Poll: Tattoo art - Christian perspectives: Fight it? Ignore it? appreciate/embrace it?

[farouk]

With the closure of the other poll on tattoos and with the continuing willingness of many posters to opine via poll votes and comments, it occurs that defining Christian perspectives on tattoo art might be of interest:

Can one really speak of a Christian perspective (singular) of tattoo art or of various Christian perspectives, (plural)?

The poll question is partly prompted by various - varying - comments made:

I have no problems with others choices to get a tattoo....I really like some of them. .. it is becoming a norm with health professionals...It is becoming a tool people are using to let others identify their faith. ..I do like the idea of Christian based tattoos

Personally I don’t like tattoos. I have one. I got it before I was called to believe. .. nothing to be proud of .

I think when I was a young Christian, a scripture or Christian art Tattoo would have helped me stake a claim as a Christian and made people aware early on. It would have helped sort out friends from the start. So I regret not having that as an option during that time. .. If I found myself in a similar situation to when I was young, I'd probably have a tattoo.

I have a forty yr old tatt-they look ridiculous on wrinkly old skin )

I have never regretted my tattoo..I love the tattoo..the tattoo was not liberating-the tattoo represented the liberation and freedom that the Lord had brought me through.The tattoo in of itself was merely the means of expression and the reminder. ..there was thought, study, prayer and discernment involved-and I have always had complete peace about it. ..It’s on the inner part of my wrist and is not instantly visible, however it is a daily reminder of what the Lord has brought me through..

It’s coloured purple to remind me that I am a daughter of the king..when the whole issue of a tattoo came up , I approached that in context. I spoke to other Christians, my pastor, I prayed and reflected on it for quite a few months..I did look through scripture and reflect on it before I got one-and it was also something I had to deal with as my sons reached 18 and got tattoos. ..With my son's it had nothing to do with my feelings as a Christian, it was more a reality check that they were making decisions that I had little control over.With me it was more an inspiration

I felt good about it. ..I was 50 when I had mine done, and two of my sons had various tattoos long before me.. their mum, at the age of 50, ..getting a tattoo - they thought it was ' cool '..I made the decision with a mature head on my shoulders.

..shortly after getting my tattoo done .. the dentist ask me about it - it opened up a conversation that would not have come about at all..I honestly felt OK about getting the tattoo in the first place.( I had weighed everything up , talked to my pastor, reflected on scripture ) The conversation surprised me, and it did serve as an encouragment at the time. I have had quite a few conversations at work when people notice it.

almost every young girl I know has some sort of tatoo.
Even those very conservative types. .. I was at the beach area the other day, and girls are full of tattoos. I never notices so many before...now ..they have quite a few

Heavenhome said:

My dear Dad had two tattoos but that was from his navy days.
I have noticed however that lots of young girls have them and what is really noticeable is a huge amount are women say around their sixties .
christianforums

Angelina said: ↑

I'm not sure how I personally feel about tats. I have a couple of pre-believer tats but since becoming a believer, I have not had the inclination to add more....even those that may give God the glory. .. I am not really interested in changing my tats to depict something more palatable as a believer. When people ask, I tell them my story and then tell them my new story as a believer. This also is a good talking point. .. I have no opinion on others getting or changing tats as a witness for Christ.

MetalMike said: ↑

My oldest daughter has multiple tattoos. My wife has a butterfly on the top of her foot...They had their tattoos for a few years before I got mine. I wasn't that interested in one at the time, and I wanted to do one that was meaningful and not one I would regret later...I got a tattoo back in '08. It's a cross on my forearm with a banner

I am not one of those Christians who have a problem with tattoos.. and if I was younger... I might even get a little one that says... IT IS FINISHED.

↑
One of the churches I go to has three quite elderly women, all widows, who recently went out and got themselves tattoos. .. There was no doubt they were all first tattoos. All three of them went out and got them together.

once upon a time I was legalistic with tatoo's, piercing etc..... not anymore ... I do not condemn others who think differently since it has nothing to do with ones salvation.

My son had 7 or 8 tattoos before I even thought about it. ... Those who get scripture must be overjoyed. The money and pain are outweighed by the message they witness to... No more ink for me. ... I do think they are fine for whoever wants one. It's just not something I would do again. .. peer pressure played a big part in mine. At 46 mind you. Hopefully those who get them do it for themselves.

I got my first and only tattoo when I was 25. I was told it was addictive, but for me it was not. .. I don't regret it.. But it isn't an accurate representation of me today. .. Probably 75% of the congregation have tattoos, including myself and the Pastor ..
I have a tattoo, I am not ashamed of it, but it has no bearing on my salvation. ..I also agree that it makes a statement of freedom in Christ. .. We got a lot of folks inked in our Church. Myself, the Pastor, his daughter and grand daughter included. Now, even my wife

Tattoos are unlady-like. That is why I would never have one.

