are there any Christians who dont believe in tatoos here

[BornAgainBrian]

If you are convicted, maybe that should tell you something, is the Holy Spirit convicting you ? I only print what I feel led to.

No conviction here. You print universal judgments on anyone who does this thing you say is wrong without Scriptural support. I simply wish to see how you justify such universal judgment.

 

[BornAgainBrian]

If you are convicted, maybe that should tell you something, is the Holy Spirit convicting you ? I only print what I feel led to.

Your implication is that a man without tattoos is a better servant of God than one who gets tattooed. I think a statement like that warrants direct Scriptural support.

 

[faroukfarouk]

No conviction here. You print universal judgments on anyone who does this thing you say is wrong without Scriptural support. I simply wish to see how you justify such universal judgment.

I think the assumption being made is that what one person's conviction about an issue is going to be what another person's conviction is. Whereas Romans 14 makes it clear that there are likely to be many shades of gray.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

Preachers wife says she drinks alcohol, well , what if your friend was an alcoholic. Also, if your husband is a preacher he is not to partake of strong drink, look in Timothy.
1 Timothy 3:3 King James Version (KJV)

3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

Titus 1:7 King James Version (KJV)

7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

"not given to wine" = being a drunk

If my friend was an alcoholic I'm certainly not going to wave my drink in his face. But it doesn't I have to refrain from having a drink when I'm with him. IF I had a friend who was uncomfortable with that, then I wouldn't do it. But it has to be active on the part of the friend. I don't do passive/aggressive and I don't assume anything on the part of the people I hang out with.

 

[BornAgainBrian]

"not given to wine" = being a drunk .

Of course it's talking of not being addicted to alcohol.

But people love to twist it and impose yet another unbiblical rule on everyone.

 

[faroukfarouk]

"not given to wine" = being a drunk

If my friend was an alcoholic I'm certainly not going to wave my drink in his face. But it doesn't I have to refrain from having a drink when I'm with him. IF I had a friend who was uncomfortable with that, then I wouldn't do it. But it has to be active on the part of the friend. I don't do passive/aggressive and I don't assume anything on the part of the people I hang out with.

Remember that, for some mindsets, an occasional glass of wine counts as supposedly the same as being a raging drunk; and a witness cross or Bible verse inked on a wrist is supposedly the same as having an anatomically graphic nude tattooed; with virtually nothing in between those opposites.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Of course it's talking of not being addicted to alcohol.

But people love to twist it and impose yet another unbiblical rule on everyone.

...which confirms your point about the widespread nature of legalism.

For some people, the very existence of a tattoo - even faith based - gives rise to the supposed priority of trying to impose a rule against it, leaving aside completely any evangelistic motive which may have inspired the tattoo in the first place.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

Of course it's talking of not being addicted to alcohol.

But people love to twist it and impose yet another unbiblical rule on everyone.

Never mind that Jesus changed water into wine at a wedding, and that the people JOKED about how usually the banquet guy has crappy wine at the end because everyone is drunk by then...

 

[faroukfarouk]

Never mind that Jesus changed water into wine at a wedding, and that the people JOKED about how usually the banquet guy has crappy wine at the end because everyone is drunk by then...

...and then the nostalics for Prohibition refuse to acknowledge that their forebears' self-righteous myopia substantially contributed to creating bootlegging, and the Cuban mafia disaster and its consequences.

I don't drink, btw.

But I don't try to tell other people they cannot drink wine.

And I don't try to tell them that they cannot get a faith based tattoo, either.

 

[BornAgainBrian]

...and then the nostalics for Prohibition refuse to acknowledge that their forebears' self-righteous myopia substantially contributed to creating bootlegging, and the Cuban mafia disaster and its consequences.

I don't drink, btw.

But I don't try to tell other people they cannot drink wine.

And I don't try to tell them that they cannot get a faith based tattoo, either.

I don't drink either, but it's not because I think it sinful for everyone.

 

[faroukfarouk]

The easy believeism that has crept into the churches is rampant. No turning back on the horizon.
Too comfortable in covering every whim with a new freedom message.
I dont believe that many really are in ignorance or weak, just walking blindly toward a ditch.
Preachers are not immune to it any more than anyone else. Love of the flesh, pride of life,
have taken first place in many hearts. We need to fall in love with Jesus all over again.
Renew our vows, so to speak. Seek his face more than our own reflection.

I agree with much of what you say. I don't see how this, however, prohibits, say, a faith based design inked on a wrist for witness purposes.

 

[MusingsinScripture]

The cop-out is to say that anyone who gets a tattoo does not have Jesus as their guide post and/or their reason is rebellion. That is an opinion, and one to which you are entitled, but it is certainly a judgmental one.

