piercings and tatoos

[Jlaw]

Is it a sin to get piercings or tatoos? I was just thinking about getting my ear pierced and I wasn't sure about it... any help would be appreciated.

 

[Febe]

I´m not allowed to discuss what I think is sin, here in Your forum... But I guess I might just say I would never dream of getting a tatoo myself!
I don´t want any piercings either, but that´s just a personal disliking...

 

[Father Rick]

In scripture, the only references we have (except for one) to getting tattoos were tied into forms of idol worship. The command was not to get a tattoo, since it represented idol worship and we are to avoid idolatry. Today, this is not the case in most cultures and tattoos are simply seen as a form of art --not a form of idolatry.

As to getting a piercing... the only negative (in some people's mind) reference in scripture is that indentured servants who were so well taken care of by their master that they wanted to stay permanently would have their ear pierced as a symbol of their choice/servanthood. In Song of Solomon it mentions that the Shunamite woman (who the story is about) has a nose ring. Scripture also talks about the Israelites having gold earrings.

Now back to the one instance in scripture of a tattoo not relating to idol worship-- that case is where it says God has our names tattooed on his hand.

 

[Fredkc6cfb]

I really couldn't say whether or not these body modifications are sin.
I know they are not for me, though as a younger man I did have my ear pierced. That went badly, as a terrible infection set in.

I grew up in the Pentecostal church, and though I am now non-denominational, I still love and respect many of my Pentecostal brothers and sisters, and fellowship with them. Quite a few have tattoos and piercings.

I think that if these alterations are a sin, they can most certainly be forgiven when one accepts Christ as his or her Lord and Savior.

 

[Optimax]

Tattos;
1 Co 6:19
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?
KJV

tattos IMHO is like grafitti on a temple of God.

 

[1SheepGirl]

Tattoos also, just from my personal experience of what I have seen; are often put in places that are provocative. I see many girls/ladies that have them on their lower backs, so they feel the need to wear a shorter shirt to show it off. The reasoning is important. God knows our hearts and what our purposes are. What other men/women think isn't the final judgment, but it certainly sets a standard and we lead by example.

 

[JimB]

Doesn’t God have a tattoo?

Isaiah 49. 16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

( Amplified) 16 Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands; [O Zion] your walls are continually before Me.

Sincerely,
~Nicole N. Dymes

 

[New_Wineskin]

Doesn’t God have a tattoo?

Isaiah 49. 16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

( Amplified) 16</SPAN>Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands; [O Zion] your walls are continually before Me.

Sincerely,
~Nicole N. Dymes

Thanks , Jim . And , purchased Hebrew servants had their ears pierced if they wanted to stay with a master after seven years . And , of course , Jesus was pierced for us .

 

[1SheepGirl]

So are you guys saying we can get piercings and tattoos so long as they are on the palms of our hands??? OUCH that could hurt! LOL!!! When does too much or where become an issue. I know people who have their #$#$%$$#$ pierced. Somehow I don't think that is biblical. eek.

 

[New_Wineskin]

So are you guys saying we can get piercings and tattoos so long as they are on the palms of our hands???

Well , *I* wasn't saying such . I wouldn't want to make a blanket statement for all being allowed to do something or forbidden or commanded to do something .

I don't see sin as having to do with "Do not handle ! Do not taste ! Do not touch!" (NIV) I know people who are not allowed to do things that others are . It is between them and the Lord .

 

[Trish1947]

You aught to have come over to my childrens house. It looked like staple city. My daughter had a diamond stud in her nose..my son-in-law has an eyebrow peircing, a tatoo on his arm, my grandchildren just had their eyebrow pierced, one has her tongue pierced and one has a heart tatooed on her shoulder. I think they did this just to irk their grandma..But I said nothing..They are all Christian kids, so I thought I'd wait and see if it would last..within 3 weeks they were bored with the whole idea, and pulled all the metal off their faces. LOL.

 

[JimB]

I remember reading an editorial in Charisma (I think it was) by a lady who condemned body piercings, giving scripture and logic as to why it was heathen (or something, I can&#8217;t exactly remember her point). I think her editiorial was in response to Jamie Bakker&#8217;s (son of Jim and Tammie Faye) ministry, which, in a prior article, had shown him and his crew, Revolution Church, Atlanta, complete with tattoos, nose rings, body piercings, punk spiked hair, etc. Body piercing were a mockery of civilized Christianity, she said.

