Do you think tattoos are sinful?

[WillingToDie]

I do believe it is a sin to get a tattoo. Leviticus 19:28 says, "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD."

A tattoo is printing marks on your body. The question always comes up with regard to intentions. Some people believe that what is being spoken of here only relates to marks for the dead, but that is not necessarily the case. The word "nor" is used to separate two differen't things, first making cuttings in your flesh for the dead, and secondly, printing marks on your body.

I do not believe I am going to convince tattoo enthusiastes to come around to my way of thinking on this subject based on this verse, but since the question was asked, "Do you think tattoos are sinful?," it is my opinion that they are. To me, getting a tattoo defiles your body. 1 Corinthians 3:16,17

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

I believe that the reason we have such an increase in tattoos, is because Satan is leading people to alter their appearance from what God intended them to look like. He didn't give us skin covered in pictures and words, when he created us in his image. Unlike changes in hair style, or the use of make-up, these are actual permanent alterations to a person's natural image.

Ultimately, every person will decide for themselves if they are going to get tattoos. Every time I write a comment stating that tattoos are sinful, it is usually followed by numerous comments that they are fine. This thread is full of posts defending the practice. I would suggest you seek the Lord about it before proceding.

I was wondering when you would get in on this.

So I take it our dealings with the verses you posted are not satisfactory?

[artsylady]

So let us not judge one another upon this issue

Amen.

For heaven's sake can we get beyond these kinds of things?

There's a lost and dying world, full of killing, evil, bullying, school shootings, suicide, prostitution. drugs, etc, etc, etc. and it's getting worse. We are in the last days still wondering if it's okay for another brother to get a tattoo. I guess it doesn't hurt to talk about it, but to those adamantly against it, will we ever be able to see past the trivial issues? Do Chrisitans not have bigger fish to fry?

Sorry but I get frustrated some times.

The next generation of killers who don't regard the souls of others as even human are going to be witnessed to by a group of dynamic, young, energetic Christians who are going to come in all shapes and sizes and colors who are going to reject a lot of our 'rules' as we have done with their rules (dancing, card playing) and it will be the old fogies that will do nothing but criticise them for it. We really need to move on, imho.

[artsylady]

Do you wear clothes of mixed fibres? Do you eat shrimp or shellfish? Does your wife (or you if you're female) go through the monthly cleansing ritual? Do you have your steak medium rare? etc, etc, etc?

Does God look upon the outward appearance or the heart?

If HE looks at the heart, who are we to look at the outward appearance?

[Guest man]

Does God look upon the outward appearance or the heart?

If HE looks at the heart, who are we to look at the outward appearance?

Good point.

Thanks.

[Guest man]

Just because one perceives one sin as worse than another, doesn't mean we should ignore the issues we think of as not as important.

This is also a good point.

[artsylady]

Thak you man.

I have a hard time picturing a judgement day where God is going to be overly concerned with the tattoo of a daisy on someone's shoulder. I think he's going to be more concerned with the Christian who looked down upon and judged the person with the daisy tattoo.

For the record, I do not have a tattoo and will likely never get one. If I ever did, it would be a cross or the fish symbol. Nothing to do with vanity at all.

I am speaking for the younger generation who are going to do things differently than we did and probably a lot better - we can only hope.

My daughter's friend got a tattoo of a cross and Canadian flag. She prayed beforehand for a month or so and went ahead and did it. Nothing vain about it. Now who am I to say that she is wrong and that God is not okay with it? I could never say such a thing or judge her for it. I'm happy for her and pray God uses her as she is a dynamic Christian and all around good girl with a heart of gold and a deep love for God. That's what God sees and some of the older folks are staring at her tattoo in judgement mode. I think it's high time we got over ourselves.

[artsylady]

Just because one perceives one sin as worse than another, doesn't mean we should ignore the issues we think of as not as important.

It doesn't matter what we think. It's what God thinks that matters. I have no judgement either way for those who have tattoos or listen to Christian rock or secular rock or those who listen to Row, Row, Row Your Boat or those who judge others for listening to such a secular song as Row, Row, Row Your boat. The day I feel perfect enough to begin judging others is the day I am in heaven with God and am all knowing, like Him (if that's the way it's supposed to happen)

And I know you think it's in the Bible and you think it's clear but it's not. I'm sure there is some cultural context within the words "tattoo yourself for the dead". Maybe Shiloh can give us the historical context of it. It's not the same as having a cross tattood on your forearm or a daisy on your shoulder.

And besides, if you're going to adhere strictly to this law, what about the others? Mixed fibres, shellfish, steak, pork, cleansing rituals, going to priests, daily meat sacrfices, etc, etc, etc,etc. Do you adhere to all of these? If you don't then it seems like a plank/speck issue.

