photo by J Jackson Photography
Is it OK for a Christian to have a tattoo? I’m sure not everyone will agree with me on what you are about to read. I’m OK with that. I have my opinion. You have yours. And I respect that. For real. On with the story.
As my daughters have grown older, they have asked me what I thought about them getting a tattoo. I posted the question on facebook and the comments blew up. Everyone has an opinion on tattoos. Many have been asking for mine, So, here goes.
Is it OK for a Christian to have a tattoo?
I think it depends. Hang tight and I will explain.
Many people throw out Leviticus 19:28 as a scripture against tattooing. It states Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD. Seems pretty clear cut. But a deeper look may challenge our understanding. The verse just before this states, Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard (Lev 19:27). Following this reasoning, if we are to live by these instructions today, we should not have tattoos and should have long hair at the side of our head (accompanied by a scraggly beard).
If we look at the context, the surrounding verses are instructing people not to be involved in pagan worship (cutting their bodies for the dead, etc). Because of the context, I do not believe that this scripture forbids tattoos for art. (If you are getting a tattoo to promote some form of mystical or demonic worship or cutting yourself as a form of worship, that is a different story.) I believe a tattoo is not a salvation issue, it is an area of freedom. So you are thinking, “Awesome, time to pick out my new tat and get inked.” Not so fast.
So, can I get a tat or not?
If you live at home and your parents say no, the answer is no. End of conversation. Their house, their rules. Period. If they are helping to finance your life (paying for college, helping with rent, etc), you should honor their wishes. You are still under their authority (and help).
If you are thinking of a tattoo (and I am not encouraging), here are some thoughts. (Many of these were offered up by my facebook friends).
1. Pray about it. Seriously. Ask God what he thinks.
2. Ask yourself, “Why do I want a tattoo?” Be honest. If it is so that you can be cool, let it go. You will be no more cool with or without.
3. Think long and hard about the decision. A choice made when you are out at 2AM with your friends is a bad decision. Many of my friends with tats now wish they would not have rushed into the decision.
4. Make sure it can be hidden. Say what you want, but some places will not hire you if you are inked. Fair or not, it is a fact of life. Plus there are times and events when you will not want it shown.
5. Make it tasteful. I had a friend in college that had an extremely vulgar tattoo from his younger days. He still carries it with him to this day. Try explaining that to your kids. Bad idea.
6. What are you trying to say with your tattoo? Again, why do you really want it?
OK. OK. I know some of you think that I am just making excuses so that I can justify the tattoo I have.
[insert long dramatic pause while processing mixed emotions]
Oh, you didn’t know I have one?
Maybe I do.
Or maybe I don’t.
What are your thoughts? Post in the comments below.
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Lisa Davies
23 Sep 2014I believe that if we get tattoos before we were saved, then that person should not be judged, once they become a Christian, for having them. Once we are saved, we must look at our bodies in a different way, and have more respect for it. It is God\’s masterpiece. Would you walk into an art gallery or museum and mark up a priceless painting of the Mona Lisa, or scratch up one of the beautiful sculptures with some kind of graffiti? No, because everyone knows it is unacceptable and would take away from the beauty of it. It is what it is on it\’s own, and adding anything else to it, takes away or ruins the looks of it. When I look at the human body, I see such wonderful beauty that God created, that when I see it marked up, I look at it much the same way as a piece of art that has been vandalized. It looks so much better the way it was before. We didn\’t need to add anything to it, or it takes away from God\’s masterpiece, which looked wonderful the way it was.
