Poll: Tattoo art - Christian perspectives: Fight it? Ignore it? appreciate/embrace it?
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@Cassandra PS: Sorry the poll has expired; I expect you see faith based tattoo designs from time to time, anyway...
@MatthewG When young men and women get to the age of 18 or thereabouts, the trip to the tattoo parlor seems really so often to be a natural event that comes around, whether or not they then move on and don't get any more, or like you perhaps do get more done.
Many Christian young ppl seem to put a lot of thought into getting faith based designs done. All the young people with Bible verses tattooed that I have talked to seem to have done so for evangelistic reasons, anyway.
They're still young.
They have more opportunities to witness than some older folk who don't get out much.
So I was doing that thing again... (thinkng)
And Jesus left physical marks on people as a testimony as to who he is.
He opened the eyes of the blind.. physical manifestation.
Made the lame to walk... physical manifestation.
Cured the lepers.. physical manifestation.
People could physically see the testimony of their faith simply by looking at the outside appearance of those who were healed.
Most of these people had grown up together and new each other all their lives. So when a person was healed it revealed their faith.
What difference then is a tattoo, that shows people who we don't see every day, that may by chance only ever get to display ones faith, as an outward appreciation written for all to see?
Testimonies come in many shapes and sizes eh?
just thinking..
Hugs
@Ziggy
Seems anyway like younger Christians who get faith based tattoos done have gotten naturally and happily used to the idea of witnessing this way.
Like I was saying, all the young people with whom I have talked who have had Bible verses tattooed seem to have had them done for evangelistic reasons, anyhow.
Seems like older ppl in general who get tattooed, likely do so only after a lot of planning, which some younger ppl don't spend time doing beforehand, so much. Some, not all.
Some older Christians who maybe for decades would not have considered having a faith based tattoo design done, probably spend a lot of time planning their first one.
Like you say, it "shows people who we don't see every day, that may by chance only ever get to display ones faith"...
For older Christians getting faith based ink done, it may well be quite a long period between their "Oh, what a nice idea!" to the actual "Oh, this feels really good!"
@Truman John 3.16 was the verse of choice for more than one of the young people with Bible verses tattooed that I talked to.
It's easy to see why, because it contains so much truth and communicates so well.
The great thing about tattoo parlors is that one can talk to the artist without obligation and see portfolios and get quotes and not have it done until one is ready. I expect there is a parlor near you; it's worthwhile getting more than one quote; not just because of the money aspect, but rather seeing which parlor and which artist suits best.
I hear that the popular local parlor is owned by the Hells' Angels. I might see someone I know! Lol
@Truman Well, I'm sure there is plenty of choice when it comes to parlors.
The profession has opened up to women in recent decades, significantly, and some of the lady tattooists and their clients are from a completely different type of background. Moreover, some artists have a very gentle hand.
@Ziggy Seems like neck area is getting to be a very popular placement for some ppl. Not visible by the wearer, either.
And behind the ear.
Perhaps you've seen them behind the ear on others?
When ppl want to witness with faith ink designs, sometimes the wearer wants to be generally aware of what others may be seeing.
Some tattoos, can't be seen by the wearer.
Two at times quite different ball parks. Though I guess ball parks that intersect...
@Truman
From what many other posters here have said, it's clear that in the cases of many parlors and their clients, the whole 'gang' atmosphere which you alluded to is totally, totally absent.
For a lot of ppl, it seems that getting tattooed does seem highly compelling, strongly desired but totally benign (and even genteel...)
Rita said: ↑
GodsGrace said: ↑
MetalMike said: ↑
shnarkle said:
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I knew a guy who had an eye tattooed in the middle of his forehead. Him and I were friends for a few years. I knew another guy who had 666 tattooed on his fingers. I knew another guy who had every inch of his body covered in tattoos. He got whacked.
I met all these guys at church. You meet the strangest people there. It was the normal-looking ones that caused me grief!
They aren't too different. Both can give pretty disgusting infections.
I don't have a tattoo nor have any interest because I believe the bible speaks against marking or defacing the skin.
Hi @Will Joseph Good to see you. Various of your posts so far have been about condoms, etc. Perhaps some posters don't see linkages that you do...
