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

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


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    29
  • Poll closed .

farouk

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I met all these guys at church. You meet the strangest people there. It was the normal-looking ones that caused me grief!

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing,
nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Galatians 6:15

@Truman Thinking about what you said, I reckon that this verse posted on the other thread not long ago would also apply to tattoos.

The whole context is of legalists glorying in the flesh.

Paul circumcised Timothy, but not as a legal obligation; it was more of a witness opportunity so that more Jews would be open to hear Timothy's testimony.

I can see how some Christians, strongly motivated, would use Bible verse tattoos among their friends as a witness tool.

It's not a question of glorying in one's flesh because of tattoos or because of not having tattoos, but rather because of their witness potential for someone walking with the Lord truly.
 

amadeus

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@MatthewG Thanks; this is the video I mentioned; the young lady has an interesting, well thought out perspective on her Scripture tattoos.
"All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." I Cor 6:12

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" I Cor 6:19

How is God leading us? Where is He leading us? Is there any place or way we are able to or should be able to lead ourselves?

Without the Holy Spirit we have this:

"O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jerem 10:23

With the Holy Spirit what do we have?

Are being led or are we deciding what we want and going that way?

Without the Holy Spirit, are we not blind to God and the things of God?


Quench not the Spirit!
 

farouk

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a tattoo .. 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.. :cool:

Hugs

@Ziggy

Well, for a lot of Christians it's an opportunity...

In terms of just how widespread they are, Pearl and GodsGrace are absolutely accurate in their observations.

Pearl said:
Funny how things change over the year,take tattoos. ...
Now a days it is excepted as normal for both sexes to have them

GodsGrace said:
almost every young girl I know has some sort of tatoo.
Even those very conservative types. .. I was at the beach area the other day, and girls are full of tattoos. I never notices so many before

As they say, it's so very widespread now.

So, so many Christians seem to make it an opportunity, don't they?

(Like all the young ppl tattooed with Bible verses that I have talked to...)
 
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farouk

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"All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." I Cor 6:12

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" I Cor 6:19

How is God leading us? Where is He leading us? Is there any place or way we are able to or should be able to lead ourselves?

Without the Holy Spirit we have this:

"O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jerem 10:23

With the Holy Spirit what do we have?

Are being led or are we deciding what we want and going that way?

Without the Holy Spirit, are we not blind to God and the things of God?


Quench not the Spirit!
@amadeus Thanks for your thoughtful, good post.

The young lady in the video I posted seems to have given a well, thought out position as a result of her meditation in the Scriptures, anyway.
 
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amadeus

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@amadeus Thanks for your thoughtful, good post.

The young lady in the video I posted seems to have given a well, thought out position as a result of her meditation in the Scriptures, anyway.
Yes I listened to perhaps half of it. I did not hear anything with which I disagreed except for her decision to get a tatoo. I still cannot see me ever doing that. But... that is me.

I strive to always walk as I am led by the Spirit however, and God certainly might take an unexpected turn for me. At this point it would be very unexpected!

My problem with your threads like this one is the apparent pressure, as I see it, on people to agree that something OK because a whole lot of people do it. The majority does not rule in the Kingdom.

Because someone has had a favorable experience by having a tatoo does not mean that God wants everyone to get one. I believe rather that God would like to lead everyone through darkness but too many people want to walk their own way even along God's pathway. There is a shade of difference there that perhaps you and others do not see, but it is where I am.
 

Desire Of All Nations

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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...)
Anyone who needs a tattoo to explain the Bible to someone clearly isn't educated enough about it to call themselves an evangelist or witness. Christ didn't need that nonsense to explain the scriptures to somebody, and neither did any of the other apostles or the actual evangelists of the 1st century. One of the many problems with Orthodox Christianity is that its adherents think their desire to convert people justifies disobeying God, but the reality is that Satan has those people exactly where he wants them:

"Tattooing is often a magical rite in the more traditional cultures, and the tattooist is respected as a priest or shaman." - Michelle Delio

"When the designs are chosen with care, tattoos have a power and magic all their own. They decorate the body but they also enhance the soul." - Michelle Delio

"The reasons why puncturing the skin should be regarded with some degree of awe are not far to seek, for in the first place, there is the drawing of blood, which to the savage world over is full of significance as a rejuvenating and immortalizing factor. There is in addition to the opening of numerous inlets for evil to enter. . ."
- Hambly Wilfrid

"The origins of tattooing came from ancient magical practices. . . " - Laurie Cabot

"[Tattooing] "In association with sun-worship, megalithic building, ear-piercing, serpent worship, . . ." - Ronald Scutt

Those quotes show that tattoos involves the worship and invocation of demons, and is inextricably tied in with the worship of false gods. There is a reason why the Bible explicitly warns Christians against being involved in such activities. People who get tattoos are foolishly inviting evil forces and spirits they don't understand into their bodies, regardless of their intention. This is not a game, and no one calling themselves Christian should be treating it as such. When God says don't get tattoos for any reason, it is for our own good as human beings to obey that command.
 

farouk

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Anyone who needs a tattoo to explain the Bible to someone clearly isn't educated enough about it to call themselves an evangelist or witness. Christ didn't need that nonsense to explain the scriptures to somebody, and neither did any of the other apostles or the actual evangelists of the 1st century. One of the many problems with Orthodox Christianity is that its adherents think their desire to convert people justifies disobeying God, but the reality is that Satan has those people exactly where he wants them:

"Tattooing is often a magical rite in the more traditional cultures, and the tattooist is respected as a priest or shaman." - Michelle Delio

"When the designs are chosen with care, tattoos have a power and magic all their own. They decorate the body but they also enhance the soul." - Michelle Delio

