A personal question...

[IesuGristAmddiffynwr]

Hello, I have a question relating to "body-altering rules" and such.

Before I became a Christian, I had issues relating to sadness, and I ended up self-harming. I've got scars on my left arm, which are very obvious if you know they're there. And I also want to get a tattoo.

What I'm asking is this - is there anything in the Bible that goes against harming your body, or altering your body's image? I heard there was, but I wasn't too sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

God bless. xox

 

[Peripatetic]

There are some rules against body carving and marking in Leviticus, but many of those old testament rules were done away with when Jesus gave us the good news of the Gospel. The same passage also tells us not to cut our hair in certain ways! The context of that particular set of rules was to prohibit their use in pagan rituals which were common at the time.

As for the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." This passage and others would probably indicate that self-harming is wrong. We should treat our bodies as though we are taking care of them for someone else (ie. God).

As for tattoos: I don't particularly like them myself, but I think that Christians can have them and still be in perfect harmony with God. Some have even used them as conversation starters for witnessing to the word of God. From what I've seen in other threads on the subject, there are different opinions on the matter.

 

[heymikey80]

Hello, I have a question relating to "body-altering rules" and such.

Before I became a Christian, I had issues relating to sadness, and I ended up self-harming. I've got scars on my left arm, which are very obvious if you know they're there. And I also want to get a tattoo.

What I'm asking is this - is there anything in the Bible that goes against harming your body, or altering your body's image? I heard there was, but I wasn't too sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

God bless. xox

Body Piercing Saved My Life T-Shirt

I'm not really in favor of body alteration, but that's more an aesthetic decision. I think about how I'll look in 20 years.

As for self-harm, there're plenty. The one that comes to mind? "Your life is not your own, you were bought with a price. So glorify God with your body." Price shown on T-shirt above.

Nothing of the kind of self-harming is unforgivable. It's mostly a compassion that I feel for people, the offenses of this world are very tough to bear.

 

[crossnote]

I have nothing against tatoos with a christian theme BUT I think the T-Shirt method is less permanent than tats so you can change the specific msg anytime you want

 

[Criada]

Cutting and otherwise harming yourself is not what God wants for you... though He understands the desperation and pain that leads to it. Your scars are part of who you are and what you have lived through, though God weeps over them, they are the past and nothing to be ashamed of now.. you are a new creation!
As for tattoos, I don't think there is any problem with those, as long as you're not having '666' or occult symbols!

 

[IesuGristAmddiffynwr]

Thanks all, you've all helped greatly

God bless x

 

[SharonL]

There are no scars on the heart and that is what God sees. You are perfect in every way.

 

[Samuel Coleridge]

Thanks all, you've all helped greatly

God bless x

Here is a good rule of thumb to go by. Works for me, it might work for you.

If it will impress God, then go for it, If it will not impress God, it is a very good chance you are not in te Light.

 

[DoctorJosh]

Hello, I have a question relating to "body-altering rules" and such.

Before I became a Christian, I had issues relating to sadness, and I ended up self-harming. I've got scars on my left arm, which are very obvious if you know they're there. And I also want to get a tattoo.

What I'm asking is this - is there anything in the Bible that goes against harming your body, or altering your body's image? I heard there was, but I wasn't too sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

God bless. xox

well as Christians we should care about our health, our bodies and these bodies are also Temples to Jesus when we commit our Lives to Jesus. These bodies are our shells for our souls, if we mistreat our bodies we cannot expect good from harming our bodies or we are sick, get infections or lose a limb because we didn't treat our bodies right. Tattoos were started thousands of years ago by the Indian Tribes (Africa is one to mention) and deforming the body is just doing harm to the body. Even when people get nose jobs done, the scar tissue eventually will fall and the nose will look worse when they get older. Boob jobs are just causing more harm to the body, it is for feeding children, not for anything else. I guess tattoos are the persons choice, some see it as part of making a symbol of what they believe in on their arm, but others just put anything on their bodies that they think is cool. I personally think there is no reason to put a picture on the body when you get old and grey, the picture will just sag, look faded, have wrinkles, have age spots on it, and then it isn't anything you wanted it to look like before. I never dated any woman that had a tattoo, I just found it repulsive. Some women feel the same about a man, others don't care and some think its cool. If the tattoo is to cover up your scars, I say just leave the scars, but that choice is up to you. Nose rings, belly rings and rings on the toes are all things that are abusive to the body as well, yuck. It is a choice that is to each person to make. God Bless.

 

[GaryP]

Do not get a tattoo you will be sorry later.
So you are a cutter, lots of people are.

Jesus said it is finished. Really meditate on the word "Finished ".

Your cutting is finished. Your brain is healed.
Jesus had scares too.

Just no tattoos

 

[salida]

About tatoos

http://www.biblebelievers.com/watkins_tattoos/bible.html

Harming your body.

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

 

[throughchristimchanged]

Hello, I have a question relating to "body-altering rules" and such.

Before I became a Christian, I had issues relating to sadness, and I ended up self-harming. I've got scars on my left arm, which are very obvious if you know they're there. And I also want to get a tattoo.

What I'm asking is this - is there anything in the Bible that goes against harming your body, or altering your body's image? I heard there was, but I wasn't too sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

God bless. xox

Re: Lecrae On Tattoos Not Being A Sin - YouTube

 

[faroukfarouk]

As for tattoos, I don't think there is any problem with those, as long as you're not having '666' or occult symbols!

Some Christians actually do it with the motive of honoring God in witness through a faith based tattoo: Christian fish sign <><, Bible ref. or verse, etc. Many Christians find them effective in testimony. But it's a personal thing.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I think that Christians can have them and still be in perfect harmony with God. Some have even used them as conversation starters for witnessing to the word of God.

A lot of Christians have them done because they are proven effective conversation starters in witness.