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

[farouk]

There's a lot more to inking than meets the eye but I'll never have one.
Leviticus 19:28
“‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves.

@Pearl Yes, it's an absorbing subject - at least, for those who might care to be absorbed by it.

Interesting that in Leviticus 19 the previous verse seems to say about not trimming one's beard; do preachers shave? if they do, then in a sense they are making a backhanded admission that they are New Testament Christians under grace for whom the Gospel is the rule of their lives, rather than Old Testament Jews in the land under the law.

A lot of Christians do seem to be able to get faith based tattoo designs confidently, for witness reasons, anyway. Everyone is different, right?

 

[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]

I recently encountered and opened a tremendous opportunity of witnessing to one of our CNAs= certified nurse assistants, concerning her completed "sleeve tat" = total arm tattoo. She had an image of the crowned Saviour.

@BeauJangles I guess a tattoo that size would have been quite expensive to get. @Pearl and I were just talking about tattoo costs, but what we were talking about would have been for much smaller ones.

 

[farouk]

@April_Rose Thanks for your poll vote. So what do you think of the poll results so far?

 

[farouk]

Don't feel the need to be reminded of God, that I'm married, of a loved ones loss, etc.

@Taken I'm sure this is true! As regards the young people with Bible verses tattooed that I have talked to, I reckon that as much as personal reminders they were intended witness tools also; leaving aside any aesthetic aspect, their pragmatic value as tools would be taken into account when deciding to go ahead and have them done.

 

[Taken]

@Taken I'm sure this is true! As regards the young people with Bible verses tattooed that I have talked to, I reckon that as much as personal reminders they were intended witness tools also; leaving aside any aesthetic aspect, their pragmatic value as tools would be taken into account when deciding to go ahead and have them done.

Young people are called young people as a reminder they have not experienced enough to be elevated to the Wise category.
They make unwise choices, and when it is a whim idea with permanent results...it's a tough lesson with long lasting effects on their lives.

Knew a whole group to teens itching to turn 18, and get tats. A couple of years later, hated their tats, and lost love interests with other girls names plastered on them, lost job opportunities because of odd ball "funny at the time and dares" facial tats...cuss works on their fingers, dumb stuff.
Not saying Tats don't have beneficial "uses".
You lean toward testimonials.
Tats are great for identifying criminals and dead bodies.

 

[farouk]

Young people are called young people as a reminder they have not experienced enough to be elevated to the Wise category.
They make unwise choices, and when it is a whim idea with permanent results...it's a tough lesson with long lasting effects on their lives.

Knew a whole group to teens itching to turn 18, and get tats. A couple of years later, hated their tats, and lost love interests with other girls names plastered on them, lost job opportunities because of odd ball "funny at the time and dares" facial tats...cuss works on their fingers, dumb stuff.
Not saying Tats don't have beneficial "uses".
You lean toward testimonials.
Tats are great for identifying criminals and dead bodies.

@Taken Thanks! Yes, it shows how it's important to plan wisely if they are going to do it at all.

You're absolutely right; it's what they do at 18.

It's so widespread that so many Christians - young Christians espeically - seem to embrace it and use it as a witness tool rather than fight it.

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

FHII said:

I was told it was addictive, but for me it was not. .. I don't regret it.. .. Probably 75% of the congregation have tattoos, including myself and the Pastor

 

[Taken]

@Taken Thanks! Yes, it shows how it's important to plan wisely if they are going to do it at all.

You're absolutely right; it's what they do at 18.

It's so widespread that so many Christians - young Christians espeically - seem to embrace it and use it as a witness tool rather than fight it.


forums dot thewelltrainedmind dot com

FHII said:

I'm not much of a follower of what other people do.

 

[farouk]

I would say I appreciate it, but can't embrace it myself.

Good night.

@CharismaticLady Maybe I should have made 'appreciate it' and 'embrace it' two separate categories, then...

(I knew of course that you appreciate tattoo artwork.)

 

[farouk]

Maybe they will start having Bible studies in the parlors as well...

@Heart2Soul You never know; my wife and I talked to a young lady with the whole of John 3.16 tattooed on her wrist area:

Just imagine her meditating and talking about it in the tattoo parlor with the artist...the first of many such discussions provoked by that tattooed Scripture...

One can see her, too, as a real witness warrior, right?

 

[farouk]

@Heart2Soul Nice tattoo of a female warrior; seems like she is bowing in prayer...

askideas dot com

cc @Ziggy

 

[Heart2Soul]

@Heart2Soul Nice tattoo of a female warrior; seems like she is bowing in prayer...

askideas dot com

cc @Ziggy

That is a really nice tattoo! Someone did an excellent job.

 

[farouk]

That is a really nice tattoo! Someone did an excellent job.

@Heart2Soul

Yes. It really commends the idea of becoming both a wholesomely tattooed Christian woman and a real witness warrior, doesn't it?

 

[farouk]

Oh definitely...I asked a lot of questions.

@Heart2Soul Well, if the faith based tattoos do indeed cause lots of questions to be asked to the wearer, then they are indeed proven successful, right?

They do indeed really work.

 

[farouk]

@Heart2Soul PS: Like you said in the quote I included in the OP,

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.

You can see why for so many Christian men and women - particularly because faith based tattoos do work - getting inked up confidently has become almost synonymous with becoming and living as a Christian adult. It's fast becoming the norm, more and more; FHII in another of the OP quotes said 75% of his church's members are inked up.

(2c of stating the obvious... )

 

[farouk]

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

 

[farouk]

I encountered a young man at work last night that had just received new ink on his forearm, an image of the grim reaper. A good conversation starter, wouldn’t you agree?

@Waiting on him From back; so did you see the young guy recently that you know? & does his ink spur discussion?

 

[farouk]

They can become addictive and grossly overdone. When my son got his first one it upset me but I accepted it and now he has four.

@Pearl From back; some ppl who do it don't find it to be addictive; others do. FHII (quoted in the OP) said:

I got my first and only tattoo when I was 25. I was told it was addictive, but for me it was not. .. .. Probably 75% of the congregation have tattoos, including myself and the Pastor

I'm sure you are accustomed now to your son's ...and daughter's ... tattoos.

It's anyway what ppl seem to do now, isn't it? Some are faith based.

 

[farouk]

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

 

[farouk]

Who's winning

@soul man So, overall, who do you think?