Poll: Best age for first tattoo?

[farouk]

I'm sorry I disagree. I believe as Christians we should be tolerant of people who do not believe as we do. We aren't supposed to judge but we are supposed to love our neighbours as ourselves. As a Christian I have high standards for myself but I can't expect unbelievers to have those same standards and so I must, like Jesus did, meet them where they're at right now, and in whatever circumstances they happen to be living. Just as Jesus would have done. He didn't expect people to clean up their act before he would have anything to do with them. It's that sort of attitude that is so wrong in today's church.

Indeed, a lot of Christians get faith based designs done.

Around here (Bible Belt), it is common, especially among evangelical Christians, for the girls under about 40 to have religious tattoos. More do than don't, especially when you get to the under 30 crowd. I hardly know any female at church that is under 30 that does not have a tattoo.

forums dot thewelltrainedmind dot com

 

[farouk]

Thanks to all who voted so far in the poll!

If you have not yet voted in the poll, please vote now!

 

[Lady Crosstalk]

I'm sorry I disagree. I believe as Christians we should be tolerant of people who do not believe as we do. We aren't supposed to judge but we are supposed to love our neighbours as ourselves. As a Christian I have high standards for myself but I can't expect unbelievers to have those same standards and so I must, like Jesus did, meet them where they're at right now, and in whatever circumstances they happen to be living. Just as Jesus would have done. He didn't expect people to clean up their act before he would have anything to do with them. It's that sort of attitude that is so wrong in today's church.

Jesus was and is the sinless Son of God. He would not have fallen. Not so the Church which must zealously guard "her" purity (see 1 Corinthians 10:12). We are schooled many times on that subject in the New Testament. Not only are we to guard the purity of the gospel but we are also to guard purity of behavior inside the Church. We are not supposed to judge the behavior of those outside the Church--they have God as their judge. But caring for those within the churches sometimes means rebuking open sin to keep the sin from spreading inside the church.

In contrast to what you have said, I would say that we don't do enough squashing of open sin and false teaching in the Church. The Bible tells us to make a public example of a church leader who repeatedly violates the standards of selection for leadership. The fact that we don't do it often enough is the reason why mega church pastors often hold the Church up to ridicule by unbelievers, because of their outrageous behavior.

 

[farouk]

Jesus was and is the sinless Son of God. He would not have fallen. Not so the Church which must zealously guard "her" purity (see 1 Corinthians 10:12). We are schooled many times on that subject in the New Testament. Not only are we to guard the purity of the gospel but we are also to guard purity of behavior inside the Church. We are not supposed to judge the behavior of those outside the Church--they have God as their judge. But caring for those within the churches sometimes means rebuking open sin to keep the sin from spreading inside the church.

In contrast to what you have said, I would say that we don't do enough squashing of open sin and false teaching in the Church. The Bible tells us to make a public example of a church leader who repeatedly violates the standards of selection for leadership. The fact that we don't do it often enough is the reason why mega church pastors often hold the Church up to ridicule by unbelievers, because of their outrageous behavior.

I would agree with what you say. John's First Epistle says a lot about walking in the light, and cleansing.

But on topic, a lot of Christians do have faith based tattoos, of course, which are effective as conversation-starting witness tools.

 

[Pearl]

Jesus was and is the sinless Son of God. He would not have fallen. Not so the Church which must zealously guard "her" purity (see 1 Corinthians 10:12). We are schooled many times on that subject in the New Testament. Not only are we to guard the purity of the gospel but we are also to guard purity of behavior inside the Church. We are not supposed to judge the behavior of those outside the Church--they have God as their judge. But caring for those within the churches sometimes means rebuking open sin to keep the sin from spreading inside the church.

In contrast to what you have said, I would say that we don't do enough squashing of open sin and false teaching in the Church. The Bible tells us to make a public example of a church leader who repeatedly violates the standards of selection for leadership. The fact that we don't do it often enough is the reason why mega church pastors often hold the Church up to ridicule by unbelievers, because of their outrageous behavior.

My comments weren't meant to be about those in the Church who are presumably Christian but about being approachable and non-judgemental to those who are not. If they think that we Christians will think badly of them and judge them harshly what incentive have they got to be like us. Jesus was open to receive sinners into his presence and so should we be. Our churches should be a place where sinners are welcome. And we should be unshockable in dealing with them. If we are not then we are failing.

 

[farouk]

My comments weren't meant to be about those in the Church who are presumably Christian but about being approachable and non-judgemental to those who are not. If they think that we Christians will think badly of them and judge them harshly what incentive have they got to be like us. Jesus was open to receive sinners into his presence and so should we be. Our churches should be a place where sinners are welcome. And we should be unshockable in dealing with them. If we are not then we are failing.

Yes, I would agree with this as well.

 

[farouk]

@Pearl PS: I think this was first in the context of your son, about whom you said:

I've got used to them. I don't even notice them anymore. It's just part of him.

 

[GodsGrace]

GodGrace:

Yes, now at 18 both young men and young women do it, and their parents virtually anticipate that they will do it also (for young women as well, parents would now tend to recognize it as a womanly coming of age thing).