Now when I look at people, I must accept them through the eyes of God. I have to overlook a lot that they have done to themselves, and see beyond the surface, and find the heart of them inside, which is the most important thing to see, and not judge them for their appearance, but love them unconditionally. That does not mean I approve of what they have done to themselves, and wish they had left well enough alone, but that I accept what I cannot control. All things in this world seem in one way or another to end up tainted. Our bodies grow old, and if we have Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, thank God, we get new ones when we reach Heaven, but I think as Christians, we should do our best to take care of what we have while we are still down here. When I look at someone\’s body, I just really like to enjoy the beauty of the way it is, without any markings to mess it up, but I just don\’t tell anyone I am around that I feel that way if they have tattoos, so I don\’t offend them. It is more important to love and accept them. One of my best friends had a tattoo that he never knew I did not approve of, because I loved him too much to tell him. I just told him they did a good job on it, which they did. It looked better than most, because it wasn\’t that awful green, but was nice and colorful. It was the sun with a face inside. He has since passed on, and I\’m sure he is in Heaven with a new body that looks whatever way God desires for it to look. I wonder if God will allow us to change our appearance at will, once we get up there? Will he mind? Or will it even matter then? That is how I feel about tattoos. Don\’t get them, but just love people and keep your mouth shut if they have them, unless they ask your opinion.
iJeremyMorris
25 Sep 2014So you don\’t wear makeup either, so as to not draw on God\’s masterpiece? Where do we draw the line? Are clothes covering up God\’s masterpieces? He wanted us naked, clothed in glory before sin. The Bible says not to fear him who can kill the body, but Him who can throw us in hell (paraphrase ). Saying \”no tattoos \” is very legalistic. Religion is what steers the lost away from Christ. When we die, we will get new bodies. We are all working out our own salvation. Our advice should simply be to encourage others to say yes to Jesus, and to work out in their own hearts whether to get a tattoo or not. My opinions, in Christ.
Dana
23 Sep 2014You hate needles!
Christi Reinig
23 Sep 2014I agree with you completely.
I personally did not get a tattoo until I was probably in my 30\’s and each one I have means something to me or is a testament to my faith. 🙂
joe
23 Sep 2014good one Scott also in the Old Testament it talks about people decorating the temple which also says your body is the temple of the Lord and people in the Old Testament chose to decorate their temple I\’m sure they didn\’t let it just be four white concrete walls with nothing on them so if my body is the temple I choose to decorate it
Barbara Perkins
23 Sep 20141 Corinthians 6:19
I guess if people feel they are honoring God by having tattoos, then that is between them and God. I choose not to. I feel if God wanted me to have pictures on my body, he would have put them there.
I also quit coloring my hair because I believe God doesn\’t make mistakes and if he wants my hair to be grey, then who am I to question Him? That didn\’t make my hairdresser very happy, but she is a Christian and understood. 🙂
Whatever we decide, we just must remember to HONOR GOD with our bodies!
Marsha Duregger
23 Sep 2014I have always been against tattoo based on that scripture but you make a very good point. I would like to add this, though. Clothing styles, art designs and jewelry styles change constantly. Tattoos are permanent jewelry/art on your body that you can never change.
Anne Wood
23 Sep 2014Tattoos are neither here nor there; it\’s the heart that matters. This outward body is just temporary; deciding (and I mean judging) whether tattoos are biblical or not is just a distraction. \’Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit in me.\’ Always be kind, don\’t judge by appearances.
Josh Boyd
24 Sep 2014I can\’t believe this is still such and issue for so many people!
Josh Boyd
24 Sep 2014\”an\” not \”and\”… sorry;)
S_Web
24 Sep 2014I waited until I was almost 40 before I got my first one. My son and I were struggling with many big issues at the time (he was only in 6th grade but was very conflicted and in extreme emotional turmoil and trying to hurt himself) From the day he was born I just knew I was sent an Angel directly from Heaven and still feel that way (he is now 18!). I felt like I was failing him as a Mother and Protector, a guardian (\’angel\’), if you will. Because of this I decided I would get a sleeve tattoo of a sad defeated uni-sex angel…representing both of us. Basically sad for him and defeated for me failing to be the parent he deserved. I took 2yrs to find the \’right\’ artist and the symbolism I wanted represented.
