Is getting a tattoo a sin?

[Dave-W]

(CLV) 1Jn 3:4
Everyone who is doing sin is doing lawlessness also, and sin is lawlessness.

If sin is defined as lawlessness; and there is no law; then either all is sin; or there is no sin.

If there is no sin; what need is there of grace?

That is only PART of the definition of sin.

Sin is also defined as anything that falls short of God's glory and anything NOT done in faith.

Not that necessarily doubt this, but do you have any scripture that would prove those assertions as irrefutable fact?

I do.

And sin is MORE than just transgression. It is also full obedience if it is not done in faith.

Romans 14:23b
whatever is not from faith is sin.​

And that was talking about eating food.
We also know from the definitions of the words translated "sin" that they (both Hebrew and Greek) were archery terms meaning to aim at a target and "miss the mark," or bull's eye. Paul plays on that definition in this verse:

Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,​

We not only did not hit the bull's eye, we fell short of the target altogether.

 

[Doug Melven]

Instead of trying to hide those scars due to shame or whatever, make them part of your testimony. Show people what you used to be and how God delivered you.
I myself have 7 tattoos, I got all of them while I was living just for myself.
I won't get anymore as I think about what will that tattoo look like on my body 20 years from now.
But, the tattoos I do have, are a part of my testimony.
Another part of my testimony is spending almost 5 years in prison.
When I got out everybody was telling me I should not let on where I was for 5 years, but that just felt like I was being deceptive.
After I got out I had to wear an ankle monitoring bracelet for 2 years. For awhile I would not wear shorts, just long pants all the time, then one day I said I am tired of hiding this thing. If people want to know about it I will tell them and in the process I get to tell them about Jesus.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Instead of trying to hide those scars due to shame or whatever, make them part of your testimony. Show people what you used to be and how God delivered you.
I myself have 7 tattoos, I got all of them while I was living just for myself.
I won't get anymore as I think about what will that tattoo look like on my body 20 years from now.
But, the tattoos I do have, are a part of my testimony.
Another part of my testimony is spending almost 5 years in prison.
When I got out everybody was telling me I should not let on where I was for 5 years, but that just felt like I was being deceptive.
After I got out I had to wear an ankle monitoring bracelet for 2 years. For awhile I would not wear shorts, just long pants all the time, then one day I said I am tired of hiding this thing. If people want to know about it I will tell them and in the process I get to tell them about Jesus.

You use of your scars "as is", as a witness tool is to be commended!

As a male who has seen a lot of life, you may be perfectly comfortable with all your scars visible.

Do you think that some women with scars can legitimately be convinced that it is - all things considered - more appropriate for them to have tasteful tattoos to cover such scars?

Today - unlike maybe many decades ago - women participate very widely in wearing tattoos; indeed, in North America, apparently 59%-70% or more of parlor clients are female. Some particular demographics are especially represented among wearers, such as military members and spouses, where designs are often in faith, patriotic or family themes.

 

[Urban_Legend]

My opinion is that like in the bible when God in (Matthew 15:1-12) says Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you
“These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.”Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

I think that having a tattoo is fine and that its not what goes on your body but what comes from your body...I always wanted a bible verse tattooed in Hebrew, I don't believe that the ink on your body is as bad as what message it portrays

 

[faroukfarouk]

My opinion is that like in the bible when God in (Matthew 15:1-12) says Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you
“These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.”Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

I think that having a tattoo is fine and that its not what goes on your body but what comes from your body...I always wanted a bible verse tattooed in Hebrew, I don't believe that the ink on your body is as bad as what message it portrays

It is a proven effective conversation starter. Do you know of good parlors in your area? In North America - I don't know about South Africa - a lot of Christians have faith based tattoos.

My wife and I talked to a young lady with the whole of John 3.16 inked on her wrist area; it was her favorite Bible verse and mine also; and I'm sure other conversations have arisen as a result of her willingness to do it.

So you're considering it; so iss Mrs. Urban_Legend consider it also, maybe?

 

[faroukfarouk]

... anything that falls short of God's glory and anything NOT done in faith.

Conversely, could it for some ppl work also in the other direction, maybe? My wife and I talked to a young lady with the whole of John 3.16 tattooed on her wrist area; it was her favorite Bible verse and mine also; and I'm sure other conversations have arisen as a result of her willingness to go under the tattoo machine. One can sense the strong likelihood that some people are motivated to do by their sense of the glory of God in witness.

 

[Dave-W]

Conversely, could it for some ppl work also in the other direction, maybe? My wife and I talked to a young lady with the whole of John 3.16 tattooed on her wrist area; it was her favorite Bible verse and mine also; and I'm sure other conversations have arisen as a result of her willingness to go under the tattoo machine. One can sense the strong likelihood that some people are motivated to do by their sense of the glory of God in witness.

I do not disagree with that.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I myself have 7 tattoos, I got all of them while I was living just for myself.

I was going to ask, Are any of them faith based in design? but in the circumstances, maybe they weren't.

So many ppl do have them, in any case; I saw a quote from the Bible Belt about the sheer prevalence of them among ppl in churches there.

 

[Doug Melven]

I was going to ask, Are any of them faith based in design? but in the circumstances, maybe they weren't.