In the next issue a Bakker defender pointed in Letters to the Editor that the article author&#8217;s picture in her byline showed her with dangling earrings. Were they clip-ons or were her ears &#8220;pierced&#8221;, he wanted to know. Classic, I thought.

Sincerely,
~Emma Roids

 

[FireOfGod]

Doesn’t God have a tattoo?

Isaiah 49. 16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

( Amplified) 16 Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands; [O Zion] your walls are continually before Me.

Sincerely,
~Nicole N. Dymes

Looks like He has quite a few!!

I'm all for tattoos and piercings. Just no tattoos for me. I don't want to get anything permanently printed on my body that I may regret later or that might get saggy.

 

[flaglady]

I have a nephew - now in his forties - who was lead guitar in a premier punk rock band in his teens. During that time he indulged in a great deal of 'tatoo art' which he regretted a few years later when the punk was behind him and he was into body building. He could have and would like to have gone into competition but the tatoos debarred him. He now regrets it.

I also have a colleague who's a great Elvis fan and has many tatoos of his own design of "the king" and revels in them! He was about to go to bible college last year but they had a baby and it's had to be put on hold for the time being.

Strangely, he doesn't see a problem with a priest (he's high church Anglican) preparing communion (the King's eucarist) covered in pictures of "king" Elvis!!!

 

[Tamara224]

When Abraham wanted a wife for his son, Isaac, he sent his servant to go find one. The servant asked God to show him the right woman. The woman who watered him and his camels was the right woman. So the servant sealed the deal by putting a ring in her nose and bracelets on her arms. Considering the fact that the servant had just spoken to God about the woman... I figure if the nose ring were a bad thing he would probably have known about it.

In Ezekiel chapter 16 there is an allegory about the lovingkindness which God showed to Israel...

Ezekiel 16:9-12

9 " 'I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. 10 I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. 11 I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, 12 and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.

I think if God had a problem with piercings He would not have used them as an example in this passage.

So, tattoos may be a different story, but piercings seem to be okay, according to Scripture. Perhaps some people take it too far, but I'd say if they do, it's one of those personal decisions.

 

[holyrokker]

My daughter has a T-shirt that says "Body Piercing Saved My Life" on the front, and the pierced hands of Jesus on the back.http://javascript<b></b>:window.print();

 

[Im_A]

Is it a sin to get piercings or tatoos? I was just thinking about getting my ear pierced and I wasn't sure about it... any help would be appreciated.

hey there.

i think it's something that must be sought for.

i personally...obviously, don't see a problem with them...only on one condition. that people don't do them for self-critical issues, that people dont' do it because they are addicted to pain, that people don't do it for evil means, or to be part of a sub-culture nonsense.

for many, that would exculde almost any reason to get them. but i think one must just have a thought that they like body art.

i personall don't see the quote of Revelations as proof for tattooing in the Bible. the book of Revelations is laced with so much symbology and apolacypitcal meanings, that it's almost impossible (imho) for some Western, Gentile christian to apply proper understanding of the text in the light of what John of Patmos wrote. i have also heard arguments in regards to Paul by His marks i am healed. again if one wants to use it for their agenda, they can i suppose, but i don't see it as a logical proof of having some ok with scripture to do it.

the only regards theologically that i see any reasoning to be "free" to do it, is because the verse it is mentioned in was specifically the law of the Levites. any argument that disses the art of tattooing or piercing, will rely on some prooftext of one verse, while they are ok with going to Long John Silvers, wearing polyester clothing and using the gospel to not support stonings of their beloved rebellious children and neighbors, while being clean shaved, and while being a Gentile to as well. Paul may have said that we are all one, no matter Greek, Jew or Gentile, but we also know the law wasn't abolished...it was fulfilled.

