acarrollfan
Jul 8, 2013
Hello Saints,
My intention of posting this up is genuinely for healthy discussion.
Can Christians Have Tattoos on Their Bodies?
I personally think it is okay. What do you think?
Hello Saints,
My intention of posting this up is genuinely for healthy discussion.
Can Christians Have Tattoos on Their Bodies?
I personally think it is okay. What do you think?
Why do you want a tattoo?
What is the driving motive?
Does it serve any useful purpose?
Does it promote health?
Is it money worthwhile spent?
Does the WORD have anything anywhere to say about this?
Seems to be the answers to these questions should make the wisdom of this procedure obvious.
Well, it is a legalistic question isn't it?
A tattoo is neither good nor bad, morally speaking. It is just ink. Ink is amoral. Neither good nor evil. Evil proceeds out of the heart.
If the Lord is telling you not to get a tattoo then it is self-explanatory what you should do. Don't go against His voice to you.
You see, a Christian can do many things but not all things are expedient or edifying. God is always looking at the motivations of the heart and His Holy Spirit will guide you whether the thing is not pleasing to Him or not. There are many ways our hearts can be turned away from Him and as our Shepherd He knows how to let us know what we need to do to keep our eyes on Him and our heart free from idols.
So, to sum things up. No one but you can decide if a tattoo is wrong for you, or not because no one else has your relationship with God. It is between you and Jesus.
I don't even have the wisdom and knowledge to ask you the right questions (interview you) and determine what you should do.
Medically speaking it may not be good. Aesthetically, you may come to regret it but is the Lord allowing you to do it? No one can know that but you.
A Christian friend asked me this while I was in college. I pointed him to the passages in the New Testament that refer to your body as the Temple of the Holy Spirit (e.g., I Corinthians 6:19-20, I Corinthians 3:16-17).
I then asked whether it would have been appropriate to plaster a mural on the side of the Temple in Jerusalem circa 500 B.C. What about the Temple at around 33 A.D.?
Remember: There were very specific instructions from God for the building and decorum of the Temple. While it was necessary to clean it and even restore it, it wasn't proper to inscribe things into the outer walls that were beyond the scope of instructions inspired given by God.
Even if well-intentioned, a tattoo is tantamount to a "mural" or, more correctly, graffiti that you commission. However, a tattoo is permanent. Even if you attempt to have it removed, there will always be a scar.
It is important to remember that you are not your own. You -- and your body -- was bought at a price (I Corinthians 6:20). Thus, you don't even "own" your own body. It belongs to God.
If you lived in a rented home or an apartment, would you pay someone to permanently carve a picture into the outer wall? I can't answer the question. However, you would first need to seek approval and permission from the owner.
The Lord is the Owner of your body, your temple. If anything, I would urge that any person who desires a tattoo first seek approval from God in this. If they don't feel that they have gained His approval or permission, then I would recommend against it.
I hope that this doesn't sound "legalistic" in an Old Covenant sense. I certainly would not tell you what to do or not to do. However, there are New Testament precedents regarding the treatment of the physical body.
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"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?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
- I Corinthians 6:19-20
If you had tattoos before you were saved then that's okay, but to go and get one after being saved would be wrong.
In the world right now it is fashionable to get a tattoo but Christians should not be following the lead of the world.
Remember “You Are Not Your Own”
1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
A man prayed about a tattoo
"Lord, I want to run it by you."
Said the Lord, "I don't mind
If you are so inclined
But get something cool if you do."
The context of "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost" is not about tattoos. Read it again.
If we want to be legalistic about that verse, then all Christians should stop drinking sodas, and other artificial drinks, food laced with additives, popsicles with food coloring, birthday cakes, packaged foods, etc, etc. You get the idea.
Every time someone starts a sentence, "Is it ok if I do this or that", it is a big tip off that they think Christianity is a life that comprises following rules and regulations. And those who answer them in kind, believe the same thing. It is also a big tip off that they are looking to men for direction and probably thinking they cannot hear from God on their particular issue. Either that, or they did hear from God but did not like His answer.
We live by His life, not by rules and regulations.