So many ppl do have them, in any case; I saw a quote from the Bible Belt about the sheer prevalence of them among ppl in churches there.

None of them are faith based.
One of them is quite distasteful, but I am glad that it is on my chest and I always wear a shirt in public.
The other 6 are on my arms.
When I went job hunting I wore long sleeve shirts. But, other than that I just wear short sleeve shirts.

 

[faroukfarouk]

None of them are faith based.
One of them is quite distasteful, but I am glad that it is on my chest and I always wear a shirt in public.
The other 6 are on my arms.
When I went job hunting I wore long sleeve shirts. But, other than that I just wear short sleeve shirts.

It's so widespread for both genders now. Up here from May to September in supermarkets the short sleeves appear among the employees as do the tattoos. Then the tattoos are 'parked' for the long Canadian winter, before they appear again in May.

 

[faroukfarouk]

When I went job hunting I wore long sleeve shirts.

PS: I reckon some of your interviewers' long sleeves also hid tattoos...

 

[Bro. Daniel]

Unfortunately as tempting and seemingly beautiful as some look regardless of design, no do not get one, yes it is a sin. Per Leviticus 19:28 as Shoetoyou pointed out as well "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord."

The reason: It's a pagan / occult / witchcraft blood ritual and practice of defilement of God's temple (the body) to worship Satan. If you initiate yourself into one of those, my goodness... it will not be well. Those who already have them need to get them removed. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

And there's this:
Welcome to The Prophetic Voice OF Yahushua Ministry Blog: Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:28

 

[faroukfarouk]

None of them are faith based.
One of them is quite distasteful, but I am glad that it is on my chest and I always wear a shirt in public.
The other 6 are on my arms.

PS: Doug Melven: Did you ever consider a faith based one?

 

[Doug Melven]

PS: Doug Melven: Did you ever consider a faith based one?

No, I would not have gotten a faith-based tattoo when I was getting tattoos.
I was living solely for myself at the time.
And now I won't get a tattoo for multiple reasons. Well, really three .
Leviticus 19:28 is the first one.
Secondly, To get a tattoo you must consider what that tattoo will look like when you skin starts to sag.
Thirdly, there is pain involved in getting a tattoo. In my younger years pain did not hurt me as much as it does now.
Now I am a wuss when it comes to pain.

 

[faroukfarouk]

No, I would not have gotten a faith-based tattoo when I was getting tattoos.
I was living solely for myself at the time.
And now I won't get a tattoo for multiple reasons. Well, really three .
Leviticus 19:28 is the first one.
Secondly, To get a tattoo you must consider what that tattoo will look like when you skin starts to sag.
Thirdly, there is pain involved in getting a tattoo. In my younger years pain did not hurt me as much as it does now.
Now I am a wuss when it comes to pain.

You have your strong reasons for not getting more ink. If these reasons for you are indeed strong, best not to get any more. Re. Lev. 19, interesting that in the previous verse it seems to say about not trimming one's beard. (Do preachers shave? if they do, they are maybe backhandedly admitting that they are not Old Testament Jews in the land under the law, but New Testament believers for whom the Gospel rather than the law is the rule of their lives. My wife and I talked to a young lady with the whole of John 3.16 tattooed on her wrist area; it was her favorite Bible verse and mine also; and I'm sure other conversations have arisen as well as a result of her willingness and confidence to have it done; faith based ink is a proven conversation starter in witness.) But if you have your strong reasons for not getting any more, best not to, right?

 

[Ancient of Days]

There is also the health implications of the ink leaching into the body over time. AFAIK that ink isnt organic.

 

[Doug Melven]

There is also the health implications of the ink leaching into the body over time. AFAIK that ink isnt organic.

I have seven tattoos. I have seen people who are covered from neck to toe with tattoos.
And there were no issues after many years.
If someone were to get a tattoo from someone who has not been properly trained in giving tattoos and cleanliness I would be concerned.
Having properly sterilized needles is very important.

 

[faroukfarouk]

There is also the health implications of the ink leaching into the body over time. AFAIK that ink isnt organic.

Hi; ink has actually improved a great deal over the years; FYI:

 

[faroukfarouk]

I have seven tattoos. I have seen people who are covered from neck to toe with tattoos.
And there were no issues after many years.
If someone were to get a tattoo from someone who has not been properly trained in giving tattoos and cleanliness I would be concerned.
Having properly sterilized needles is very important.

Doug Melven:

You're right. While ultimately life is not risk-free, yet it seems that so many ppl get tattooed with confidence; it's become a sort of coming of age thing, even, at 18. In North America now 59%-70% or more of parlor clients are female - apparently - and if there were widespread, serious concerns about moderate inking these statistics would probably be very different, right?

 

[Ancient of Days]

Experts believe ink nanoparticles could enter the bloodstream and accumulate in the spleen and kidneys, harming the body's ability to filter impurities.

Studies have found that some ink used in the UK contains known carcinogens and scientists want more regulation of the dyes used by the industry.

Red ink has been linked to dermatitis - swelling and soreness - due to it containing mercury sulphide.

Here, a 60 second internet search can answer those questions:
does tattoo ink cause cancer at DuckDuckGo