Overly Tatted Christians

[timothyu]

I think having tattoos in itself is not necessarily a reflection of a person's lifestyle and values, but it could be.

Perhaps a psychological need

 

[linux.poet]

Perhaps a psychological need

Most art is to meet psychological needs. I embroider a custom jacket with a message/drawing that I want the world to see, that’s totally fine, but if it’s a tattoo I’m suddenly the villain.

 

[.Mikha'el.]

Leviticus 19:28

I'm not convinced that applies. To me, that means no tattooing to honour the dead. and not a blanket prohibition.

 

[TobiaAJoshua]

Perhaps a psychological need

I think having tattoos sometimes reflect a person's values. for example, I comes from a culture where tattoos are often associates with gangs, hence most people would not want to get one, particular women.

 

[Vinter]

.

 

[MehGuy]

I have found in life that appearances can be very deceiving. Those who look mean are often nice people when you get to know them. On the flip side people who look nice can often be mean once you get to know them. Sadly, humans are very biased creatures when it comes to looks. Even considering facial features and body types that we cannot help.

Unless they have like a tear drop tattoo, or a murder count list inked on their skin, I'd be more open minded with them, lol.

 

[linux.poet]

To be on the safe side I won't be getting any tattoos.

This sounds Pharisaical to me, placing hedges around God’s laws.

For some reason all this discussion of tattoos reminded me of the poor Jewish folks who were forcibly tattooed with numbers during the Holocaust. Knowing that the Law prohibits them must have made that experience even worse, especially given that those numbers are connected with those who died. Ouch.

 

[bèlla]

Every one has done something in their life others dislike, won’t accept, or condemn. The degree of vexation their opinion causes is a choice.

You don’t have to get upset.
You don’t have to explain.
You don’t have to defend yourself.

You’re allowing their reaction to affect you. Stop looking for blanket acceptance. It will never happen.

Someone will disagree. You’ll rub someone wrong. So what. Live your life and stop apologizing.

 

[bèlla]

To be on the safe side I won't be getting any tattoos.

If your convictions lead you to that place be at peace. Never conform out of pressure or expectations. You won’t respect yourself in the morning. Find joy in your difference.

 

[tobyw]

But would they necessarily be compatible with some of us vanilla Christians?

Depends on the person, not their skin.

I grew up around people who thought it was inappropriate for a woman to wear pants. People see things in the Bible that aren't there.

 

[tobyw]

Exactly. I see tatoos as fundamentally incompatible with biblical teaching. That is what it has to do with being Christian.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says nothing about tattoos. It says as much about tattoos as it does about socks with sandals.

 

[tobyw]

I don't judge people for their tatoos

...

I tend to look down on people covered with them

It sounds like you do judge people for their tattoos.

 

[Sophrosyne]

It sounds like you do judge people for their tattoos.

Well.... I agree with you as in reality we ALL judge people by their appearance initially and we decide on how to approach and handle them based upon that appearance. Most people then judge people based upon who they act physically before they can talk to them, and so on. People who are "good" adjust their opinions further the more knowledge they get concerning people as they "get to know them". People also judge people based upon phone calls and text messages and other interactions without ever seeing how they look or act in public etc just like you are doing. We cannot avoid judging unless we live in a clone world where people are exactly the same everywhere and their behavior is totally predictable so we judge them based upon our experience with others who share similar appearance first and then again... refine our "judgment"of them further.

When it comes to being a believer or not and trusting others and sins a wise Christian doesn't judge someone as being a Christian till they get to know them. We can trust they are one if they say they are buck is that trust is also tempered by their appearance and actions.

Yes I do look down on people who tattoo excessively but not in the way you think. I don't consider them as bad people or scum of the earth I just sort of frown on the fact that they (to me) would look much better without the tattoos and that by doing so their appearance may not be profitable for them in society and thus may not be so wise of a decision. I consider excessive tattoos as possibly foolish vanity that the end result is fleeting as it can be trendy like a fashion trend one generation could think it is cool and the next can pretty much not really think much of it and the generation after that think it is bogus or ugly or that the only people that are getting tatoos are a group that is now unpopular. It used to be rainbows were related to the ark and God's promise but now they have been hijacked as a symbol of the Gay community times change and with that the culture and any permanent modifications to your body can be cool and 20 years later..... unacceptable and cause you grief and in todays hyper sensitive attack you for saying anything not liked by half the people can cause your life to become rather miserable.

Christians are to try and hold themselves to higher standards and sometimes that means we shouldn't do everything cool to fit in but rather resist partaking in everything popular to gain attention and favor with others.

I will end all of this with the statement that I'm not pro tattoo but lean towards negative tattoo in the discussion with allowances of moderation in those who want some tattoos. I am very negative about turning your carcass into an ink drawing covering God's invention of beautiful skin with man made graffiti that to some is "art" that is attractive to others it looks like self made scars that attempts to cover inner scars and fails to but scream that they person is "damaged" inside.