[Ovedya]

I do believe it is a sin to get a tattoo. Leviticus 19:28 says, "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD."

A tattoo is printing marks on your body. The question always comes up with regard to intentions. Some people believe that what is being spoken of here only relates to marks for the dead, but that is not necessarily the case. The word "nor" is used to separate two differen't things, first making cuttings in your flesh for the dead, and secondly, printing marks on your body.

Actually, the word "nor" does not separate the subject of self mutilation for the dead and "marks". It separates only cutting and marks, and so is actually inclusive with the practice of self mutilation for the dead. In other words, both items have to do with self mutilation for the dead. In modern English we might say the same thing as "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh nor any marks upon your flesh for the dead."

The prophets of Baal who made propitiation to their false at god Carmel by cutting their flesh (1 Kings 18). Cutting the flesh was a "prominent feature of idolatrous worship, especially with the Syrians" according to Smith's Bible dictionary. So apparently Lev. 19:28 is referring to practices related to idol worship.

As Christians we (hopefully) to not engage in idol worship. So the practice of tattooing the skin is not related to God's commandment in Lev. 19:28.

I personally find this issue particularly fascinating, especially with those who do believe that tattoos are a sin, because there appears to be a bit of a hypocritical slant to the view. Christendom has largely accepted the fact that are free to observe certain holidays such as Christmas and Easter, even though we know that these holidays are derived from pagan observations of celestial occurrences. In fact, we seem to have no problem with the incorporation of pagan practices in these holidays. It seems that, to a large extent Christians have reasoned that, so long as, "our heart is in the right place" it's okay to observe such holidays. However, when it comes to the issue of tattooing, many of those that have reasoned away the pagan aspect of the holidays, shun the practice and condemn it as a sin.

Tattooing is also said to be "polluting the temple of God," and an "insult to God's creation." Well, okay. But how many of us watch television. or read the internet? How many of us listen to rock music on the radio, or listen to that mixture of Heavy Metal and Christianity called "Christian Metal"? it becomes quite exposing for anyone who condemns something like this as a sin if he really took a look at his own condition and those things which he allows to enter his mind, or his body. So why judge at all?

The way I look at it, if the practice of tattooing is a sin for you, then it is a sin for you. But I would submit that, if you are going to judge that one aspect f the law should be followed, then you should judge that every aspect of the law should be followed, and be absolute. Don't pick and chose which parts of the law should be followed and which should not.

JMHO.

[OneLight]

Without commenting one way or another, may I ask if anyone has found scripture that tells us to get a tattoo or that it is OK to have one? I've seen the scripture that speaks against it already.

I've not seen any Scriptures that speak against heavy metal music either.

Now, we both know that tattoos have been around a lot longer then heavy metal, so this is a mute statement, my friend.

[artsylady]

I have addressed these issues at length in other threads, but since you brought them up, I will mention them here as well. Within the of Moses, there are basically three categories of sins. One is dealing with the office of the Levitical priesthood, and these laws no longer apply because of Jesus one time sacrifice on the cross. The second type of sin was dealing with Israel's separation from the unclean and idolatrous gentile nations. These were symbolic laws like the one dealing with mixed fabrics in clothing,and unclean foods. While it is irrelivant, I eat my steak extra well done. I hate underdone food, but that is just a preference. The third type of laws deal with moral issues, and that includes things like not stealing, killing, committing adultery, etc. These moral laws still apply, and I believe that tattoos come under the third category of transgression.

You can separate verses according to however you like, but I choose to view them in their context. The mention of not tattooing yourself for the dead, is in Leviticus Chapter 19. Within that same chapter are verses about not planting 2 kinds of seed in your field, rare steaks, mixed fibre clothing, not eating unknown fruit from an unknown land until you've lived there for three years.

Stealing and killing and committing adultry would to me, fall under the catagory of the ten commandments, and I've never seen anything about not tatooing yourself for the dead there. I suppose because you group tattoos with committing adultry and killing, you have very strong judgements to those who may have one.

God looks at both the outward appearance and our heart. You are taking a scripture out-of-context. The Bible was speaking of Saul as opposed to David, and was making the point that just because a man is big in stature and looks like a leader, it doesn't mean he is.

It's not out of context then. People saw a big burly man in Saul but God saw that in David was a heart that was good and that he'd make a better leader, DESPITE his apperance. How is that out of context? If you are looking at the tattoos on a person, how do you see their heart?

Speaking of out of context, the verse about your body being a temple of the Holy Spirit is about not having sexual relations with prostitutes as that would defile the body.