Questions Wanted RE: Tattoos, Piercings, etc.

[Runswithdogs]

Nope, I probably would be quite good at it (I have the drawing skills) but no interest in doing that.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Nope, I probably would be quite good at it (I have the drawing skills) but no interest in doing that.

I guess that since you are from other comments you've made clearly committed professionally, there is no remote need for you to consider seriously such training and work.

But now that you are well tattooed yourself, I guess hypothetically, since you admit you are quite good at the artistic side of it, you could in some circumstances thrive in a tattoo parlor environment, if the business parameters also, and the patient inner commitment, were also present!

 

[faroukfarouk]

Many of the worship leaders in my church have tattoos, as well as a good portion of our members..It's a common thing, and an easy conversation starter for people who wouldn't normally be approachable/receptive to Christianity.

Yes, a lot of Christians with faith based tattoos feel this way.

 

[Biblicist]

Several actually!

Many of the worship leaders in my church have tattoos, as well as a good portion of our members, so I have affair bit of experience with the topic, though I don't have any tattoo's myself (keep those needles AWAY from me, thank you very much!). It's a common thing, and an easy conversation starter for people who wouldn't normally be approachable/receptive to Christianity.

Do I take it that your congregation is in a rather downtodden part of town?

Leaving aside the question if bodily defacement is a wise and prudent thing to do, as the secular entertainment industry now regularly brands the bad guys within a film with either a gold cross and a chain or with a so called "faith" based tattoo, then about the only point of conversation for many in our day and age is "Were you a part of a crime gang or on drugs" before you came to the Lord". Undoubtedly many who are a part of the social fringe would probably deem anyone who has a religious tattoo or even a cross, that they are doing so in mockery of not only the Lord but with everything that is good which is something that even the secular music magazines even comment on.

The way that things are going, I would not be surprised that in a decade or so that the only people who deface their bodies with a religious tatto will be those who are intent on mocking the Lord. From what we can see even today, a religious tattoo appears to be a way of saying, "Hey, look at my tattoo, this speaks of those do gooders but my way life is in total opposition to their way".

 

[faroukfarouk]

Do I take it that your congregation is in a rather downtodden part of town?

Actually these days parlors are sometimes like salons, rather than outfits in downtrodden areas. A lot of tattoo art - like it, loathe it - would tend to come into the category of classy enhancements rather than disreputable signs (in the view of a lot of ppl, anyway). This is also the context of how a lot of Christian get faith based tattoos proven effective in witness conversations - again, whatever one's own view might be.

 

[Biblicist]

Actually these days parlors are sometimes like salons, rather than outfits in downtrodden areas. A lot of tattoo art - like it, loathe it - would tend to come into the category of classy enhancements rather than disreputable signs (in the view of a lot of ppl, anyway). This is also the context of how a lot of Christian get faith based tattoos proven effective in witness conversations - again, whatever one's own view might be.

How strange, here in Australia it seems that our "parlours" (which is an old euphemism for brothels) are owned either by illegal bike gangs or by people who you would not want to encounter late at night in a dark lane. From what I can tell on our news programs, it seems that these parlours (or dens) have been a great source of trade for our glazing industry as the various criminal gangs regularly shoot the windows of those gangs who have rival tattoo dens.

Who knows, maybe the growth of these dens is an indicator of the increasing poor moral health of US society, where we in Australia are certainly not immune to the problem which has been evidenced by how our criminal gangs have established these dens.

As I've said previously, as religious body defacement has in recent years become a symbol of mockery for the entertainment industry and by the many hired thugs and down-and-outs, I'm not all that sure how body defacement can be used for witnessing, other than telling a Christian that the person that they are sitting next to on a train who has a glaring gold cross around their neck or with a religious tattoo is probably in need of Salvation.

 

[Runswithdogs]

I guess that since you are from other comments you've made clearly committed professionally, there is no remote need for you to consider seriously such training and work.

But now that you are well tattooed yourself, I guess hypothetically, since you admit you are quite good at the artistic side of it, you could in some circumstances thrive in a tattoo parlor environment, if the business parameters also, and the patient inner commitment, were also present!

No, that would mean working with people ... Dont get me wrong, I can deal with people & be nice.. in small doses.. but I prefer working with dogs.

 

[faroukfarouk]

No, that would mean working with people ... Dont get me wrong, I can deal with people & be nice.. in small doses.. but I prefer working with dogs.

I guess the tattoo artist has to be nice to clients! I guess the artist who tattooed you was nice to you also!