No one said tattoos were required by Jesus. Internet isn't either...

What I said was that Jesus was my guide post. I never said anyone who gets a tattoo doesn't, nor did I say everyone who gets a tattoo does so out of rebellion. That was one of a number of reasons I listed. I would appreciate it if you would try to refrain from twisting my words. However, I will dare to say that it would be difficult for you to find anyone who could seriously claim they got a tattoo because Jesus told them to or they used His life as an example for getting one.

 

[BornAgainBrian]

What I said was that Jesus was my guide post. I never said anyone who gets a tattoo doesn't, nor did I say everyone who gets a tattoo does so out of rebellion. That was one of a number of reasons I listed. I would appreciate it if you would try to refrain from twisting my words. However, I will dare to say that it would be difficult for you to find anyone who could seriously claim they got a tattoo because Jesus told them to or they used His life as an example for getting one.

I got a tattoo to remind myself of Christ's sacrifice. There may be other ways to remind myself, but there is no reason a tattoo is any less legitimate.

 

[BornAgainBrian]

Did Jesus tell you to go online? Was it His example which caused you to log on?

 

[faroukfarouk]

Do I have to hear a message directly from God before I do anything? If on the other hand, a believer is motivated by Biblical witness and feels this is promoted by a proven effective Bible verse, etc. on a wrist, then I would not want to say that their motive is phoney.

 

[MusingsinScripture]

I got a tattoo to remind myself of Christ's sacrifice. There may be other ways to remind myself, but there is no reason a tattoo is any less legitimate.

Good for you. I could think of many other ways to remind me of Christ's sacrifice, but to each his own. For me it's thinking about Him all the time. Maybe that comes from being a follower for over 45 years, but I can't imagine not thinking about Him all the time. No need for outward reminders as it's all inside now. In a way I guess I'm a bit of a mystic in that regard.

I pray that the tattoo will fulfill all you intended for it to do.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Good for you. I could think of many other ways to remind me of Christ's sacrifice, but to each his own. For me it's thinking about Him all the time. Maybe that comes from being a follower for over 45 years, but I can't imagine not thinking about Him all the time. No need for outward reminders as it's all inside now. In a way I guess I'm a bit of a mystic in that regard.

I pray that the tattoo will fulfill all you intended for it to do.

A lot of Christians also find that faith based tattoos are an effective means of witness in conversation-starting.

In 2014 my wife and I talked to a young lady with John 3.16 inked on her wrist area; it was her favorite verse and mine; and I'm pretty certain that other conversations have also resulted because of her faith based tattoo.

It's not for everyone, though. It's very much an individual conviction.

 

[MusingsinScripture]

Did Jesus tell you to go online? Was it His example which caused you to log on?

Well, as a matter of fact, not specifically, but I do use the Internet for doing my part in furthering the Kingdom as I believe He's led me, through the blog and Facebook page I publish. I believe the Internet is a gift God has given us to be able to reach people and places we'd never be able to otherwise. Yes, there are those who have used it for evil purposes, but that doesn't make it bad. Even coming to a forum such as this are helpful for spreading our horizons beyond the small group of people we spend most of our time with. It's easy for Christians to get in a rut in their thinking.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Well, as a matter of fact, not specifically, but I do use the Internet for doing my part in furthering the Kingdom as I believe He's led me, through the blog and Facebook page I publish. I believe the Internet is a gift God has given us to be able to reach people and places we'd never be able to otherwise. Yes, there are those who have used it for evil purposes, but that doesn't make it bad. Even coming to a forum such as this are helpful for spreading our horizons beyond the small group of people we spend most of our time with. It's easy for Christians to get in a rut in their thinking.

I guess BornAgainBrian's point was that is was by indirect conviction rather than by direct, extra-Biblical revelation that ppl use the internet for God's glory, get faith based tattoos for witness, etc.

 

[MusingsinScripture]

A lot of Christians also find that faith based tattoos are an effective means of witness in conversation-starting.

In 2014 my wife and I talked to a young lady with John 3.16 inked on her wrist area; it was her favorite verse and mine; and I'm pretty certain that other conversations have also resulted because of her faith based tattoo.

It's not for everyone, though. It's very much an individual conviction.

I understand, and I also understand that many feel the same way. But even there we want to be careful. That same line of think could also be used to say if I became a drug addict I could more effectively witness to drug addicts, or if I became a inappropriate content star I could more effectively witness to people in that industry.

I know most people mean well, but we need to be careful about how we follow certain lines of thought. They may very well remain harmless, but some people, even as Paul tells us, are weak in their faith and they could be much more open to taking it too far than others. One thing Jesus did teach us, as well as the Apostles, that we are to think of others ahead of ourselves. Just because we can do it doesn't mean we should.