it they asked me what it meant and I explained it. It hasn't led yet to much deep conversations, but I hope that the way I live and do my work also models Christ in such a way that if they have more questions, I'm the person they would feel comfortable coming to ask.

What she said. ColoradoGrrrl21 has said what I believe about this subject, much more succinctly than I ever could.

Thanks!

 

[faroukfarouk]

A few. Mostly at work when I first started and my co-workers saw it they asked me what it meant and I explained it. It hasn't led yet to much deep conversations, but I hope that the way I live and do my work also models Christ in such a way that if they have more questions, I'm the person they would feel comfortable coming to ask.



Thanks!

ColoradoGrrrl21:

Yes, the person's walk matters most of all, so that it commends the Gospel message.

Your foot placement seems entirely in keeping with the walk aspect, including your previous allusion to Psalm 119.105: the word as a lamp to our feet.

To think that tattoos used to be a man thing, but now the foot placement especially shows that it's a very womanly thing to do. (Would there be other women in your family that are tattooed? faith based or otherwise, or were you maybe the first woman in your family to invite the inking needle?)

Blessings.

 

[ColoradoGrrrl21]

My sister has a couple, but they are not religious in nature and she is not a practicing Christian. I'm not aware of my brother having any . . . . my mom said she was actually considering one though - and she's in her early 60s! My dad never would, and at first he didn't like mine - he came around when I explained the meaning - but he'd still never get one himself.

 

[faroukfarouk]

My sister has a couple, but they are not religious in nature and she is not a practicing Christian. I'm not aware of my brother having any . . . . my mom said she was actually considering one though - and she's in her early 60s! My dad never would, and at first he didn't like mine - he came around when I explained the meaning - but he'd still never get one himself.

ColoradoGrrrl21:

Interesting!

Don't be too surprised, anyhow, if you get a 'phone call to go hold your mom's hand at the parlor, while she has it done for the first time.

Don't be surprised, also, if the fact that her Christian daughter as well as her non-Christian one has had it done, made your mom start to think in the end that receiving a gush of ink from the needle can be good.

Blessings.

 

[Norah63]

A gush of ink?
Wow, how does that sound, instead of a trickle of blood.

 

[faroukfarouk]

A gush of ink?
Wow, how does that sound, instead of a trickle of blood.

And your point would be?

 

[faroukfarouk]

. . . my mom said she was actually considering one though - and she's in her early 60s! ...

ColoradoGrrrl21:

Do you think your mom might get a faith based design done....

Blessings.

 

[hopeinGod]

I'm fairly certain tattoos are forbidden if one wishes to work undercover for the CIA or FBI. They make one too identifiable.