Christ didn't save us to get tattoos, eat at Long John Silvers, or wear mink, or to look cleaned up or eat pork (no matter how Paul cleared that up.) to say that Christ set me free to do those things is utter blaspheme as far as i'm concerned. He fulfilled the Father's Will, and all this stuff is inmaterial to the Father's Will.

those laws in the Old Testament were for the Jews and for the Jews forever and ever. those laws were given to seperate them as for the people of God apart from the Gentiles and you read the reason why that law was placed for the Levites, may God be praised for making such a commandment.

and next, to do things that, that same law condemns only specific laws, while condemning other actions that the same law is condemningnothing but a hypocritical methodology as far as i'm concerned. the exscuse of being imperfect is a bogus way to justify ones views against something but willing struggle with something else that is condemned in that same law. for a mere example...you like Long John Silvers? why are you asking us if it is ok to tattoo? why not ask if it is ok to dine out at Long John Silvers? (Leviticus 11:9-12, Deuteronomy 14:9-10). what about the process of cleaning after childbirth? when you get married, maybe you need to consult believers because of Leviticus 12:1-8 possibly? how about eating pork? (Leviticus 11:1-46). how about your shirts with polyester and cotton? (Leviticus 19:19) as well as planting different kinds of seed in a garden, or breeding a German Shepared dog with a Pitbull. (i'm not criticizing you asking about it ok? ) what about shaving? (Leviticus 21:5, and aren't we all priests and kings in Christ according to Paul?)

this part isn't solely meant for justification to tattoo, but if your concern is cause of Leviticus 19:28, then you must look beyond everything tattooing and look at everything else we do in our modern day that breaks the Levitical Law and then go from there on your own conscience.

as someone with tattoos, you must also be prepared to accept the culture that you will be subscribed to. just as anyone else really, and not be ashamed to go above the standard that is assumed with this culture. it's not a light matter...it's a permenant matter. same with ear rings. it is still either seriously believed that it is bad, or bluntly joked about guys with ear rings and how they get compared to looking like a woman, or using slanderous words for homosexuals.

so i just say, to really search yourself on why you want this. i'm not saying you have bad intentions, but just be sure your ok to have a scar in your ear when it heals. be sure your ok with a tattoo design on your body for a lifetime. be sure youre prepared to stand up against criticism, and be prepared to stand up for yourself from many judgements made by people who don't know you...Christian and non-Christian. when you go to get whatever you choose to, be prepared to see reality as it is...that people are really in this culture are in a deep need for God. be prepared to be saddened and at times angered by what you see in this culture, and be also prepared to stand up to not be like that but be free in your freedom to search things out for yourself and work out your salvation. only you can make the desicion. our reasoning either for it or against it, isn't going to sway you either way. at the end of the day you must make your choice, and just make it on your best conscience, with really seeking it out in yourself why you want it and be prepared to give a defense for your views if you get tattoos or ear rings...just as anyone else defends their own perspective of life to no end

May God Bless you! <><

 

[Optimax]

Another thing tattos remind me of is the bilboard on I25 Northbound that says something like " We erase the mistakes and regrets of your past"

It is a place that removes tattos

 

[JimfromOhio]

Is it a sin to get piercings or tatoos? I was just thinking about getting my ear pierced and I wasn't sure about it... any help would be appreciated.

If you studied cultural living in the days of the Old and New Testament, you will find many different kinds of styles. Men had long hair. In Scotland, men wear kilts. Much more.

Outward appearance does not mean anything because God looks in the heart. We have to remember that God is not impressed by our appearances (1. Samuel 16:7). The Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord don't make decisions the way you do. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person's thoughts and intentions (heart)." (NLT)

I know Christians that have tattoos. I know Christian men have their ear pierced. Personally, I don't see this as a problem unless, what is "ON' your body that might offend God. Christianity should not need to set rules but encourage Christians to follow the rules from our hearts. Legalism can't produce a pure heart. Rules do not protect us from sin because rules are basically guidelines that will help you avoid sinning. Jesus had a problem with the pharisees who were very legalists and they had about 613 rules to protect God's commandments. Inner beauty is more important than physical beauty (1 Peter 3:1-6). Christians are warned to be careful about their welfare because they should care more about spiritual than physical welfare (1 Tim.2:9-10). In terms of "fashionable", in what definition should we determine as fashionsable? In Titus 2:12 that we are to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.

 

[JEBrady]

A revival started in a church local to my area when a young man removed the stud from his tongue piercing and laid it on the altar at church.