Poll: Does the mainstreaming of tattoos open up increasing opportunities for faith ink witness?

[farouk]

People called them "not cutting edge anymore." And that is so true. .. Everyone and their Aunt Debbie in my town is now .. sporting full sleeves and tatts running up and down..

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. I've always worn long sleeves .. I love having a professional persona as well as a unique one while I'm not working

source: allnurses dot com
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So from a pragmatic point of view — leaving aside likes and dislikes about tattoos — does the obvious and demonstrable thorough mainstreaming of tattoos open up increasing opportunities for faith ink witness?

 

[farouk]

(Poll added also...)

 

[farouk]

@Josho @Mayflower Did you see the new poll?

 

[Enoch111]

So from a pragmatic point of view — leaving aside likes and dislikes about tattoos — does the obvious and demonstrable thorough mainstreaming of tattoos open up increasing opportunities for faith ink witness?

Not really. The unbelievers will say "What's the matter with these Christians? Did they forget to read and obey their Bibles?"

"Ptolemy IV (221-205 B.C.), was said to have been tattooed with ivy leaves to symbolize his devotion to Dionysus, Greek god of wine and the patron deity of the royal house at that time. The fashion was also adopted by Roman soldiers and spread across the Roman Empire until the emergence of Christianity, when tattoos were felt to "disfigure that made in God's image" and so were banned by the Emperor Constantine (A.D. 306-373)."

Looks like we need another Constatine to remind Christians about tattooing.

 

[farouk]

Not really. The unbelievers will say "What's the matter with these Christians? Did they forget to read and obey their Bibles?"

"Ptolemy IV (221-205 B.C.), was said to have been tattooed with ivy leaves to symbolize his devotion to Dionysus, Greek god of wine and the patron deity of the royal house at that time. The fashion was also adopted by Roman soldiers and spread across the Roman Empire until the emergence of Christianity, when tattoos were felt to "disfigure that made in God's image" and so were banned by the Emperor Constantine (A.D. 306-373)."

Looks like we need another Constatine to remind Christians about tattooing.

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 undergo the ink injecting at the parlor.

Some ppl do treat the thorough mainstreaming of getting tattooed as a witness opportunity for faith ink that is proven as a conversation-starter.

Even beyond the faith ink aspect, these days nurses use their ink as ice breakers with patients and their families.

(It's not for everyone, though...)

 

[farouk]

It would seem that as more and more ppl have ink, those who might be motivated to get faith based designs inked in - proven effective as conversation-starters - are likely to have less and less hesitation to proceed to the parlor. So is this something that ppl agree/ disagree is clearly logical?

 

[farouk]

@Helen Hoping you guys in Alberta are doing okay!

Last year you said:

...Dave has six, my granddaughter has 7 large ones and a small one..

So did you see the new poll, above?

 

[Joseph77]

For the god of this world - a wider path now.... more people on it.....

 

[marksman]

source: allnurses dot com
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So from a pragmatic point of view — leaving aside likes and dislikes about tattoos — does the obvious and demonstrable thorough mainstreaming of tattoos open up increasing opportunities for faith ink witness?

What is a faith ink witness?

 

[Joseph77]

Revelation 22:11 - Bible Gateway
https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Revelation 22:11
Then he added, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy in this book, for the time of their fulfilment is near. Let the wicked man continue his wickedness and the filthy man his filthiness; let the good man continue his good deeds, and the holy man continue in holiness.

 

[farouk]

What is a faith ink witness?

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 undergo the ink injecting at the parlor.

It's very widespread in North America. (I saw a quote about just how widespread it is in the Bible Belt.)

 

[farouk]

(Here's the quote I mentioned: )

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

 

[Josho]

@Josho @Mayflower Did you see the new poll?

Just found it

 

[farouk]

Just found it

Thanks for your vote!

(I think I know how you voted!)

 

[farouk]

Just found it

PS: You guys in Australia must have a lot of parlors...

 

[marksman]

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 undergo the ink injecting at the parlor.

It's very widespread in North America. (I saw a quote about just how widespread it is in the Bible Belt.)

Thank you for that. I guess my ignorance is due to the fact I have never seen one. The only church I know of that has embraced tattoos of any kind is Hillsong. I have seen pictures of Justin Beiber with his shirt off and I think that he looks gross. It makes me sick to look at him.

 

[marksman]

PS: You guys in Australia must have a lot of parlors...

On nearly every street corner.

 

[Josho]

I voted not sure.

Tattoos were talked about in Leviticus 19:28, but that was under Mosaic law, but was this law passed into the NT?

I do not think so.

If we read the verse before a lot of men would be in trouble Hehehehe

Leviticus 19:27 "You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard."

As for faith based tattoos, I guess you could say it could an opportunity to witness about Jesus in tattoo parlour while getting one, or if someone asked you about at tattoo, in saying that I guess I better change my vote better I. Hehehe

 

[farouk]

I voted not sure.
Tattoos were talked about in Leviticus 19:28, but that was under Mosaic law, but was this law passed into the NT?
I do not think so.
If we read the verse before a lot of men would be in trouble Hehehehe
Leviticus 19:27 "You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard."
As for faith based tattoos, I guess you could say it could an opportunity to witness about Jesus in tattoo parlour while getting one, or if someone asked you about at tattoo, in saying that I guess I better change my vote better I. Hehehe

@Josho Thanks. Anyway, it's what nurses do now, very widely (see also OP, above), and even beyond strictly faith based designs, nurses today sometimes use their ink as ice breakers with patients and their families.

More of the nurses that I work with have tattoos than do not. 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. My hospital does not even have a policy on tattoos any longer; it's a total nonissue.
...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

Leaving aside the perceived aesthetics of tattoos - or otherwise - from a sheer pragmatic perspective their effectiveness as conversation starters is widely exploited by Christians who submit to tattooing in faith based designs. 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 undergo the ink injecting at the parlor. (In some ways I wish more Christians worked in tattoo parlors.)

 

[farouk]

@Josho PS: Thanks for your revised, considered vote participation!