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

[ThePuffyBlob]

@Funny bird You've talked a bit about ink; so did you see this poll?

uhm deja vu
I feel like I was already pulled into this thread by someone named farouk

 

[farouk]

uhm deja vu
I feel like I was already pulled into this thread by someone named farouk

@Funny bird Obviously no need to comment any more, but like I said, did you happen to see / vote in the poll? (without further comment...)

 

[farouk]

I attended a church where the pastor was an ex marine and he had tattoos and after he got saved he got called into the ministry.

@Heart2Soul
Well, as other posters have pointed out, it's so very, very widespread now, right?

It really ought to be no big deal that ppl do it, right? when...

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

(FHII)

...and when...

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

(GodsGrace).

 

[farouk]

My dad got tats in the Navy, anchors or something. I see nothing wrong with that.

Hi @Ron Coates

It used to be very much a man thing, didn't it? sailors and bikers, getting tattooed.​

Now it's also become a very womanly thing to do; parlors are more like salons in some places, rather than the poorly lit, lock up establishments in industrial sections in the port cities of yesteryear. Now it's abundantly clear that women participate fully in getting tattooed, isn't it? and often in faith or family themes that they see nothing inappropriate in doing with total confidence.

 

[farouk]

My wife had a few, and I had no problems with the ones that she had ... I thought about getting a tattoo of an eagle carrying two roses

@michaelvpardo Well, it's what women do now; it's so thoroughly established now that women do it.

Sounds like the one you were planning for yourself was likely to be bigger than hers....

 

[Truman]

Hi. Personally, I don't like tattoos on women. To me, it makes them look like a piece of meat or property of a gang. If it's tasteful and discreet, and that's what they want to do, and the tat has no occultic meaning, if that's what they want to do, who am I to say otherwise. I know all different types of people, mainly through my son. What's normal for one person is wrong for the next person. To add to the mix is the thought that even if it isn't wrong by God, if you think it's sin and do it anyway, then you are sinning. Look it up. I've known church mice and I've known outlaw bikers. I seem to get along with both. I've come to understand that I can't expect sinners not to be sinners, because that's what we all are. So I accept everyone, and the piercings, funny colored hair and oddball clothes. Often people like these are highly intelligent and artistic. And sometimes suicidal. I know what I'm talking about. And once I get talking with them, any fear that I may have had of the unknown evaporates when I realize, like I always do, that they are people and you can't judge a book by it's color. It's the fear of the unknown that can separate us. I don't discard them because they have tats. They are far more valuable than a tattoo. But I do understand that much of the church is into traditional ritualistic churchianity. This is not true Christianity, but a religious counterfeit that blinds people to the truth as they already think they know the truth. "There is no man so blind as the blind man who sees." One night when I was at a downtown outreach, a young man covered in tattoos and piercings galore, came up to me and asked me if I had a problem with him being bi-sexual. I thought about it a bit, and then I said, "no, not that I'm aware of." We became friends. He respected me because I respected him. Now before you get your religious panties in a knot, he was a sinner that needed Jesus. I didn't have a problem with him. He knew I was a Christian and he had hung around the outreach enough to know what we believed. I didn't condone his lifestyle and he didn't talk about being bi to me once he knew I accepted him. The same with Wicca. I don't think he was all that happy about who he'd become. People don't care what you know until they know that you care. These are very fragile people and you have to handle them carefully because you may be the only Christian they'll ever know. He moved to another town and took with him the knowledge that there were Christians out there that cared about people and not their money. He came and visited me while he was in town. The last time I saw him, he told me that he had C.F. or M.S. That was the last time I saw him. He'd heard the gospel before, though he got to see that I was a transparent, honest man who wasn't perfect and didn't try to be something I wasn't. Accepting Jesus is a personal decision that takes time to make, and to count the cost is important. The church needs to learn to respect people, that they are made in the image of God, and that Jesus died to save them. Without that trust, they'l just fade away. Shalom.

 

[farouk]

