Do you think tattoos are sinful?

[tsth]

I have 6 I got before I rededicated my life to Christ and I would not get anymore. First, this is Gods body and he took the time to make it just how He wanted it, I'm not going to grafitti it anymore. Two I think it hinders my witness as a Christian. Third, a couple of my tats cost big bucks and now I feel I would rather give that money to God or something that would help spread the gospel throughout the world. I don't regret any of them and they are not evil, butterflies mostly but a tattoo is something very worldly and I need to stay out of that world. JMO.

Could you define "worldly"? Because there are plenty of things that some could consider "worldly" that Christians participate in. For example, "Christian rock, heavy metal, Rap, etc." Rock N' Roll and those other musical forms are all "worldly," and yet they are mainstream in the Christian culture. They are widely accepted and received by Christians without a second thought.

But that doesn't make them inerrantly right either though, does it?

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Ovedya]

I have 6 I got before I rededicated my life to Christ and I would not get anymore. First, this is Gods body and he took the time to make it just how He wanted it, I'm not going to grafitti it anymore. Two I think it hinders my witness as a Christian. Third, a couple of my tats cost big bucks and now I feel I would rather give that money to God or something that would help spread the gospel throughout the world. I don't regret any of them and they are not evil, butterflies mostly but a tattoo is something very worldly and I need to stay out of that world. JMO.

Could you define "worldly"? Because there are plenty of things that some could consider "worldly" that Christians participate in. For example, "Christian rock, heavy metal, Rap, etc." Rock N' Roll and those other musical forms are all "worldly," and yet they are mainstream in the Christian culture. They are widely accepted and received by Christians without a second thought.

But that doesn't make them inerrantly right either though, does it?

In His Love,

Suzanne

No, it doesn't. I just don't understand the exclusion of one "worldly" thing in favor of another. So it really would depend on definition.

[Treasure]

I don't have any and don't see myself ever getting any. Actually, I think it could be used as a witnessing opportunity if it's a Christian symbol. A lost soul that is tattooed might feel more comfortable speaking with a Christian that also is. Just a thought.

[tsth]

Oh, ok.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Guest man]

Lev. 19

28Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. ( KJV )

Other versions say tattoo.

Is it a sin?

There's nothing in the New Testament regarding tattoos.

I think it's a vanity issue.

[Adarian]

To expand on man's post, Leviticus 19:

26 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.

27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.

28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

29 Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

The use of an ordered list of items here makes the command about printing "marks upon you" stand by itself, unbound to the rest of the items in the list.

The instruction is very clear, and Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He is the fulfillment of the law, and it is without doubt that He, being the Lord, does not approve of printed marks on the body.

If you had tattoos before becoming a Christian, no biggie. The Lord accepted you in the condition you were in, but no more should be acquired.

[WillingToDie]

Pearl Butterfly, I agree. Tattoo's aren't really sinful, but they are, in my opinion, following the ways of the world.

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 1 Corinthians 3:15-17

"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?" 1 Corinthians 6:19

The word used for temple in these Scriptures is the Greek word "naos" is used. This talks of the "Holy of holies" where God dwelt in the Tabernacle. The Holy Spirit dwells in me - my body is the Holy of holies! To me tatoos are really like putting grafitti on the Temple. There are many ways to defile the temple, and believe me my body hasn't been taken care of perfectly for God, but I can't condone tatoos. They are permanent. Once they are there you've got them for life.

Do I think it is an "unpardonable sin"? No. But I do think it reflects attitude.

<>< ><>

Nathele

Seeing it as graffiti is one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is further beautification of the temple.

Lev. 19

28Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. ( KJV )

Other versions say tattoo.

Is it a sin?

There's nothing in the New Testament regarding tattoos.

I think it's a vanity issue.

I would argue here that, judging from the structure of this verse, it is implied that you are not to print marks on you for the dead. As for it being a vanity issue it's more than that, although in some cases it is. However, there are some people who really love tattoos for what they are, but its hard to explain it to people. I guess you really don't understand it unless you're "one of those people".

[nonameleft]

Before I write anything, I want to state that I am not implying or stating that anyone who posted in this thread is in disagreement with what I am writing below. It's just that in reading the posts here, this comes to mind, and I think should be said.

A tattoo is not sin. A tattoo does not defile "the temple". God never said he had a problem with painting a picture on your temple. Sin defiles the temple, and nothing else. So, a tattoo would have to be sin before it could defile the temple in the first place. The defile the temple argument is used a lot to make things be sin that really are not.

Paul, who wrote I Corinthians where the defile the temple verses are found, also explained what he meant with this:

In chapter 3, he is talking about good works vs bad works and not about taking care of your body. In chapter 6 he is talking about fornication. It is very clear that all Paul meant was that sin, or bad works, defiles the body. God does not dwell in sin. The temple in the Old Testament always had to be sprinkled with water for cleansing when the sin-tainted priest entered. If you do sin, then both you (the priest) and (you) the temple must be cleansed- confess, repent.

You cannot use the verses to justify calling something a sin when the Bible does not clearly name the act as a sin. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that you must take care of the body that God has given you. That is contrived by man's logic. God's ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. If God did not say it, we must stop forcing things to be wrong, making new commandments to obey. Our own possibly flawed reasoning might imagine that God views a tattoo as grafitti. God is much more concerned that you not sin than what you eat, drink, wear, or possibly paint your body with. You could go to church in a clown's suit and God would not mind, but you might disrupt the service and the effect of God's word being preached.

Words of Christ:

Matthew 15:17-20

"Do you not yet understand that whatsoever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the drought?

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man.

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies

These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

***

Not once was any adornment mentioned. To some, the arguments of "defile the temple" and taking care of the body that God has provided us with would be in conflict with these words of Christ. If we did not wash our hands and got sick with germs, did we sin by not taking care of the body that God gave us? We should not add our own reasoning and possibly flawed logic to God's word. God has been very specific about what the sins were.

***

If a minister of a congregation had a large tattoo of a snake on his face, not many of his words would be heard, because all attention would be on the tattoo. Possibly many would immediately leave the building. If a shirt covered his tattoo, what would it matter? However if you were involved in an evangelistic outreach to youth who already had tattoos, or bikers with tattoos you might actually get their respect and their ears. You have to judge your own situation. Paul would agree with this because he said "I was all things to all men." But he also stated not to use your "liberty" in a way that would cause your weaker brother to err.

God could definitely use a tattooed person in his ministry.

Just my 1 1/2 cents.

[Marnie]

Sinful, no. Dumb, yes. Before I found Christ, I got a couple. I'd get them removed, but pain is something I'm not fond of...

[EricH]

The action itself is not sinful. The reasons one might get them could be