I do know a lady at my church who is a believer who got a tattoo recently. .. She said that it commemorated victory over some kind of mental health issue.

I have debated about getting a cross tattoo of some sort of 1689 tattoo that isn't too gaudy. ..She [wife] actually has three tattoos. I have two, so she has more than me. .. Actually, last year she got two tats the same day. One is ‘faith’ and ‘believe’.

tattooed...I just have eyebrows, so at least I know how it feels. I like it, not painful to me.

I'm too old to get any with my skin, but I do love to watch Ink Master

Our daughter’s tattoos do not bother me...I only don’t encourage or overreact over her tattoos in they could cover her. As in where is the end...which would be the only reason I have for not urging her into being a tattoo artist; realizing she may be coming home with a new one everyday. But yeah, I would still support her

my girls love the ink - ..they were young when they started, especially my youngest. .. My oldest has a new really good artist, she wants us to get matching tats .. Tattooing in our day is big, if you need or want a tattoo, that is what you should have written in the biggest boldest lettering you can get. Stare at it daily, study it daily, it never gets old. It is the only message you need that flows from scripture in full depth of understanding for anyone that will pick it up and want to know something about it.

My daughter wanted to .. be a tattoo artist several years ago and (I) sadly discouraged her. I’ve considered speaking with her about this, I believe person can hold a ministry in any occupation, if I do it to the glory of God

I do believe that it's excellent for a Christian to get a mark of their faith. .. The reason I got this tattoo is because, as a lady from my church said, it's my cheat sheet. It's a reminder, a promise, a rebuke and it's my solace. I put it in a visible spot, so that I could read it. .. This is a permanent mark, one that will never, ever go away and I don't ever want it to. I also think that this is a statement for those who do see it and it's a reminder to myself that this is an incredibly visible tattoo and that I should conduct myself as a proper Christian when sometimes it's easy to forget.

I have Christian friends who have them. They usually have their favorite Bible verse tattooed on a wrist--sometimes on the lower leg.

tattoos ... everyone and their grandmothers has them now and, they do not a thing for me, what can I say? Pretty much every one I know, and that includes Christians and myself, have a tattoo so...I am not criticizing anybody here or anywhere...

 

[farouk]

(Poll added...)

 

[farouk]

@CharismaticLady FYI...did you see this new thread/poll?

 

[farouk]

@Waiting on him FYI, did you see the new poll, above?

 

[Rita]

Sorry Farouk, but don’t you think that this whole subject is a bit warn out by now, especially with so many other things going on around us. I have relayed my thoughts, I don’t really have anything to add xx
Rita

 

[farouk]

Sorry Farouk, but don’t you think that this whole subject is a bit warn out by now, especially with so many other things going on around us. I have relayed my thoughts, I don’t really have anything to add xx
Rita

@Rita Thanks for your comment; and I know that some past posters on the subject won't want to comment further; the catalyst for the new poll was the fact that the poll on the previous thread expired a few hours ago.

Again, as regards the new poll, no need even to vote at all, although there is a range of response options, including a very non-committal one.

(PS: Some ppl might even be wishing for a bit of relief from politics...)

 

[farouk]

@Waiting on him Thanks for your vote; and with this I'll copy the thread to @VictoryinJesus also, in case she would be willing to vote also (kind of relevant to some of the discussions which have been had in the past).

 

[farouk]

@Ziggy FYI....new poll, above...

No need to say anything more if you don't want to; new poll (the old one expired); easy to vote without saying anything...

 

[farouk]

@Ziggy PS: Thanks for your vote!

(You do appreciate it, anyway... )

 

[farouk]

@BeauJangles FYI...new poll, above (the old one expired...)

Boy-howdy did she ever respond to this and asked more of true Christianity.

PS: To to think that some conversations would apparently never occur if ppl hadn't gotten inked up...

 

[farouk]

@WaterSong FYI....poll above, and thread...

 

[farouk]

@WaterSong PS: As you will see, there are a number of varied poll response options...

 

[farouk]

@Josho FYI...did you see the new poll, above? (the old poll expired). There are various, poll response options...

 

[farouk]

@soul FYI, new poll, above...

 

[farouk]

@April_Rose ; @Michiah-Imla FYI....new poll, above (the old one expired...)

 

[farouk]

@Sabertooth FYI....did you see the new poll, above? (the old one expired...)

 

[Sabertooth]

My opinion is not on there. Grade it like any other graphic art.

 

[farouk]

My opinion is not on there. Grade it like any other graphic art.

@Sabertooth Thanks for your comment; maybe I could expand the poll response options?

 

[farouk]

My opinion is not on there. Grade it like any other graphic art.

@Sabertooth I'll reply here to the profile post; if you look at your post, above, you will see a ref. to Philippians 2...

 

[farouk]

@Sabertooth PS: So any suggestions about expanding the possible poll response options?