Hi. Personally, I don't like tattoos on women. To me, it makes them look like a piece of meat or property of a gang. If it's tasteful and discreet, and that's what they want to do, and the tat has no occultic meaning, if that's what they want to do, who am I to say otherwise. I know all different types of people, mainly through my son. What's normal for one person is wrong for the next person. To add to the mix is the thought that even if it isn't wrong by God, if you think it's sin and do it anyway, then you are sinning. Look it up. I've known church mice and I've known outlaw bikers. I seem to get along with both. I've come to understand that I can't expect sinners not to be sinners, because that's what we all are. So I accept everyone, and the piercings, funny colored hair and oddball clothes. Often people like these are highly intelligent and artistic. And sometimes suicidal. I know what I'm talking about. And once I get talking with them, any fear that I may have had of the unknown evaporates when I realize, like I always do, that they are people and you can't judge a book by it's color. It's the fear of the unknown that can separate us. I don't discard them because they have tats. They are far more valuable than a tattoo. But I do understand that much of the church is into traditional ritualistic churchianity. This is not true Christianity, but a religious counterfeit that blinds people to the truth as they already think they know the truth. "There is no man so blind as the blind man who sees." One night when I was at a downtown outreach, a young man covered in tattoos and piercings galore, came up to me and asked me if I had a problem with him being bi-sexual. I thought about it a bit, and then I said, "no, not that I'm aware of." We became friends. He respected me because I respected him. Now before you get your religious panties in a knot, he was a sinner that needed Jesus. I didn't have a problem with him. He knew I was a Christian and he had hung around the outreach enough to know what we believed. I didn't condone his lifestyle and he didn't talk about being bi to me once he knew I accepted him. The same with Wicca. I don't think he was all that happy about who he'd become. People don't care what you know until they know that you care. These are very fragile people and you have to handle them carefully because you may be the only Christian they'll ever know. He moved to another town and took with him the knowledge that there were Christians out there that cared about people and not their money. He came and visited me while he was in town. The last time I saw him, he told me that he had C.F. or M.S. That was the last time I saw him. He'd heard the gospel before, though he got to see that I was a transparent, honest man who wasn't perfect and didn't try to be something I wasn't. Accepting Jesus is a personal decision that takes time to make, and to count the cost is important. The church needs to learn to respect people, that they are made in the image of God, and that Jesus died to save them. Without that trust, they'l just fade away. Shalom.

Thanks @Ron Coates I guess also the point - or part of the point - is also that it's what women - so many - do now. As GodsGrace, earlier, said

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

QueenCat said:

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

And often the designs which will be received are faith based, producing conversations. @soul man , who talks a great deal of sense, said:

I think anytime you can give a witness for the Lord you should. People are memorized by the cool tats and alot of conversation comes from it

(If this makes sense also from a perspective maybe a bit different from yours?)

 

[michaelvpardo]

@michaelvpardo Well, it's what women do now; it's so thoroughly established now that women do it.

Sounds like the one you were planning for yourself was likely to be bigger than hers....

You're probably right about the latter, but I still hear the expression "tramp stamp" used, most recently in a TV show called "Last man standing" which has been on for a number of seasons and is still airing.

 

[farouk]

You're probably right about the latter, but I still hear the expression "tramp stamp" used, most recently in a TV show called "Last man standing" which has been on for a number of seasons and is still airing.

@michaelvpardo Actually, the lower back constitutes only a fraction of the placements typically gotten. It's worthwhile remembering also that often thoroughly conservative women now do it confidently.

As GodsGrace, earlier, said

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

As juliannenw said:

I am a nurse in a cardiac ICU. I am also pretty heavily tattooed. I am a well educated, well rounded nurse, and was raised with strong morals and manners. .. I am an extremely traditional person.

source: allnurses dot com

This can only underline the fact that a proportion of the tattoos that so many women or a conservative and traditional disposition - as well as men - get now are likely to be faith-based. (If this makes any sense?)

 

[farouk]

... on women... If it's tasteful and discreet, and that's what they want to do...

@Ron Coates PS: The 18 year old young lady who has it done today isn't necessarily an avant-garde rebel type at all; she may actually be getting tattooed only after her mom and gramma have already had it done.

In this climate, the scope for a proportion of tattoos being faith based in design is likely very large.

 

[michaelvpardo]

@michaelvpardo Actually, the lower back constitutes only a fraction of the placements typically gotten. It's worthwhile remembering also that often thoroughly conservative women now do it confidently.

As GodsGrace, earlier, said


As juliannenw said:


source: allnurses dot com

This can only underline the fact that a proportion of the tattoos that so many women or a conservative and traditional disposition - as well as men - get now are likely to be faith-based. (If this makes any sense?)

We have tremendous liberty in Christ, but the apostle Paul advises us caution in the use of that liberty so that we aren't misinterpreted and become the cause of a brother or sister stumbling. I believe that if what we are doing is not a defilement of our conscience, that we're standing on solid ground, but love for others should be a restraining influence and an evidence that we know him (to others.) Even so, we live in times of widespread and deeply corrupting influences, so I'd rather concern myself with my own faults and avoid judging the brethren even as scripture dictates. To clarify my position, Church discipline has it's legitimate place, but as a tool aimed at reconciliation and restoration, not as a justification for snobbery or self righteousness. Judgment is best left to our Lord, and love covers a multitude of sins.

 

[farouk]

Here in Australia NSW, she needs to be 18 for a tattoo. She can be younger than that to become engaged. ...she's almost 18

@Naomi25 Hoping your daughter has a great, coming of age 18th b-day - and possibly engagement, also - with or without a first inking...

