Tattoos

[rockwell]

It's an old thread but anyhow...

I think tattoo's are fine. I plan on getting one soon along with having my nose pierced. I most definatly want something Christian, but girlie. I was thinking maybe an angel with my favorite verse or something.

Leviticus 19:28
You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD

I wouldnt mind getting a tatoo one day but i WONT- Simply becuase it says it in the Bible "Dont tatoo yourself" i guess we are being very disobedient if we do it.

and about getting a tatoo of a Bible verse... hmmm i guess it's like stealing a bible; the final purpose is good but the means are sinful. You better get your favorite verse tatooed on your heart where God will really see it. Hope im not sounding too harsh.

Love you in Christ
Rockwell

 

[Spicy McHaggis]

It's an old thread but anyhow...



Leviticus 19:28
You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD

I wouldnt mind getting a tatoo one day but i WONT- Simply becuase it says it in the Bible "Dont tatoo yourself" i guess we are being very disobedient if we do it.

and about getting a tatoo of a Bible verse... hmmm i guess it's like stealing a bible; the final purpose is good but the means are sinful. You better get your favorite verse tatooed on your heart where God will really see it. Hope im not sounding too harsh.

Love you in Christ
Rockwell

I think Oldrooster has said it best...

...if you are going to quote Levitical law, you better live every part of it....that includes no pork or shellfish, never cutting your hair and when it is your wife's mestral cycle, you must make her sleep out in the barn.

Its very easy for us to pick and choose which parts of the Bible we think others should follow.

 

[Shannonkish]

And here we go again....

 

[remy]

Yeah the chinese letter on white kids really crack me up. I saw one kid that had them all down his arm. I asked him what it meant and he was like " strength and power through unity" or some nonsense like that. It probally means,,, "i can't believe this cracker paid 100bucks for this tattoo he can't even read"

There was one Chinese artist who actually put symbols with vulgar meanings on people. It was his way of getting back at people who were "stealing his culture."

 

[rockwell]

I think Oldrooster has said it best...



Its very easy for us to pick and choose which parts of the Bible we think others should follow.

Yeah he probably did say it best but you gotta ask yourself this question... if God was living in your house physically would you get a tatoo? would that please the Lord?

and i dont know if you have ever read this verse where it say that we're in this world to make a difference, to be a light in the darkness, any fool can get a tatoo, any fool can get wasted on a saturday night, any fool can sleep around but we are not "ANY FOOL" we belong to God and He wants us to be different for all the RIGHT reasons

 

[Shannonkish]

if God was living in your house physically would you get a tatoo? would that please the Lord?

Yes, actually I would. Yes, it has pleased the Lord as it has become a witnessing tool, a conversation starter with those that I would have never been able to witness to before.

any fool can get a tatoo,

Any fool? So you equate a person with tattoos as a person that is a fool? Interesting. I will let my pastor know that according to some 20 year old he is a fool simply because he has tattoos. I will also let my mentor know this very same thing. Both of which are two of the most godly men I have ever met in my life. But I guess being godly doesn't matter because they have tattoos, right?

 

[fishstix]

and i dont know if you have ever read this verse where it say that we're in this world to make a difference, to be a light in the darkness, any fool can get a tatoo, any fool can get wasted on a saturday night, any fool can sleep around but we are not "ANY FOOL" we belong to God and He wants us to be different for all the RIGHT reasons

Any fool can eat cold pizza for breakfast, any fool can wear fuzzy slippers, any fool can buy a chocolate bar. None of those things would differentiate a person from "the world". None of those things make a difference or are a light in the darkness. But that doesn't make any of those things wrong. And a tattoo may actually do more towards making a difference and being a light in the darkness than most of our day to day activities that any fool could do - a number of people have tattoos of Christian symbols or phrases that can serve to start up a conversation about Jesus. Furthermore, being different just for the sake of being different is not one of the right reasons.

 

[evesummernight]

yeah, i don't see how tatoo's make a difference anywhere... it boggles my mind...

and most definitely it starts conversations... i was sitting next to a guy with a benadictine tattoo... and i smiled and we started talking on a realllllly long bus ride...

thank god...

 

[Out of the Flames]

And yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...

The topic has been beat to a bloddy pulp. Let it rest in peace...

 

[rockwell]

Any fool? So you equate a person with tattoos as a person that is a fool? Interesting. I will let my pastor know that according to some 20 year old he is a fool simply because he has tattoos. I will also let my mentor know this very same thing. Both of which are two of the most godly men I have ever met in my life. But I guess being godly doesn't matter because they have tattoos, right?

k then, you go do that!

