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

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


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    30
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Rudometkin

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

As of now I did see and vote, thank you for sharing. I voted 'other' because I am not sure if I have or not.

Recently, I saw a man in public with a tattoo on his arm that referenced the title of a Bible verse. I considered speaking to him about it, but as I recalled a past incident, I refrained. As a young child, I witnessed someone with tattoos express their weariness of people using their tattoos to start conversations, saying, "I did not get my tattoos for you to look at them; I got them for me". Although that may be the complaint of atleast one person with a negative experience, it has always stuck with me.

Now when faced with the urge to speak about a stranger's tattoo, I often wonder if it is going to upset them.
 
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farouk

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As of now I did see and vote, thank you for sharing. I voted 'other' because I am not sure if I have or not.

Recently, I saw a man in public with a tattoo on his arm that referenced the title of a Bible verse. I considered speaking to him about it, but as I recalled a past incident, I refrained. As a young child, I witnessed someone with tattoos express their weariness of people using their tattoos to start conversations, saying, "I did not get my tattoos for you to look at them; I got them for me". Although that may be the complaint of atleast one person with a negative experience, it has always stuck with me.

Now when faced with the urge to speak about a stranger's tattoo, I often wonder if it is going to upset them.
@Rudometkin Thanks for your poll vote! Thanks for your thoughtful comment also.

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 that other conversations have arisen as a result of her willingness to use the parlor for an inking in such a design: this may have been substantially the reason for doing it in the first place.

In the end, your underlying question is about what 1 Peter 3.15 says:

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."

It's about whether the Christian tattooee is ready to testify further orally in addition to what is written - which itself may still be used in blessing, right?
 
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farouk

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@Rudometkin So did what you remember from years ago about someone having been irritated by being asked about his tattoo maybe influence your own thinking later - from around 18 onwards - on whether to get an inking (whether faith based in design or otherwise)?
 
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Rudometkin

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@Rudometkin Thanks for your poll vote! Thanks for your thoughtful comment also.

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 that other conversations have arisen as a result of her willingness to use the parlor for an inking in such a design: this may have been substantially the reason for doing it in the first place.

In the end, your underlying question is about what 1 Peter 3.15 says:

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."

It's about whether the Christian tattooee is ready to testify further orally in addition to what is written - which itself may still be used in blessing, right?

Thank you for your story. Yes, we should all absolutely be ready to answer regarding the hope that is in us, even if it was brought up by means of our tattoos.

@Rudometkin So did what you remember from years ago about someone having been irritated by being asked about his tattoo maybe influence your own thinking later - from around 18 onwards - on whether to get an inking (whether faith based in design or otherwise)?

Yes, it might have, though it would not have been the main reason why I have never had a legitimate tattoo. I do not like the idea of ink in the body; it is unclean.
 

farouk

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Thank you for your story. Yes, we should all absolutely be ready to answer regarding the hope that is in us, even if it was brought up by means of our tattoos.



Yes, it might have, though it would not have been the main reason why I have never had a legitimate tattoo. I do not like the idea of ink in the body; it is unclean.
@Rudometkin Thanks for your interesting comments.

Regarding things unclean, I was wondering if you were thinking about defilement in a Bible (especially Old Testament ceremonial sense) or whether the comment was about ink quality.

The Lord Jesus says in Matthew 15.11: "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

This is of course strictly about the mouth, but I guess some would see it as a comparable idea.

If your comment was more specifically about tattoo ink, I did see a video about tattoo ink quality which has greatly improved in recent years; I could try to dig it up...

Thanks again. :)
 
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Mayflower

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Yeh, when I wear sandals, I get asked about it all the time. They think it is cool and I can explain it.
 
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farouk

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Yeh, when I wear sandals, I get asked about it all the time. They think it is cool and I can explain it.
@Mayflower Thanks for your poll vote. Seems like you don't even remotely regret getting inked up. Did you think lately of adding to it to commemorate your new little one?
 
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farouk

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My mom never had a tattoo and never showed an interest to have one....
@TLHKAJ Decades ago women hardly got tattoos at all, but this is certainly not the case now; did you know that statistics reveal that in North America 59%-70% or more of parlor clients are female? there has certainly been a sea change; and indeed your daughter is living proof of that sea change, isn't she?
 

Rudometkin

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@Rudometkin Thanks for your interesting comments.

Regarding things unclean, I was wondering if you were thinking about defilement in a Bible (especially Old Testament ceremonial sense) or whether the comment was about ink quality.

The Lord Jesus says in Matthew 15.11: "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

This is of course strictly about the mouth, but I guess some would see it as a comparable idea.

If your comment was more specifically about tattoo ink, I did see a video about tattoo ink quality which has greatly improved in recent years; I could try to dig it up...

Thanks again. :)

I was thinking about the presence of ink itself being unclean for the body in a physical sense. Whether or not the ink within itself is clean, I regard ink as not naturally belonging to the body, so I naturally figure it would be unclean when even clean ink is put into the body.

The OT Biblical law regarding defilement and the quality of ink are interesting ideas.
 

farouk

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I was thinking about the presence of ink itself being unclean for the body in a physical sense. Whether or not the ink within itself is clean, I regard ink as not naturally belonging to the body, so I naturally figure it would be unclean when even clean ink is put into the body.

The OT Biblical law regarding defilement and the quality of ink are interesting ideas.
@Rudometkin Fair point, of course; I was looking for the video with a talk about tattoo ink and how it has greatly improved in quality in recent years. I guess that one could argue what you say strictly about earrings, nose rings, etc., that they don't strictly belong naturally in the body, although both occur in the Bible and their contexts include neutral and even positive ones.

(Tattoos of course can be in faith based/Biblical designs with a very positive witness conversation application.)

I guess also if a person does not have immediate family members with tattoos. s/he might not consider having a tattoo done so readily, I suppose? IDK.
 

farouk

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@Rudometkin PS: These days, among young ppl, I guess getting tattooed in some ways is not too different from getting earrings put in; it's just so widespread; years ago it was girls who got earrings and young men who got tattoos, whereas now young men also get earrings and young women also (certainly do) get tattoos.

Some young Christians get faith based tattoos instead of - or maybe in addition to - ear piercings. Whether or not you would know about the ear piercing urge, it's certainly widespread for both genders to have the urge for either or both earrings and ink.

(If this makes any sense at all as a comment?)
 

farouk

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Reading the Bible is good for everyone and scripture itself admonishes us to study.

2 Timothy 2:15

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

@Spurgeon's Girl Thank-you for your good comment! :)

So what do you think of this sort of tattoo, using a keyword from the verse you quoted?

diligence_word_tattoo_5.jpg
tattoowoo dot com
 

Brakelite

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@farouk
What on earth is your game???????? :rolleyes: :eek: :confused:

In this time when all Christians need to be sharpening their swords and checking the oil in our lamps... here is you bothering with ALL your multitudes of posts about tattoos , ear piercing , body piercing , and everything that has NOTHING at all to do with the kingdom of God , it is not faith building, encouraging, uplifting, or anything that helps us in any way. It is not biblical.
In fact it all came from the very opposite of biblical!!

We do NOT NEED ANOTHER THREAD...you all ready started far too many on these subjects already.

Quite honestly , you probably ought to go pray and ask God what HE thinks about all your threads and your OBSESSIONS!!!
Hi Helen, give the poor guy a break. This is only his tenth thread on tattoos.
He has a great number of diverse threads on offer that are uplifting and incorporating sound counsel and wisdom. Cosmetics... Ear rings and nose rings.... Christian "Rock" music.... Fashion clothes for church...
 
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