 

[Runswithdogs]

Im sure jumping up halfway through and running out the door screaming "AUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHH ! I gotta get outtta here!" wouldn't be good for business...

 

[faroukfarouk]

in Australia it seems that our "parlours" (which is an old euphemism for brothels)

Since many Godly women get tattoos, often faith based in design, the implication about brothels seems rather inaccurate information about them.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Im not taking anyone. I dont feel the need to..

Some ppl feel the need for moral support, but I guess this is partly the gregarious instincts of 18 year old young ladies when they go in turn for their rite of passage ink.

 

[Biblicist]

Since many Godly women get tattoos, often faith based in design, the implication about brothels seems rather inaccurate information about them.

Godly women! I would have to say that you are undoubtedly lowering the benchmark by quite a few notches for who you are describing as being "Godly women". This is the reason that we have seen the need for the many salons that attempt to repair the damage that women (and men) inflict on their bodies, where they are called upon by desperate women who want to be seen as being Godly and not someone that many deem to be either a person of loose morals or someone who simply lacks the common sense to do what is right. Many of these women quickly discover that having defaced their bodies that many men of good character do not want to get involved with a woman who is displaying to the world that she lacks godly judgment and who knows what else.

 

[seashale76]

Would still love to see a response to post #160.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I do actually have a question: How can one be perfectly fine with having tattoos and yet have a problem iconography? Don't say it doesn't happen, because I know there are a few people with tattoos around here that have expressed their dislike of icons in the past. People will put words and images of a religious nature on themselves and want people to look at them to be a 'conversation starter'- yet will actually have an issue with icons.

Do ppl venerate tattoos in the same way as icons are venerated? (Good question?)

 

[seashale76]

Do ppl venerate tattoos in the same way as icons are venerated? (Good question?)

Veneration is not worship- it's honoring and respecting God's saints, reflecting God and His work in our lives. So, you tell me?

 

[ViaCrucis]

Godly women! I would have to say that you are undoubtedly lowering the benchmark by quite a few notches for who you are describing as being "Godly women". This is the reason that we have seen the need for the many salons that attempt to repair the damage that women (and men) inflict on their bodies, where they are called upon by desperate women who want to be seen as being Godly and not someone that many deem to be either a person of loose morals or someone who simply lacks the common sense to do what is right. Many of these women quickly discover that having defaced their bodies that many men of good character do not want to get involved with a woman who is displaying to the world that she lacks godly judgment and who knows what else.

This comes across as little more than veiled s**t-shaming.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Biblicist]

This comes across as little more than veiled s**t-shaming.

-CryptoLutheran

Veiled!!!! Obviously I am being far too subtle.

As this is a Christian forum, there should be the expectation that some will attempt to caution those who may be prone to getting themselves involved in unsavorary behaviour. As many men and particular women will face decades of severe regret with their foolish decision to deface their bodies, particularly for those who unwiseley chose to go with a glaring tatoo, then we should expect to see individuals trying to help those who are prone to making bad decisions from going down a pathway that has caused heartache for so many.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Veiled!!!! Obviously I am being far too subtle.

As this is a Christian forum, there should be the expectation that some will attempt to caution those who may be prone to getting themselves involved in unsavorary behaviour. As many men and particular women will face decades of severe regret with their foolish decision to deface their bodies, particularly for those who unwiseley chose to go with a glaring tatoo, then we should expect to see individuals trying to help those who are prone to making bad decisions from going down a pathway that has caused heartache for so many.

Have you considered trying the whole not judging other people by their appearances approach?

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Biblicist]

Have you considered trying the whole not judging other people by their appearances approach?

-CryptoLutheran

In the end it matters very little as to what I might think about those poor individuals who were either pressured into getting a tattoo or who did so willingly. We only have to look at the incredible growth of the industry that has been established to help those who now regret their poor decision to deface their bodies; there are who knows how many men and women out there who now see their body defacement as a mark of shame and if nothing else, where they now realise that their tattoos have become a marker to the world that they are prone to making poor decisions.

I cannot understand for a moment why any professing Christian would want to encourage our young people in particular to deface their bodies, where they would have to fully realise that there are many thousands of these victims who are now forced to live with their branding for maybe the rest of their lives.

In fact, I am amazed that any comments that encourage people to deface there bodies where most will one day begin to suffer sever regret and anguish with their earlier decision to go down this pagan pathway are allowed on a Christian forum.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Could you explain what you mean?

I meant: I'm not sure .. (etc.)