Young kids always ask their Mother and Father, "can I do this" or "can I do that". The goal as far as maturity goes is that when they grow up, they have come to know how to honor their parents, and show them respect. They know how to show their love to them. They are not thinking about themselves and whether they "can do this or that". They understand relationships now and what it takes to nurture them.
Their life no longer revolves around, "Can I do this" or "Can I do that", or "Is it ok if I do this or that"?
excellent observations, just-in.
I like your poem, TMK.
Hello David
Can christians have tattoos on their bodies?
Here is another question brother!
Can a believer cut of their hand if it offends them? Or their foot? Or pluck out their eye?
Here in the UK tattoos go back five thousand years. No doubt tattoos go back a similar period of time in other places as well. My point is that tattoos are not a new thing. In almost every culture in the world it is possible to find some form of body markings which correspond to a deep meaning. Many new nations such as the USA don't have a meaningful understanding of tattoos simply because they have no significant cultural meaning beyond perhaps a measure of individuality. In all other cultures however in the ancient world and even today in Asia, including Malaysia where you live, tattoos have meaning which is connected to death cults and spirits. They are always about being part of something and not essentially about expressing something individually.
Realising that the western cult of individuality lies at the heart of the question however, one would have to say that just as that which goes into your body is passing into the drain, so the body itself is passing away. The real question I would ask myself in your shoes is "why do I want a tattoo?" If you can answer that and it amounts to no more than vanity and individualism then you are yet vain and rebellious. If it has another meaning (and the style and attraction of the tattoo will tell you this) then you may be being led on and ought to flee from it.
http://www.journeymalaysia.com/MCUL_orangulu.htm
If you look at most modern descriptors of tattooing the explanation is almost always one of self adornment and personal beauty. Rather similar to the western perception of tattoos today. However their real meaning lies somewhere else historically and the above article will highlight just what this meant for Malay females traditionally. You will see that the meaning is "tattoos save the soul". If you think that this is exaggerated then I can bear witness to a Hindu man who came to me and a brother one day out of the blue. He was clearly possessed and absolutely desperate to be delivered. He literally begged us to cast out the spirit which was tormenting him. His words were "I have heard that you can cast out demons". In the course of ministering to him we needed to establish a basis for really helping him and so we encouraged him to repent of his sins and so on. Then realising that he had no intention or desire to be free from sin, we drew attention to a tattoo on his lower arm. "What is this we asked?" His reply was "It is the name of the demon who throws me out of bed every night. I wrote his name on my body to placate him". This too is salvation of the soul by tattooing the body. Needless to say it does not work.
One last thing brother. If you pass by a mosque in the next few days take with you some beautiful red, yellow and red paint. Then go to the door of the mosque and paint the name of Jesus on the pillars of the door and make it a beautiful work of art. Then say your prayers and very soon you will be taken by violent men. How much more will the man be taken by unclean spirits who takes the house of God to be nothing?
End Note: The Indigenous Indian Nations of the America's are not new!
I added to my post, TMK.
Hi just-in,
The context of "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost" is not about tattoos. Read it again.
You can't claim that the context cannot apply to ANYTHING dealing with the physical body. Obviously, the passage references sexual sins. However, the precept does not apply SOLELY to sexual sins. It can be applied to anything that affects the body.
If we want to be legalistic about that verse, then all Christians should stop drinking sodas, and other artificial drinks, food laced with additives, popsicles with food coloring, birthday cakes, packaged foods, etc, etc. You get the idea.
Why? Such things that you listed aren't permanently damaging your body as a single trip to the tattoo parlor can do. At the same time, the Lord might very well convict a person's heart to stay away from fatty foods or other items that aren't "good" for your health. If a person is obese or facing diabetes, then they should take care of the physical "temple" that they are entrusted. The key for most people would be "moderation" (e.g., "a little wine" versus drunkenness).
Of course, there is a world of difference between a lasting permanent alteration as well. Instead of talking about a "birthday cake," a better analogy would be opium. Drugs alter your mind (sometimes nearly permanently). You cannot "undo" a tattoo without a scar.
As for the "legalism" argument: I will repeat what I said before. Since the Lord "bought" us, our bodies do not belong to us. We should, therefore, ask God whether or not we should make such a permanent and lasting inscriptions on the body.
Like you said, it is HIS approval that we should seek. It is not about "rule and regulations." However, it is also not about our own desires under some guise of "liberty." The first place that we should run to about something like this is to the Lord.
