Our kids and grand-kids are always going to be growing up in a world that is at war with the faith. This is nothing new even if some of the fads and fashions are different from those of the previous generation. I see similarities between the 1960’s, when I was a kid, and whatever we are calling this decade that we are living in now. In the late 60’s everyone was wearing short, shorter, and shortest skirts. And we won’t even discuss the 70’s and its idiocies.
The world has a powerful charm, and Christian women, young and old, must be wary of its deadening effects. Hebrews 5:14 says that “strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” In other words, if we want to be mature, we have to be using good sense to sort out what is good and what is evil. And as we do this, we are exercising, getting fit, ceasing to be bottle fed, and being welcomed up to the table where they’re eating meat.
Take tattoos for an example. Drunken sailors were always notorious for their tattoos (and still are, I believe), and a century or two later it was the motorcycle gang members. But now we see more and more flesh covered with ink, and it crossed over the gender divide long ago. Tattoos have become so ubiquitous that it’s not really cool anymore because everyone has one. Remember the star-bellied sneetches? They started paying money to get their stars off because even the uncool sneetches had stars too. And I’ve heard that tattoo removal is big business these days. No surprise!
And that’s just about the time that your sweet Christian daughter thought it might be cute to get a little flower tattooed on her ankle or lower back or shoulder. Now what do you do?
There is a simple answer to the tattoo question; at least it’s simple if you have been exercising your senses to discern good and evil. I remember visiting New Guinea in 1973. The native people were totally covered in tattoos. Every square inch of exposed skin had markings, including their faces. Tattoos and body piercings are historically pagan, and as our culture moves further and further away from the gospel, they move deeper into the darkness of paganism. There has never been anywhere else to go.
Ask your daughter, “Whose uniform do you want to be wearing? The devil’s or Christ’s?” Tattoos are part of the uniform of the other team, and it makes no sense at all for Christians to adopt the other team’s colors. Imagine showing up for a football game wearing the other team’s colors. You wouldn’t do it. So why do it when the stakes are much higher? Some people may argue that they are going to get a little “Christian” tattoo. Maybe a Bible verse or a fish. But that just means that they don’t think the mark of baptism is enough. God has determined what mark His children will have, and that mark is the water of baptism. No need to add more to what God has already given us. No need to wear the pagan uniform, and even worse to envy it.
I totally agree with Nancy here, but let’s not stop at tattoos. Women need to adhere 100% to Biblical standards of appearance. 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy totally lay out exactly what women on the other team look like — they appear in public with their heads uncovered, with makeup, and jewelry, and adornments, and flashy attire, to incur the attention of men and drive them into lust. Paul says this is what prostitutes look like. Regrettably, from my experience, it seems that virtually all women in the church must be on the other team.
Andrew,
I made the point in my original post which you have illustrated for me once again. Christians don’t ask the right question, which is give me a good reason why I should get at tattoo. Christians always want to know why they can’t do something rather than why they should. This is what teenagers do when arguing with their parents or school chums. Sometimes when our children asked if they could do something ridiculous, my husband would cheerfully reply, “Do I look like an idiot?”
Blessings and thanks for chiming in on Femina.
Nancy (or do you prefer Nancy Ann? Like I said, I’m new!),
Thanks for responding. But I don’t think you addressed my point!
In fact, in my first comment on this thread, I gave you at least one case where there is a positively good reason for a tattoo. So there’s that.
But more importantly, I contested that criterion, saying that the very nature of what we call “Christian liberty” and the very thing Paul discusses in 1 Cor. 8 & 10 is that sometimes, well, you don’t necessarily need a grand theological reason to do something. Sometimes enjoying a piece of meat is just fine- as long as, of course, you aren’t making it tougher to be a Christian for a weaker brother or sist. And I’m not sure in most cases how getting a tattoo would qualify for that.
I’ll make it even easier by taking that criterion and apply it to other things in life: do I have to come up with a great reason to grow a beard? to sit on my couch right now? to have a glass of juice instead of water? to buy a car with an automatic transmission instead of a manual?
And so on, ad absurdum.
I don’t need a great reason to do those things because they aren’t sin/not sin issues. And so the reason I might get a tattoo is because I might think it’s beautiful and it isn’t sinful to do so.