"The reasons why puncturing the skin should be regarded with some degree of awe are not far to seek, for in the first place, there is the drawing of blood, which to the savage world over is full of significance as a rejuvenating and immortalizing factor. There is in addition to the opening of numerous inlets for evil to enter. . ."
- Hambly Wilfrid

"The origins of tattooing came from ancient magical practices. . . " - Laurie Cabot

"[Tattooing] "In association with sun-worship, megalithic building, ear-piercing, serpent worship, . . ." - Ronald Scutt

Those quotes show that tattoos involves the worship and invocation of demons, and is inextricably tied in with the worship of false gods. There is a reason why the Bible explicitly warns Christians against being involved in such activities. People who get tattoos are foolishly inviting evil forces and spirits they don't understand into their bodies, regardless of their intention. This is not a game, and no one calling themselves Christian should be treating it as such. When God says don't get tattoos for any reason, it is for our own good as human beings to obey that command.
@Desire Of All Nations Thanks for your post. The adjacent verse in Leviticus to the one that is often referred to seems to say about not trimming beards; do preachers shave?

If they do shave, perhaps they are backhandedly admitting that they are NT believers ruled by the Gospel rather than OT Jews in the land under the law.

BTW: ear piercing is in the Bible and even forms part of the backround to Psalm 40 and the bondservant.
 

amadeus

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@amadeus Absolutely right that no one needs to get a faith based tattoo.

In the video, the speaker seems to be a Godly young lady that seriously has been searching the Scriptures, anyway...
I have nothing to say against what I heard her saying, but each of us needs to follow God for ourselves. Not every one of us is at the same place on the road nor are we all to be the same part of the Body of Christ.

I do believe there is a better way to witness for God than tatoos, but I do not require everyone to agree with me either. I am not their God or their leader...

If someone wants my advice on this then if I can I will do so, but the final decision is still theirs.
 

farouk

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@Angelina From back a bit:
@farouk all the siblings above me were brought up very English, old school, cos our Dad came from that era. No tattoos or anything like that....

This was in NZ, right?

I saw this post from Heavenhome in Australia:

Heavenhome said:
I'm a cleanskin;)..
My dear Dad had two tattoos but that was from his navy days.
I have noticed however that lots of young girls have them and what is really noticeable is a huge amount are women say around their sixties .
christianforums

Seems like in Australia things have changed a lot as far as tattoos opening up; who gets them now, etc., is concerned.

Maybe in NZ also?

Although it used to be a man thing, for sailors, etc., it's become hugely a woman thing also, and it seems like in Heavenhome's part of Australia it's a very significant amount of women in their 60s that have had it done.

All the young ppl with Bible verses tattooed with whom I have spoken seem to have had theirs done as an evangelistic tool, anyway.
 
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farouk

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I love all of God's word, but John 3:16 is the one that revealed Jesus to me!
I'm thinking about getting a tattoo or two. Perhaps a cross on one shoulder and a star of David on the other.
@Truman So how are your plans going?

Did you check out any parlor portfolios yet for ideas? (you can go in without obligation, of course...)
 

Truman

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@Truman So how are your plans going?

Did you check out any parlor portfolios yet for ideas? (you can go in without obligation, of course...)
I don't think I'm aloud in a parlor or on a bus to get there. I live in Canada and I'm not vaccinated. But if I could, since I barely have the strength to take care of myself, I don't think I would. Due to my health issues, I'm basically a shut-in.
I'd be open to a tattoo, though. Though it could possibly trigger a Lupus flare.
 

farouk

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I don't think I'm aloud in a parlor or on a bus to get there. I live in Canada and I'm not vaccinated. But if I could, since I barely have the strength to take care of myself, I don't think I would. Due to my health issues, I'm basically a shut-in.
I'd be open to a tattoo, though. Though it could possibly trigger a Lupus flare.
@Truman Well, I guess you could always talk to your family doctor about any health implications/fears, etc., of doing it.

Seems like for some Christians, getting some faith based inking has become a mature, deliberate decision that they don't regret afterwards:

Rita said:
I have never regretted my tattoo.. I love the tattoo..the tattoo was not liberating - the tattoo represented the liberation and freedom that the Lord had brought me through..The tattoo in of itself was merely the means of expression and the reminder. .. I was 50 when I had mine done, and two of my sons had various tattoos long before me. I made the decision with a mature head on my shoulders.

(I hope you will be okay healthwise...)
 

Truman

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@Truman Well, I guess you could always talk to your family doctor about any health implications/fears, etc., of doing it.

Seems like for some Christians, getting some faith based inking has become a mature, deliberate decision that they don't regret afterwards:

Rita said:


(I hope you will be okay healthwise...)
I don't have any fears, just 20 years of experience. I listen to the Lord about my health these days...I've learned it's healthy! Lol
 

farouk

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I don't have any fears, just 20 years of experience. I listen to the Lord about my health these days...I've learned it's healthy! Lol
@Truman You must speak from experience, then....

I guess if you did eventually have it done, you would likely not regret it afterwards?

Interesting what @soul man says:

my girls love the ink - My oldest has a new really good artist, she wants us to get matching tats .. Tattooing in our day is big, if you need or want a tattoo, that is what you should have written in the biggest boldest lettering you can get. Stare at it daily, study it daily, it never gets old. It is the only message you need that flows from scripture in full depth of understanding for anyone that will pick it up and want to know something about it.
 

Truman

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@Truman You must speak from experience, then....

I guess if you did eventually have it done, you would likely not regret it afterwards?

Interesting what @soul man says:
It's taken me 63 years to decide that I would get a tattoo...I wouldn't regret it. I don't regret the cross, and I don't regret learning of my Hebrew ancestry. It's who I am. A cross and a start of David...if I get it done.
Have to run it past the Lord first, though. He's my boss! :)