 

[timothyu]

Most art is to meet psychological needs. I embroider a custom jacket with a message/drawing that I want the world to see, that’s totally fine, but if it’s a tattoo I’m suddenly the villain.

Totally understandable, where even hair is used to make a statement. However if Christians believe their body is a temple for God to work through, should we put graffiti or advertisements upon it? Is God keen on our graven images? Or can they too be passed off as merely icons?

 

[Sophrosyne]

Totally understandable, where even hair is used to make a statement. However if Christians believe their body is a temple for God to work through, should we put graffiti or advertisements upon it? Is God keen on our graven images? Or can they too be passed off as merely icons?

I think the body being a temple is a good idea not to defile it as a default but where the balancing act comes in to being seen as a light unto the world and being a part of the world comes in is if you do partake of worldly customs doing them excessively may show to others that you are no different from them and that Christianity doesn't really set you apart for the better. Doing vain things to get approval and attention of the lost is not what God would want. I sort of wonder how many non believers are turned off by people with excessive tattoos that are Christians. Some consider tattoos as graffiti as even though a lot of them are nice most of them have no real purpose just as painting a wall with graffiti does.
As for graven images and icons if you go back to the levitical priesthood and their purpose and add to that the veil in the temple that only purified priests were allow to pass through these things can be seen as either a middle man or temple veil either denying direct entry and trying to bypass the veil depending on your thinking. When Jesus died on the cross the temple veil was torn allowing direct access to God. Some folks want to put back that veil and call it a "saint" or use an icon as some sort of intercom outside the veil to talk to God. Either way they are cowering before God and insulting him because Jesus himself proved we could come directly to God, didn't need any device to do so or an inbetween. We see many times Jesus talked directly to Jews who approached him. He also talked directly to gentiles on occasion they didn't require a go-between. I go directly to God when I pray even though at times my carnal nature thinks he doesn't hear me I hope he does anyway and don't see adding a veil back to my
temple (body) of any use nor putting up a poster and asking God to talk to me through it either there is little basis
(logic) for this to work. As I"m not into icons I'm not sure where they stand in this thinking and don't really care much to learn as (to me) they aren't needed.

 

[linux.poet]

However if Christians believe their body is a temple for God to work through, should we put graffiti or advertisements upon it? Is God keen on our graven images? Or can they too be passed off as merely icons?

I have committed the grievous sin of wearing T-shirts that advertise colleges and universities and I don’t think anyone cared. I doubt you would care if you saw me IRL with them. Nor would you care if you saw my hoodie that advertises my favorite Christian metal band either.

As for your second question, it depends on what the tattoos are. If they are Bible verses, who cares? One of my favorite artists has “brutal” and “beautiful” tattooed on her wrists because that has personal meaning for her, it’s part of an important lesson God taught her, so that also should be fine. As for me, I’ve always wanted a jacket and/or arm-length gloves with Gospel Bible verses on them, and now that I’m out of college I have an excuse to work on that personal project while I wait for the phone to ring.

These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. You shall also tie them as a sign to your hand, and they shall be as frontlets on your forehead. You shall also write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

 

[tobyw]

Christians are to try and hold themselves to higher standards and sometimes that means we shouldn't do everything cool to fit in but rather resist partaking in everything popular to gain attention and favor with others.

If a person's motive for seeking a tattoo is about seeking approval and being "cool", sure.

One might also suggest that if a person avoids getting a tattoo in order to keep the approval of their tattoo-disapproving friends, then that is also approval seeking. If a person dresses a certain way in order to please others, then what difference does it make if that way is conservative or not?

You can please some of the people, some of the time.

 

[Sophrosyne]

If a person's motive for seeking a tattoo is about seeking approval and being "cool", sure.

One might also suggest that if a person avoids getting a tattoo in order to keep the approval of their tattoo-disapproving friends, then that is also approval seeking. If a person dresses a certain way in order to please others, then what difference does it make if that way is conservative or not?

You can please some of the people, some of the time.

Yes, I agree that peer pressure is not a default reason to conform unless those peers have sound reasons. I don't necessarily think that the majority is always right but sometimes they truly are and because they have found by association with others that certain things don't work well in society and cause trouble and have more negative drawbacks than positive. The difference in dress vs tattoos and piercings and etc is substantial as temporary reversible changes in your appearance is less of an issue than permanent ones or ones that require a substantial amount of efforts and/or funds to reverse. I think that people who are interested in tattoos should at least try fake ones like stickers or regular markers that can be removed easily and see how people react and how they feel before diving in the inked pool.

Oh and dressing outrageously can possible attract attention that you find out you don't want and also give you a reputation that is undesirable that may take a considerable effort to reverse.

 

[Mr. Bultitude]

I completely regret my tattoo. I would like to get it removed someday.