What your husband is most certainly right about is what he said in his post that linked this one: namely, that the issues surrounding getting a tattoo are the important ones. Issues of insecurity, or vanity, or whatever. If that’s the reason you get a tat (or whatever else) then you shouldn’t do it. But if you get a tat because you think it looks beautiful, there’s nothing objectively wrong, sinful, pagan, demonic, or whatever about that, even if you’ll regret it later or if someone else thinks its ugly.
Heck, if we all asked the “why” question you purport here about everything, we’d never do anything. It would be paralyzing.
On top of all that, you made a massive “why not” charge in your original post. So I wonder what your criterion actually is anyway.
In any case, thanks for your response despite my hearty disagreement, and as always, I mean no disrespect or personal condescension, etc!
Andrew Faris
Christians in Context
Dennis,
I can understand your quibble about
the seriousness of tattoos. But, you
might want to consider that my dad’s
statement and my repetition of it are
in the line of Mt. 18:8-9.
I hope you at least agree that
love does not trump everything
when it comes to family matters
anymore than it trumps everything
when it comes to the Family of
God. Of course, there have been
those lately who do think that way.
http://tinyurl.com/kvxeko
ofs
this may be a bit late in the discussion,
but i wonder if the issue here is what we are trying to communicate, whether through make up, dress , tattoos or piercing.
in all that we do we should glorify God. there fore, we need to consider what we are communicating about our God to an on looking world.
For example… different groups use certain styles of dress, make up and accessories to communicate their identification and tell us something about who they are, from nuns to bikies, the seductive woman, the tom boy etc…,
the message we are wanting to communicate about our love for God, should not only be clear to us, but also leave no confusion in the secular mind.
The bible says “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead nor print or tattoo any marks upon you; i am the lord (Leviticus 19:29).”
I have done a larg amount of research. I found that the markings they are talking about in Leviticus, along with many other scriptures, are referring to a heathen practice. The idea was that if an individual were to ‘cut’ oneself they were invoking their pagan gods, especially during time of disease and death. So as it states, it is true that Christians should not cut or mark themselves, but it is important to understand that God was referring to doing it in ways similar to a heathen. God states and repeats numerous times that Christians should not follow PAGAN rituals, cutting being one of them.
I am a 17 year old christian male and i am going to get a tattoo of a cross on my arm.
You say “give me a good reason why a Christian should get a tattoo.” I am getting this tattoo so at first sight everyone will know who i believe in and to showe my religion and dedication to christe. This will be in my skin the rest of my life always there to remind me of my true purpose in life. And yes people will ask about it saying its wrong but every person who asks about it i will have the opportunity to intruduce to god.
So there is my opinion no matter what you think of it.
I have read this entire post, and am leaving my church due to the liberal leadership over the issue of tatoos! One of the ministers in the church I attended is a tattoo artist, his work is dark in nature, and this isnt a problem with my Pastor.
We are to be seperate from the world, a new creation, an example to a lost and dying world. As Christians in the church get tatoos, there is no seperation between the church and the world,I dont care if its a cross, praying hands, or whatever, a tattoo is more of a distraction than anything else.
Just the origin of tats are demonic, and pagan in nature, let alone cutting into your skin.
Christiasn liberty doesnt give us the right to copy the pagan pratices of the world, it gives us the right to honor God in our bodies, remember we were bought with a high price, the blood of Christ.
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Terry Watkins Dial-the-Truth Ministries
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WHAT ABOUT LEVITICUS 19:28?
Leviticus 19:28 is the Christian (or so-called Christian?) tattooist and tattoo-bearer’s worst nightmare. The Lord plainly, clearly, strongly, and without a doubt – condemns the tattoo.
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:28
Could that be any more clear?
“Ye shall not. . .print any marks upon you. . .”
Simple. . . Straightforward. . .Settled. . .
God Said It. . . I Believe It. . . That Settles It. . .
Right. . .?
Not hardly. . .
The clear statement from the word of God does not settle anything for this generation of disobedient, carnal, worldy, tolerant, non-judgmental, Christians. Rather than obey God, they run miles and miles and miles to “justify” their open disobedience to the Word of God.