A good question might be, "What should we do if we don't 'hear' anything?" when it comes to issues like this. If we don't feel the Lord's approval over something like a tattoo, should we take that as "liberty" to get one anyway? Or, given the lasting nature of it, should we refrain from getting one UNTIL we receive the Lord's approval?
Now, we are going off the tracks into strife and debate.
Brother, (the one that asked the question), you need to ask the Lord and obey His voice. Men are relying on others words too much and are forever vacillating because many men have many opinions. The Lord has one opinion for you brother. Don't you want to know what it is? Just go to prayer and ask Him.
Hi just-in,
Now, we are going off the tracks into strife and debate.
I wasn't trying to "go off the tracks" but simply replying to your own response where you said:
The context of "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost" is not about tattoos. Read it again.
I think that we can all agree with your encouragement when you said, "Brother, (the one that asked the question), you need to ask the Lord and obey His voice."
The initial poster, acarrollfan, said that he wanted to engage in a "healthy discussion." He stated that he believes that it is okay to do so. My response was to simply show him an alternate perspective -- from the Scriptures -- that is worth thinking about. At the same time, I made it clear that I didn't take a position on the matter but urged, like you, that a person seeks the Lord for the answer.
I hope that clarifies my response just a bit. It wasn't to be argumentative just as I am sure that you didn't mean to be when you said that the "your body is a temple" passage was somehow taken out of context.
We (SI) had a very heated discussion about this back in 2007ish and I still feel the same. No, I do not believe that you will go to hell to have or get a tattoo on your body. My sons have asked me about tattoo's since they've been 15 and my advice was if they could remind me in a year that they still loved that certain tattoo, I'd sign for them to get it and they never did - forgot the design every time!! Now they are both over 21 and only the youngest does have a tattoo, a very smart looking cool one that he actually did put a lot of thought into.
murrcolr wrote:
If you had tattoos before you were saved then that's okay, but to go and get one after being saved would be wrong.
But I agree with just-in and TMK that ink is ink and it is what it is.
God bless you all!!
Lisa
Quote: I don't mean to pick on you or your argument (b/c I've always liked you) but I have to say that I've heard the same argument used about divorce. "If you get a divorce b4 you are saved, it's ok." If it's a sin, it's a sin - to me there is no time constraints on sin.
Ha ha praise God at least theres one on SI... but Lysa feel free to picked up on me steel sharpens steel.
Before you came to Christ you didn't know the truth, but now you have came to Christ and are supposed to walk in the light knowing that your are not your own you have been bought with a price.
So my argument well it's not a argument really is that the brother who has a tattoo before getting saved is under grace, he cannot be condemn as he has been forgiven of his sins, but now he is saved and is under grace that does not give him licence to go and get additional tattoos.
Does that make any sense...
murrcolr wrote:
"but now he is saved and is under grace that does not give him license to go and get additional tattoos."
True-- if getting a tattoo in and of itself is a sin. That is the burning question, and one that no one here can state with any certainty.
Sure, getting a tattoo that is sexually explicit or with vile language would be a sin, but what if it is a scripture reference? Or some other sin-neutral image or word? Popeye had an anchor on his forearm. Not sure what's sinful about an anchor.
Question for everyone, what causes someone to desire a tattoo ?
excellent thoughts, murrcolr!
Quote: True-- if getting a tattoo in and of itself is a sin.
Quote: Sure, getting a tattoo that is sexually explicit or with vile language would be a sin, but what if it is a scripture reference? Or some other sin-neutral image or word? Popeye had an anchor on his forearm. Not sure what's sinful about an anchor.
Well thats something you need to settle with God, I am speaking out of the my conviction.
But I wouldn't be looking to popeye for inspiration.... lol
murrcolr wrote:
Before you came to Christ you didn't know the truth, but now you have came to Christ and are supposed to walk in the light knowing that your are not your own you have been bought with a price.
murrcolr wrote:
So my argument well it's not a argument really is that the brother who has a tattoo before getting saved is under grace, he cannot be condemn as he has been forgiven of his sins, but now he is saved and is under grace that does not give him licence to go and get additional tattoos.
God bless you!!
Lisa
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