One big spin-off from this is the huge potential for faith based designs.

I think we spoke about this some months ago.
I told you about a man I know that had a big face image of Jesus tattooed on his upper arm. It's beautiful.

But I still wouldn't do this.
Plus, don't you think things are getting a little out of hand?

 

[farouk]

I think we spoke about this some months ago.
I told you about a man I know that had a big face image of Jesus tattooed on his upper arm. It's beautiful.

But I still wouldn't do this.
Plus, don't you think things are getting a little out of hand?

Oh I'm sure some is over the top, yes.

Fact is, though, ink at 18 seems to have become a coming of age thing that a lot of parents don't even balk at now; and so of course for young Christians there is so much scope for faith based designs.

 

[GodsGrace]

Oh I'm sure some is over the top, yes.

Fact is, though, ink at 18 seems to have become a coming of age thing that a lot of parents don't even balk at now; and so of course for young Christians there is so much scope for faith based designs.

Yes. This is how humans are.

Do you know the story about the frog?

So there was this frog. Somebody placed it in cold water in a pot, over a flame.
It felt fine.
The water started to get a little warm, but it felt very soothing.
After a while the water was starting to feel too hot and the frog realized
what was going on.
But it was too late to do anything about it.

 

[farouk]

Yes. This is how humans are.

Do you know the story about the frog?

So there was this frog. Somebody placed it in cold water in a pot, over a flame.
It felt fine.
The water started to get a little warm, but it felt very soothing.
After a while the water was starting to feel too hot and the frog realized
what was going on.
But it was too late to do anything about it.

So to apply the example, would you say that it's better to have no tattoos at all? or if they are gotten, it should be done sensibly and moderately? (and also bearing in mind the scope for tasteful faith based ones).

 

[GodsGrace]

So to apply the example, would you say that it's better to have no tattoos at all? or if they are gotten, it should be done sensibly and moderately? (and also bearing in mind the scope for tasteful faith based ones).

Neither F...
what I meant by the story is that we're introduced to ideas a little bit at a time and before you know it, they're accepted and, even with bad ideas, it's always too late to go back once everyone has accepted.

For instance, here in Italy we're been having a lot of Muslims migrate here.
Well, guess what, when they have a funeral the crosses in the cemetary have to be covered, crosses in schools have been taken down. In the last vote, crosses in the voting rooms (mostly in schools) had to be covered.

This happened a little bit at a time. Mostly in big cities...not by me.
Here we had a Muslim family complain that Jesus was being mentioned in a Christmas play a few years ago. At first the principle changed the wording in the play....then he changed his mind and left them in.

But basically, yeah, a little at a time things change.

 

[Pearl]

@Pearl PS: I think this was first in the context of your son, about whom you said:

Absolutely farouk, it's his life, his choice. And I love him. And I pray for him. No matter what. It's called unconditional love. Which is what Jesus has for us.

 

[Pearl]

a man I know that had a big face image of Jesus tattooed on his upper arm

It is an imagined image as we don't know what Jesus looked like. If you Google images of Jesus many of them will be of Robert Powell the actor who played him in the TV mini series 'Jesus of Nazareth'.

 

[farouk]

Absolutely farouk, it's his life, his choice. And I love him. And I pray for him. No matter what. It's called unconditional love. Which is what Jesus has for us.

It's what young men and women do these days, in any case; so it's something that ought not to be unexpected (and of course you duly got accustomed to it).

 

[GodsGrace]

It is an imagined image as we don't know what Jesus looked like. If you Google images of Jesus many of them will be of Robert Powell the actor who played him in the TV mini series 'Jesus of Nazareth'.

Right.
Light hair.
Blue eyes.
Sounds like Jesus alright!!
LOL

Funny you should bring this up.
I never thought much about the Shroud of Turin.
I watched something on YouTube a few days ago,
and I think I'm beginning to believe it might be real.
I'll send you the link but only if you want it...

 

[farouk]

I still wouldn't do this.

It's very much an individual thing, isn't it?

 

[Pearl]

Right.
Light hair.
Blue eyes.
Sounds like Jesus alright!!
LOL

Funny you should bring this up.
I never thought much about the Shroud of Turin.
I watched something on YouTube a few days ago,
and I think I'm beginning to believe it might be real.
I'll send you the link but only if you want it...

Jesus was a Jew, probably dark skinned, dark eyed and dark haired.

I had a book about the shroud of Turin which I found fascinating but I watched a TV programme a few years ago which showed how it could have been made. More or less proved it to be false. But it made me think.

 

[farouk]

@Pearl Thanks for the 'like'; evidently, like a lot of young men and women, it was the way your son as a new adult chose to express himself.

 

[GodsGrace]

Jesus was a Jew, probably dark skinned, dark eyed and dark haired.

I had a book about the shroud of Turin which I found fascinating but I watched a TV programme a few years ago which showed how it could have been made. More or less proved it to be false. But it made me think.

Can't be a fake.
Watch this if you care to...