How do they get around Leviticus 19:28?
Clearly, there it is. “Ye shall not. . .print any marks upon you. . .”
A lot of Christians when confronted with Leviticus 19:28, scream, “Hey dude, that’s not for today. Man, that’s the Old Testament. I’m under the New Testament”.
Did you know that “bestiality” (sicko, perverted, sex with an animal) was ONLY forbidden in the Old Testament Levitical Law? Only in Leviticus 18:23 and Leviticus 20:15-16. Dude, only in the Old Testament Law. Does that mean a Holy God NOW – under the New Testament, approves of bestiality?
By the way, have you ever read Leviticus 19:29? The verse immediately AFTER the “it’s not for me” Leviticus 19:28?
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.
Leviticus 19:29
This is the only place in the Bible that God directly forbids someone to prostitute their daughter. And since, it’s ONLY in the Old Testament Levitical Law (and “hey, dude, we’re NOT under the law”) – it MUST be ok by the Lord for a parent to cause their daughter to prostitute.
Same sick, perverted, wicked, line of reasoning as the “it’s ONLY in the Old Testament-tattoo-bearer-wearer”. Same reasoning. . . Same disobedience. . . Same perversion of the Word of God.
There are many other “moral laws’ that are ONLY forbidden in the Old Testament, such as the human sacrifice of children. No where in the New Testament is this forbidden. Does that mean that NOW under the New Testament, God Almighty endorses throwing babies into the fire as a human sacrifice?
And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 18:21
Matthew Henry’s Commentary at the beginning of Leviticus 19 explains that most of Leviticus 19 (such as verse 19:28) are moral commandments that applies not only for Israel but for the New Testament Christian today.
“Some ceremonial precepts there are in this chapter, but most of them are moral. . . Most of these precepts are binding on us, for they are expositions of most of the ten commandments.”
(Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Leviticus 19:28)
My 17 yr old daughter just emblazoned her back with a cross and thorns with “Your were there when no one else was” scrolled around. I am sick to my stomach and haven’t slept for 2 days. Neither I nor any of my family members have tattoos. She lives with her mom and they belong to a non-denomination church. I am born, raised, confirmed Catholic. Her mother signed for it and defends her actions at all costs. I question both of their motives both for her age and how quickly it was done not giving it a very long and hard thought. I am so angry I feel like turning my back on her. With the idea that if she refuses to listen to my input then don’t ever ask for it and be on your own. Do as you will and suffer the consequences for your actions. I know feeling this way is wrong and hope it subsides. I just needed to vent when everyone is looking at me like my reaction is crazy, controlling and that I just need to get over myself. As I look over pictures of my little girl of days gone by, man, I am so angry, frustrated and sickened that she would deface her flesh like this. Not even laser removal will wipe this one out. Scarred for life, I’m sick.
JEB,
Though it may be tempting to pull away from her, a foolish daughter needs her dad all the more. We’ll pray for you.
Thank you. The frustrating part is her mother defend this saying “It symbolizes her faith & what God has done in her life”. I do not know of a priest, nun or minister that would have one. This baby is big, from the hairline of the neck to half point on her back. I know i am just going to have to move on. She is 18 in 5 months so I better get used to her own will, be there for advice and guidance. She was taught right from wrong spritually and mentally. I just need to let go and let her blaze her own way. Even if she does have “Stations of the Cross” on her back.
Google “Coptic Christians tattoos” and you will see that Christian tattooing is not a new phenomenon. This practice still survives today among rural Coptics. In later times, medieval Christian pilgrims and Crusaders often tattooed themselves to mark their journey and remind them and others of their faith.
As with so many other things, I think it is the intent and heart motivation that counts. One’s actions can be morally neutral in and of themselves, or even GOOD, yet it is our motives (our inner self) that counts before God. It is the inner motivation that he sees, even if others do not. Praying is a good thing, yet if one prays like the Pharisees did, or prays for forgiveness for themselves yet does not forgive others, God knows this.
So, with respect, I think that this issue is far from being the cut-and-dried, black-and-white one that Nancy Ann has opined that it is.
http://poor-blogger.blogspot.com/2006/01/coptic-christian-tattoos.html