Religiously…I believe there is a lot of things that are a part of ones personal beliefs. Interpretation and Context being the biggest, most obvious factors. But at the end of the day, let\’s face it, most of us come across \’Bumps in the Road\’, tests of faith…Hence Jesus! We are NOT perfect even when we give it all we\’ve got. I do NOT believe I will be condemned in anyway (other than here in society) because what I wear permanently on \’my\’ body is what is in my head and my heart. I stayed true to me. My ink doesn\’t negatively influence others (not offensive and doesn\’t go against anything, I\’ve interpreted at least, in the Bible.) The most important belief I personally have is… The Lord KNOWS! Knows what is already inside us…in our heads and our hearts. THAT is what I believe to be the biggest factor on which we are/will be judged. Sometimes I think people forget the big picture of why Jesus Died For Us…no matter how hard ANYONE can try, we are imperfect sinners. But, of course, a good Christian TRIES anyway
S_Web
24 Sep 2014—cont\’d—
Sorry, I digress…
And so I got tattooed and lived with it for a couple of years. We went thru a LOT in that time and things started to look to be turning around. I no longer wanted the constant sad reminder because I wanted to try to be mentally, spiritually, outwardly more \”positive\”. So about a year after that decision it finally HIT me what to do! …Replace it! Yet not erase it. I could\’ve gotten laser removal and my new ink would be brighter and show up prettier but that wasn\’t what I felt was right for me. No, I needed to COVER IT, leaving it there beneath all the new layers off colorful symbolism I knew was \’ME\’… So I thought for a good long bit before deciding. And one day it just came to me!…What better symbolism to put,literally, on top of my sad defeated angel than something that stood for a new beginning…a Phoenix being \’renewed\’ from the ashes and flames he\’d just emerged! To me, this is symbolically PERFECT for where my life\’s path has taken me. (and I know that the Lord knows this because it IS me)
My sad, defeated angel is still there under the re\’birth\’/renewal, a new beginning, new hope. It\’s still under there because it will always be apart of who I was, what we were going thru. That period in life will never be erased but I\’ve put it behind me and so has my son. We have moved on to new beginnings but that black & gray angel will always be a part of us and has been replaced with this pretty (very) colorful new Phoenix!
I STRONGLY believe that young people should NOT get inked. I honestly wish they would NOT WANT TO get \’tatted\’. At that stage in life one is just figuring out \’who\’ they are and will probably make a hasty decision and go with the current Fad. I know if I had gotten one back then…my tastes and styles have changed many times. Not to mention \”I\” have changed as well. Whatever and wherever it would be, I can almost certainly say I would have had it removed years ago, probably would\’ve been embarrassed by it…definitely NOT feeling \’Cool\’ by having it!
I wear mine \’loud -n- proud\’ for what it means to me. It\’s my Life Badge in a way…kinda like the badges kids earn in Scouts.
I\’ve earned it through living in MY Shoes.
P.S. After deciding on the Phoenix, I took another 1 1/2 yrs to find \’The Perfect\’ Artist to do it. 😉
•~~\”Do NOT Judge Those Who Sin Differently Than You\”~~•
Mike Cunningham
24 Sep 2014I agree with Lisa. The human body is God\’s work of art. Seeing a previous wife marked with dots for receiving radiation therapy before she went home to the Lord with breast cancer was a different story. She didn\’t want them and my heart broke to see them. Can\’t imagine why someone would make other marks on themselves intentionally.
Chris Rogers
16 Oct 2014Is it ok to wear jeans or shorts to church? Is it ok to play contemporary music in church? Shouldn\’t pastors read out of the King James Bible only? My thoughts- I don\’t ever want someone to walk into church and feel that they don\’t belong. If they have tattoos, don\’t have dress clothes, or don\’t understand old English, will they stay long enough to know Jesus? Will they be welcomed, or feel the stares? I hope I\’m not guilty, but it has taken some Spirit work on me.