Tattoos

Original Happy Camper said:

Guess this verse spoken by Jesus is incorrect then

Matthew 4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

We can not pick and choose which words we think are okay to obey

So if we believe that it is okay to "put tattoo marks on yourselves" then why not the others in the verse like "practice divination or sorcery"

Or is it like keeping 9 of the ten commandments? (omitting the 4th)

pick and choose instead of obedience

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Oh, so you follow all the laws of Leviticus and Deuteronomy?

So how many people have you stoned to death as you are commanded to? You don't eat pork I guess right? I could go on..

Alithis said:

2.the body of Christ, these we not only can but ARE to judge .

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Only if you are in pastoral authority over the believer.

Romans 14:4
Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Holoman said:

Oh, so you follow all the laws of Leviticus and Deuteronomy?

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There are 613 laws.

Many can be kept in a New Covenant environment. Some have been superseded and some can only be kept if you live in the Land of Israel. Others can be kept ONLY if you are of Jewish ancestry.

For a discussion on each of the 613:
Tikkun America® - Restoring Five-Fold Ministry Within A Network of Messianic Jewish Congregations [Book of Mitzvot]

Dave-W said:

Only if you are in pastoral authority over the believer.

Romans 14:4
Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

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there is no such thing as pastoral authority "over" another believer

Alithis said:

there is no such thing as pastoral authority "over" another believer

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Said to your own detriment. Of course there is.

Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Lulav said:

There also was not a prohibition about cutting one's beard. It was about a certain way of trimming it that was forbidden.

God's rules aren't arbitrary. He made them based on his knowledge, being the creator and all of how things should be for his people to flourish.

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Seems to me that prohibiting a certain way of trimming one's beard, is pretty arbitrary.
In fact, that kind of sounds like some rule that the likes of ISIS or Kim Jung Un would invent (and they indeed have).

Dave-W said:

Said to your own detriment. Of course there is.

Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

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obeying those one follows because they are a Godly example is NOT giving Them Any right of AUTHORITY OVER others.
it also says all are to submit one to another.
self declaring and the imposing authority over the body of whom Christ alone is HEAD is nothing more then usurping authority.

jayem said:

Not a fan of tattoos or body piercing other than earlobes. Not for any religious reason. I just think they're generally in bad taste. If anyone must have ink, it should be very inconspicuous. Think of what it'll look like in 50 years.


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I love tattoo's. But only when they are new. Which is why I don't have any and probably never will.

Some days, I'ld really like to have one. But then I get totally paranoia about the future. Not even the aging thing. Even just silly things....

Like, imagine paying 2000 bucks of a lovely piece of art on your back. And then you get a zit there or a bug bite. It'll ruin the detail and by extension, the work of art.

There's just far too many ways by which the tattoo can get completely ruined.
And that's assuming the artist himself doesn't mess up in the first place...


Nah... it's too permanent for my taste, coupled with far too many ways in which it can go wrong further down the line (or right from the beginning if the artist messes up).

If it would be trivial and harmless to remove them completely without a trace, then I'ld probably go for it. But till then: nope, not a chance.

Par5 said:

Never mind what it will look like in 50 years. Tattoos look pretty awful anytime, especially the ones that completely cover the arms. It makes people look as though they have some kind of skin disease.
I don't get this tattoo craze, much in the same way as I don't understand why some people wear jeans that look as though they have been attacked by a scalpel. Maybe it's just my age!

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It kind of depends though...
I have seen plenty of very well done tattoo's which looked absolutely magnificent (in the first year). But it's a subjective thing off course.

One thing is certain though: in 5 years, they don't look like that anymore....

for some reason where we live, tattoos are popular
see parents with them picking up kids at school
neighbors have them
everywhere I go, see tattoos on arms, legs, upper back

that green color just doesn't look good to me
seeing them on retired people, so want to ask if they regret
but never will ask

christine40 said:

for some reason where we live, tattoos are popular
see parents with them picking up kids at school
neighbors have them
everywhere I go, see tattoos on arms, legs, upper back

that green color just doesn't look good to me
seeing them on retired people, so want to ask if they regret
but never will ask

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I note it as a general tendency.
In general, I just see a lot more tattoo's then I used to. Everywhere. Doesn't matter where I am. The local market, another town, another country,...

I guess shows like "Ink Master" etc is making it more mainstream.

DogmaHunter said:

I love tattoo's. But only when they are new. Which is why I don't have any and probably never will.

Some days, I'ld really like to have one. But then I get totally paranoia about the future. Not even the aging thing. Even just silly things....

Like, imagine paying 2000 bucks of a lovely piece of art on your back. And then you get a zit there or a bug bite. It'll ruin the detail and by extension, the work of art.

There's just far too many ways by which the tattoo can get completely ruined.
And that's assuming the artist himself doesn't mess up in the first place...


Nah... it's too permanent for my taste, coupled with far too many ways in which it can go wrong further down the line (or right from the beginning if the artist messes up).

If it would be trivial and harmless to remove them completely without a trace, then I'ld probably go for it. But till then: nope, not a chance.