(Did you see / vote in the poll, above?)

 

[farouk]

Thanks to all who voted so far in the poll!

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

 

[Naomi25]

@Naomi25 Hoping your daughter has a great, coming of age 18th b-day - and possibly engagement, also - with or without a first inking...

(Did you see / vote in the poll, above?)

Thank you...I believe its going to be a fairly low-key birthday for her, given how things are with coronavirus...plus, she hates a fuss.
I voted "other"....simply because there was no option for "no, have not had a conversation based on a faith - based tatt, and would very likely be too timid to anyway...."

 

[farouk]

Hi @michaelvpardo Thanks for your various comments; did you happen to see/vote in the poll, above, yet?

 

[michaelvpardo]

Hi @michaelvpardo Thanks for your various comments; did you happen to see/vote in the poll, above, yet?

No, I thought that the question wasn't relevant to me until a moment ago. I just had a recollection of the one time that I actually asked somebody about a tattoo that he carried on his arm. I was working a field service job and riding a PATH train with some technicians from PATH. A somewhat disheveled man approached me while on the train with a handful of old lillies. They looked like flowers that had been sitting in a vase for at least a week. He asked me if I'd like to buy some flowers for my wife and held up these old lillies in his hand. He had the appearance of one of these street people, or homeless that you see panhandling at busy intersections and sidewalks in the metro area, but I noticed that he had a plain cross tattooed on his arm, so before answering his question, I asked him about the tattoo and if he understood its significance. He smiled and then told me a little about his Jesus. Then I told him that I didn't really want the flowers, but would just give him the dollar or two that he asked for them. He gave me a warm smile, took the money and walked on, perhaps to find another "customer." I forgot about the incident because my work took me to places where I ran into all sorts of unfortunates, some I could help in some small way, some I couldn't without violating my conscience. Apparently the Lord wanted me to remember this and write something in response, but I couldn't tell you if this was any kind of witness to anyone other than me and that one soul trying to make his way through life as a used flower salesman.

 

[farouk]

Thank you...I believe its going to be a fairly low-key birthday for her, given how things are with coronavirus...plus, she hates a fuss.
I voted "other"....simply because there was no option for "no, have not had a conversation based on a faith - based tatt, and would very likely be too timid to anyway...."

@Naomi25 Thanks for your vote and comment! (I wonder if your daughter has ever had such a conversation with someone who had a faith based tattoo?)

 

[farouk]

No, I thought that the question wasn't relevant to me until a moment ago. I just had a recollection of the one time that I actually asked somebody about a tattoo that he carried on his arm. I was working a field service job and riding a PATH train with some technicians from PATH. A somewhat disheveled man approached me while on the train with a handful of old lillies. They looked like flowers that had been sitting in a vase for at least a week. He asked me if I'd like to buy some flowers for my wife and held up these old lillies in his hand. He had the appearance of one of these street people, or homeless that you see panhandling at busy intersections and sidewalks in the metro area, but I noticed that he had a plain cross tattooed on his arm, so before answering his question, I asked him about the tattoo and if he understood its significance. He smiled and then told me a little about his Jesus. Then I told him that I didn't really want the flowers, but would just give him the dollar or two that he asked for them. He gave me a warm smile, took the money and walked on, perhaps to find another "customer." I forgot about the incident because my work took me to places where I ran into all sorts of unfortunates, some I could help in some small way, some I couldn't without violating my conscience. Apparently the Lord wanted me to remember this and write something in response, but I couldn't tell you if this was any kind of witness to anyone other than me and that one soul trying to make his way through life as a used flower salesman.

@michaelvpardo Thanks for your comments. I tried to make the poll options comprehensive...

 

[Naomi25]

@Naomi25 Thanks for your vote and comment! (I wonder if your daughter has ever had such a conversation with someone who had a faith based tattoo?)

Ha! Not likely. My daughter has extreme anxiety and avoids most conversations like the plague. She'd be quite likely to notice and really like such tattoos, but not be brave enough to chat with the person about them! I suppose if it did come up in a conversation she was already in, or she ever got one and people approached her, then yes, it would lead to conversation, but who can really know at this point in her life?

 

[farouk]

...She'd be quite likely to notice and really like such tattoos, but not be brave enough to chat with the person about them! I suppose if it did come up in a conversation she was already in, or she ever got one and people approached her, then yes, it would lead to conversation, but who can really know at this point in her life?

@Naomi25 Well, sooner or later they nearly all seem to go to the parlor now, to have it done. The point is, I guess, if it's in a faith based design, the motivation behind getting one: is it being injected with a view to wanting faith based conversations to ensue?

For a lot of young Christians now, it seemingly is.

As GodsGrace says,

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