There is a big difference between knowing the truth and living up to it, I am no-one to judge your pastor if he got tattooed before knowing the Lord but if he got his tattoos after be became saved i would have some serious reservation.
You might well know that with the Lord EVERYTHING is a matter of the heart and i can assure you that deep inside, you know that it's wrong, and the fact that you wanna get a tattoo is simply your subconscious wanting to live a rebellious life in one way or another.
So good on ya, in a free country you can do whatever pleases you.


and BTW... your own banner-verse..."My body is a temple of the Lord" Call me legalistic if you wish but i dont think you understand the meaning of that

 

[Shannonkish]

You might well know that with the Lord EVERYTHING is a matter of the heart and i can assure you that deep inside, you know that it's wrong, and the fact that you wanna get a tattoo is simply your subconscious wanting to live a rebellious life in one way or another.

I would love for you to show me some scriptural basis for this claim that it is wron and that I am living a rebellious life. You know nothing about me... and you know nothing about my relationship with God. For you to judge me based on your legalistic and piou thinking is wrong. There is not one scripture that is relevant to new covenant believers that tells me that I am in sin because I have a tattoo.

Now, you are going to bring out Lev. 19:28.... while that verse is good and well, it doesn't apply. I am a NEW COVENANT believer, and a gentile... If we are to follow 19:28, then we must follow 19:29, 19:27, and the entire book of Leviticus. You cannot pick and choose which OT laws we follow... It is either all or none.

and BTW... your own banner-verse..."My body is a temple of the Lord" Call me legalistic if you wish but i dont think you understand the meaning of that

I do full well know the meaning of my banner, and I stand by what I said.

 

[Spicy McHaggis]

There was one Chinese artist who actually put symbols with vulgar meanings on people. It was his way of getting back at people who were "stealing his culture."

that's hilarious.

 

[LiberatedChick]

Leviticus 19:28
You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD

I believe that the above verse is the only verse in the Bible that says anything against tattoos. However, not only does it say that you should not make cuttings in your flesh it also says "for the dead". This is in reference to a time when tattoos were used in religious rituals which were to worship other Gods. So not only is this part of a book that most people do not follow the laws of anymore (and if they do they should follow all of the laws in it) but it does not rule out all tattoos. Just tattoos and cuttings made as part of or during religious worship of other Gods.

As this website states http://www.neverthirsty.org/pp/corner/read1/r00467.html
the Bible does not prohibit tattoos for non-religious reasons. Leviticus 19:28 is the only verse that has anything to say about tattoos and that is to prohibit them in ritual worship of other Gods. Therefore, I see nothing wrong with them so long as those wanting one take adequate time to think about what they want and where and if they really want such a permanant mark on themselves.

 

[Shannonkish]

just subscribing to the thread.

 

[MetalBlade]

I don't know. It's been drilled in my head so many times that your body is a temple and what not. I would like to get one, but probably wont, since I pass out whenever a needle is involved. (and thats not because of fear mind you)

 

[boilerblues]

It's a matter of Christian liberty. The Leviticus passage is an Old Covenant Law, fullfilled and brought to an end in Christ. We live under the New Covenant. And if my body is God's temple, then I'm sure He doesn't mind having His Name on it.

Col. 2:20 ¶ If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,
Col. 2:21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”
Col. 2:22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?
Col. 2:23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

 

[bogie]

I didn't read every reply, but honestly I don't have anything against them. If I can use something on my body that ministers to someone then I say take every oppertunity to minister. But I can't really see how tat's would negativly affect your ability to speak to someone about God. IMO even though it really doesn't mean much "tat's are not bad at all."

 

[Eagle_Wings]

My personal opinion of tattoos.....the right tattoo on the right person can look pretty awesome. I myself would never get a tattoo, mainly because I absolutely abhor needles! I can give any animal a shot, but when it comes to me and needles it's a completely different story. I don't like guys that are cluttered with tattoos or any vulger or offensive ones.

As far as the only scripture in the Bible dealing with tattoos in Leviticus...I don't know. I know I was talking to my Dad about it the other day and he made the comment that that was the Old Testement....which really floored me because he's never made that type of distinguishment between the old and new. But others have had a good point...that was listed among the many other Jewish laws that we do not follow. If you are going to condemn others by the one law, then you better make sure your own life measures up to the full law, all some hundred parts of it!

As far as I am concerned this is one of those things that is between you and God and nobody else has the right to condemn it. Paul did speak about not being a stumbling block to others and this could very well be one...but once again, how you deal with it is between you and God.

I do agree that the tattoos should have a special meaning to the person. And a side note on the tribal tattoos & armbands...they can have meaning to! My brother has an awesome native american armband and the reason he got it is to represent our heritage. Although we are only 1/16 or 1/32 (can't remember now) Indian, and you would never guess it by looking at us (my brother looks mexican & I am as white as white can be ~ although I can get a pretty awesome tan going in the summer!) we are both extremely proud of our heritage.

Just my take on it.

 

[The Story Teller]

I got one on my butt. It says, Wipe, with an arrow pointing down, Here..

 

[Shannonkish]

I got one on my butt. It says, Wipe, with an arrow pointing down, Here..

LOL!!