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There's an old medical adage about tattoos. This goes way back--100+ years ago--when syphilis was very common. Especially among sailors who were constantly on the move and often lived high STD-risk lifestyles. The saying was, "For every anchor--a chancre."

DogmaHunter said:

Seems to me that prohibiting a certain way of trimming one's beard, is pretty arbitrary.
In fact, that kind of sounds like some rule that the likes of ISIS or Kim Jung Un would invent (and they indeed have).

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did you read this post? Everything God says has a well founded reason behind it.

And just a reminder, comparing the Christian God to the likes of ISIS or Kim Jung Un is against the rules. Please be mindful and respectful. Thanks!

christine40 said:

for some reason where we live, tattoos are popular
see parents with them picking up kids at school
neighbors have them
everywhere I go, see tattoos on arms, legs, upper back

that green color just doesn't look good to me
seeing them on retired people, so want to ask if they regret
but never will ask

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I know what you mean. They've always looked that way to me, like bruises. Especially when I see them on a woman from a distance I wonder if she is being abused? I am an artist and that usually goes with wanting a tattoo but I've never seen one that looked like art to me, just always gave me a feeling of revulsion.

jamesbond007 said:

Many people have a tattoo today, so it's become mainstream. It isn't considered a sign of rebellion or creativity as much anymore.

There isn't anything the Bible that says getting a tattoo is sinful, but what type you get is. Rebellious ones are considered sinful. Tattoos as outward adornment to call attention to oneself is sinful. The motivation for getting one could be sinful such as to fit in or to stand out. If there is a message sent by the tattoo, then it could be the wrong kind and sinful. I suppose a Christian has to be mindful when getting a tattoo. In the olde days it was a pagan practice, usually based on superstition, so it may have been forbidden, but times have changed.

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Yes most things that go against what the LORD wants for us develop or 'evolve' that way. What wasn't acceptable (under biblical standards) gradually becomes so.

God does not change so there is no such thing as the 'olde days' to him. As the most wise man on earth once said, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

In the 'olde' days God laid out how he wanted his people to be, doing his ways not the ways of the heathens. Today is no different. As Paul said, we are not to be conformed to this world, which is based on the same principle.


I remember growing up (and most can relate to this) when you were in school and your friends wanted you to go somewhere with them and so you asked your parents and they said 'No'.
And your pat rebuttal? "But everyone else is going" or "Everyone else is doing it".

And the parental response: "If they were all going to jump off a bridge would you do it also?"

Our great parent in the sky says the same thing:



Jesus even said :“And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?"

Jeremiah said:Thus says the Lord: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity.

Malachi: “For I the Lord do not change"

jamesbond007 said:

Many people have a tattoo today, so it's become mainstream. It isn't considered a sign of rebellion or creativity as much anymore.

There isn't anything the Bible that says getting a tattoo is sinful, but what type you get is. Rebellious ones are considered sinful. Tattoos as outward adornment to call attention to oneself is sinful. The motivation for getting one could be sinful such as to fit in or to stand out. If there is a message sent by the tattoo, then it could be the wrong kind and sinful. I suppose a Christian has to be mindful when getting a tattoo. In the olde days it was a pagan practice, usually based on superstition, so it may have been forbidden, but times have changed.

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Just because society accepts something does not mean it is ok with God.
What Scripture says should always be what we follow.

Lulav said:

Not sure why you are quoting part of my post where the commandment is given about tattoos and then challenging me about Gods laws? Where am I picking and choosing? Did you mean to quote someone else? I don't do any of those things because God said not to.

And about the 10, I keep the Sabbath so I'm not sure why you've said all that?

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It is interesting to read that you keep the Sabbath. What does keeping the Sabbath entail and what is your opinion of believers who don't keep the Sabbath as you do?

Lulav said:

did you read this post? Everything God says has a well founded reason behind it.

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I did. I'm not seeing any "well founded reason".

And just a reminder, comparing the Christian God to the likes of ISIS or Kim Jung Un is against the rules. Please be mindful and respectful. Thanks!

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I didn't compare your god to them. I compared this rule, that I consider human made, to the rules invented by other humans in our age.

It's just hair. Prohibiting certain ways to cut your hair, is what dictators demonstrably do.
I know of no instance of a free society which has rules on how to wear or trim your hair.

In fact, if any secular democracy would make up such laws, all of us, including you most likely, would be up in arms about it as a blatant violation of our freedom and a ridiculous rule that is completely nonsensical.

Be honest here....
Imagine Trump creating a law like Kim Jung Un, that from now on, all american males must wear their hair like him. The humanities!

But seriously, I don't see how any rule regarding haircuts could be anything other then arbitrary.

Its funny how we pick and choose what we like out of the Old Testament. Several here argue for the Old Testament prohibitions against Tattoos but I doubt would argue against wearing mix fabrics, eating shrimp, eating rare meat, etc.

The Church lives in the promises of grace, not the law. Unless you are consistently following all the Old Testament laws (kosher rules and all) you don't have a lot of ground to stand on in requiring people to follow a Jewish rule about tattoos.

Because of my fear of needles I would never get a tattoo.