Faith-based tattoo: as a result of one, did you ever talk with someone? (Poll included)

[CadyandZoe]

@CadyandZoe FYI....did you see/vote in the poll, above?

No. I always associate tattoos with sailors or longshoremen, who hang out in bars, drink into the night, and get in fights. I also associate tattoos with those who are from the lower class, uneducated, unsophisticated, and lacking good judgment. I never imagined that a Christian might get a tattoo, on purpose, in order to witness.

Don't get me wrong. Although I have grown up making these associations, I never treat anyone according to my preconceptions. I always look past the tattoo(s) giving such a person the full love and attention they deserve. But I must say, to be honest, if I had a daughter I would strongly caution her against dating a man with a tat. Just sayin'

 

[Debp]

Hi @Debp , would you consider voting in the above poll I started?

I don't have a tattoo. I never meet anyone with a faith tattoo.

 

[farouk]

No. I always associate tattoos with sailors or longshoremen, who hang out in bars, drink into the night, and get in fights. I also associate tattoos with those who are from the lower class, uneducated, unsophisticated, and lacking good judgment. I never imagined that a Christian might get a tattoo, on purpose, in order to witness.

Don't get me wrong. Although I have grown up making these associations, I never treat anyone according to my preconceptions. I always look past the tattoo(s) giving such a person the full love and attention they deserve. But I must say, to be honest, if I had a daughter I would strongly caution her against dating a man with a tat. Just sayin'

@CadyandZoe Thanks for your comment!

Actually some ppl do think tattoos can be classy... (c.c. @soul man )

Some Christians get faith based ones; Bible verses/ref.s, etc. My wife and I talked to a young lady with the whole of John 3.16 tattooed on her wrist area; it was her favorite Bible verse and mine also and I'm sure other conversations have arisen as a result of her willingness to get inked up.

 

[farouk]

I don't have a tattoo. I never meet anyone with a faith tattoo.

@Debp Thanks for your comment! (see also previous post...)

 

[farouk]

@TLHKAJ FYI...did you see /vote in the poll, above?

 

[Ferris Bueller]

I don't have any tattoos.
And I don't do any witnessing.

 

[farouk]

@TLHKAJ @ @Ferris Bueller Thanks for your poll votes, guys!

 

[TLHKAJ]

You're welcome.
Btw, I'm not a fan of tattoos. I don't judge people who get them ...but I think it detracts from the natural beauty God created. Different people get tattoos for different reasons. I have a (female) loved one who got a dove and a fav verse tattooed on her arm. Most of the time, her shirt covers it and most never even realize it's there.

 

[farouk]

You're welcome.
Btw, I'm not a fan of tattoos. I don't judge people who get them ...but I think it detracts from the natural beauty God created. Different people get tattoos for different reasons. I have a (female) loved one who got a dove and a fav verse tattooed on her arm. Most of the time, her shirt covers it and most never even realize it's there.

@TLHKAJ Thanks for your post!

I guess it's just that so many Christians do seem to feel having it done does feel good, and it can also be faith based in design (like with your family member...), often proving to be a conversation-starter.

These are earlier comments which ppl made, anyway: FYI:

One of the churches I go to has three quite elderly women, all widows, who recently went out and got themselves tattoos.

almost every young girl I know has some sort of tatoo.
Even those very conservative types

Probably 75% of the congregation have tattoos, including myself and the Pastor

So were you surprised at first that your female family member had hers done in a Bible verse?

 

[TLHKAJ]

So were you surprised at first that your female family member had hers done in a Bible verse?

I was more surprised that she got one...not that it was an expression of her faith. She is a conservative Christian. She said she was going through a spiritual battle and the tattoo was a visual reminder for herself of God's truth.
If it were me, I'd probably have gotten a necklace or ring...not a tattoo. But again, that wasn't for me to choose and I didn't condemn her for getting a tattoo.

 

[farouk]

I was more surprised that she got one...not that it was an expression of her faith. She is a conservative Christian. She said she was going through a spiritual battle and the tattoo was a visual reminder for herself of God's truth.
If it were me, I'd probably have gotten a necklace or ring...not a tattoo. But again, that wasn't for me to choose and I didn't condemn her for getting a tattoo.

@TLHKAJ Yes, in contrast with years ago when it was something that mainly sailors and bikes tended to do (and male sailors and bikers at that), now it's conservative people who so often feel a strong motivation to do it; some demographics are particularly heavily represented, FYI:

My wife has talked about this possibility, but she has said she'd have a hard time deciding what to put permanently on her body. She has been urged by other military spouses to get one.

christianforums dot com

I would be hard-pressed to come up with more than a handful of names of my friends who DON'T have at least one tattoo--and we are all suburban homeschooling moms, ages ranging from early-30s to mid-50s, living in conservative North Texas.

forums dot thewelltrainedmind dot com

(Also I saw quotes from the Bible Belt and about nurses which show just how extremely widespread it is now.)