(All the young people with Bible verses tattooed with whom I have spoken seem to have had them done for evangelistic reasons, anyway...)
Ziggy
Well-Known Member
I know the bible says something about not making cuttings in your flesh for the dead...
not quite sure what that means though...
Lev 19:28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
hmmm..
So I'm looking at Blueletterbible.org and doing a cross reference on that verse.. and this is what it came up with..
Lev 21:5 They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
Deu 14:1 Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
1Ki 18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
Jer 16:6 Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:
Jer 48:37 For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.
Mar 5:5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
and there are 8 references to the mark of the beast in the book of Revelation.
and yet it's ok to put an aul through ones ear and a ring in it to show ownership of a slave.
I'm not quite sure how this flows together..
But it seems the cuttings and the markings are for the sake of others who are dead?
I dunno..
Just sharing..
Hugs
not quite sure what that means though...
Lev 19:28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
hmmm..
So I'm looking at Blueletterbible.org and doing a cross reference on that verse.. and this is what it came up with..
Lev 21:5 They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
Deu 14:1 Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
1Ki 18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
Jer 16:6 Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:
Jer 48:37 For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.
Mar 5:5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
and there are 8 references to the mark of the beast in the book of Revelation.
and yet it's ok to put an aul through ones ear and a ring in it to show ownership of a slave.
I'm not quite sure how this flows together..
But it seems the cuttings and the markings are for the sake of others who are dead?
I dunno..
Just sharing..
Hugs
Hi @Ziggy
Re. the ear piercing, sometimes it can be used in reference to something wholesome and instructive, as @Pearl said:
As regards ink, often the associations are very wholesome and conservative:
Acolyte said: ↑
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.
juliannenw said:
allnurses dot com
GodsGrace said: ↑
@Pearl
You might not have anything further to add, of course; but back a bit you mentioned:
Pearl said: ↑
In the 19th century also it was so, apparently; FYI, a quote I saw:
"...one of the major resurgences of interest in tattoos in Europe occurred among 19th century high society Victorian women (as well as men), after British explorers .. brought back the practice to Britain. .. [It] grew during the 19th century, and even Winston Churchill’s mother had a tattoo .. on her wrist. Queen Victoria was also believed to have had a tattoo of a Bengal tiger.. . From Victorian Europe, the craze spread to America. In 1897, (art critic, Margot) Miffin says that an estimated 75% of American society women were tattooed.."
(Black Fire: Women, Tattoos, and the Transformative Power of Body Art )
They just did it confidently, it seems. (Happening same again today...)
You might not have anything further to add, of course; but back a bit you mentioned:
Pearl said: ↑
In the 19th century also it was so, apparently; FYI, a quote I saw:
"...one of the major resurgences of interest in tattoos in Europe occurred among 19th century high society Victorian women (as well as men), after British explorers .. brought back the practice to Britain. .. [It] grew during the 19th century, and even Winston Churchill’s mother had a tattoo .. on her wrist. Queen Victoria was also believed to have had a tattoo of a Bengal tiger.. . From Victorian Europe, the craze spread to America. In 1897, (art critic, Margot) Miffin says that an estimated 75% of American society women were tattooed.."
(Black Fire: Women, Tattoos, and the Transformative Power of Body Art )
They just did it confidently, it seems. (Happening same again today...)
@MatthewG I was looking at a talk given on a video by a young lady studying at Liberty University.
She was very earnest and said her own conviction was that all her tattoos should be based on Scripture, in one way or another.
All the young people with Scripture verses tattooed that I have spoken with seemed to have had the conviction to use their tattoos as evangelistic tools.
For them it seemed earnestly to have been a positive thing to have gone to the tattoo parlor.
( cc @Heart2Soul ; this post might resonate a bit with you also.)
@MatthewG Thanks; this is the video I mentioned; the young lady has an interesting, well thought out perspective on her Scripture tattoos.
@MatthewG PS: Like you just said on the other thread about something else, she certainly seems to have wanted to "seek to analyze and labor in the word and doctrine to at least have an understanding" and done her Biblical homework before getting inked up. (She seems so cheerful, but v. serious about it as well.)
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