I wonder, did your family member anticipate your surprise? (because she, identifying as a conservative Christian, would kind of fit exactly one of the demographics that tend to do it).

 

[TLHKAJ]

I wonder, did your family member anticipate your surprise? (because she, identifying as a conservative Christian, would kind of fit exactly one of the demographics that tend to do it).

She did anticipate my.surprise, but she also knows that she can discuss anything with me. We have a great track record regarding that.

 

[farouk]

Thanks to all who voted so far in the poll!

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

 

[farouk]

She did anticipate my.surprise, but she also knows that she can discuss anything with me. We have a great track record regarding that.

@TLHKAJ This is the quote I referred to from the Bible Belt, FYI:

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

Sounds like you guys have a very open relationship! Seems like she kind of knew beforehand that you at first might not have internalized her strong reasons for her as Christian woman wanting to become injected with the Bible verse design, but maybe she succeeded to explain herself rather well subsequently because she knew you were a good listener, right?

 

[TLHKAJ]

Sounds like you guys have a very open relationship! Seems like she kind of knew beforehand that you at first might not have internalized her strong reasons for her as Christian woman wanting to become injected with the Bible verse design, but maybe she succeeded to explain herself rather well subsequently because she knew you were a good listener, right?

Yes, that is right. She didn't owe me an explanation, although I was glad to listen. I was more interested in her relating the struggle she had gone through that led to her decision to get the tattoo. The Lord brought her through it, and she got the tattoo as a reminder. My choice would have been different. But again, it's between her and the Lord and I don't see her any differently or less of a Christian.

 

[farouk]

Yes, that is right. She didn't owe me an explanation, although I was glad to listen. I was more interested in her relating the struggle she had gone through that led to her decision to get the tattoo. The Lord brought her through it, and she got the tattoo as a reminder. My choice would have been different. But again, it's between her and the Lord and I don't see her any differently or less of a Christian.

@TLHKAJ Nurses, too, are a highly represented demographic that do it now; and they so often use it as an ice breaker with patients and their families (similarly to Christians getting it as a tool as a proven conversation-starter in witness), FYI:

On my shift, only three don't have them (of 13 nurses). We have several nurses (including myself) who have visible tattoos; one gal has them on her wrists. ..
...I've had a few wives tell me of their husbands' tattoos after seeing mine. It's such a sweet, intimate, bonding moment, and I feel so privileged

source: allnurses dot com

It used to cause a bit of residual surprise if a family member did it and maybe it still does in some families but in so many families when 18 year olds have it done on reaching adulthood, it's not surprising if mom (and even gramma) has already had it done; this is probably why so many Christians now, instead of fighting it, embrace it instead and use it (if any of this makes sense?)

 

[farouk]

she also knows that she can discuss anything with me.

PS: @TLHKAJ Sounds like she knows you are open to new ideas, anyway, at least to discuss. She would rather fully have known already that, although it used to be almost wholly a man thing to be a tattoo parlor client, it certainly isn't now.

 

[farouk]

She didn't owe me an explanation, although I was glad to listen.

@TLHKAJ If the truth is known, she probably didn't give you a really full explanation, in that although she probably explained her rationale rather fully, she may not have fully told you just how good it also felt to become injected, as an inking experience. (If I'm not mistaken? )

 

[TLHKAJ]

@TLHKAJ If the truth is known, she probably didn't give you a really full explanation, in that although she probably explained her rationale rather fully, she may not have fully told you just how good it also felt to become injected, as an inking experience. (If I'm not mistaken? )

Does it really feel good? I've heard people say it was painful, but never heard anyone say it feels good. lol
My dad had several tattoos... he was an artist and did his own. But he didn't get them as a believer. He didn't accept Christ until 3 months before his passing.

 

[farouk]

Does it really feel good? I've heard people say it was painful, but never heard anyone say it feels good. lol
My dad had several tattoos... he was an artist and did his own. But he didn't get them as a believer. He didn't accept Christ until 3 months before his passing.

@TLHKAJ Another way of stating it would be that a lot of ppl would say that the brief pain is really worth it.

So your dad had them. Seems like he had artistic flair; so did you inherit any of his artistic flair?

I was going to ask, Did your mom have tattoos also? which these days would be a very fair question to ask, because now in North America apparently 59%-70% or more of parlor clients are women, according to the industry statistics; although years ago it wasn't nearly as widespread for women to have it done confidently, it certainly is now.