Poll: Tattoo artist: if a Christian daughter/son of yours worked as one, would you be supportive?

[PinSeeker]

So this is an angle that might cause some reflection: if a Christian daughter or son of yours worked as a tattoo artist, would you be supportive of the fact?

(Aspects which might be relevant: witness opportunities in faith based designs; sought-after skill outlet; whether or not someone somewhere would be offended influencing whether s/he did it at all, etc. ...)

Thoughts?

Hello, Farouk, an interesting question...

Tattoos were forbidden by the Lord in the Old Testament ("You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD." ~ Leviticus 19:28), but that was not just woodenly about giving/getting tattoos but about why it was done (idolatry, worship of false gods, slavery, identifying oneself with sin or sinful things, and the like), and I think the same would hold true today. So, to your question, I think it would depend on his or her implementation of said artistry (artistry, generally speaking, itself being a good thing given us by God, pointing us to His true beauty), what he or she used this chosen vocation (and maybe gift) to do...

Grace and peace to all.

 

[farouk]

Thanks to all who voted in the poll so far.

(NB: If you have not yet voted in the poll, please vote now.)

 

[farouk]

Hello, Farouk, an interesting question...

Tattoos were forbidden by the Lord in the Old Testament ("You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD." ~ Leviticus 19:28), but that was not just woodenly about giving/getting tattoos but about why it was done (idolatry, worship of false gods, slavery, identifying oneself with sin or sinful things, and the like), and I think the same would hold true today. So, to your question, I think it would depend on his or her implementation of said artistry (artistry, generally speaking, itself being a good thing given us by God, pointing us to His true beauty), what he or she used this chosen vocation (and maybe gift) to do...

Grace and peace to all.

@PinSeeker I thought it would be an interesting question, like you said. (Did you consider voting in the poll? there is a comprehensive range of possible responses, including non-committal ones.)

Today in faith based designs it seems to have become regarded among so many Christians as a rather benign, often modesty radiating witness tool.

Lady Crosstalk said:

I have Christian friends who have them. They usually have their favorite Bible verse tattooed on a wrist

tattoo hyphen awe dot blogspot dot

 

[PinSeeker]

Did you consider voting in the poll? there is a comprehensive range of possible responses, including non-committal ones.

I guess I would call myself non-committal on this, because there would have to be certain caveats on it, which I think I conveyed.

Today in faith based designs it seems to have become regarded among so many Christians as a rather benign, often modesty radiating witness tool.

Yes, but even that can be done in sinful, self-glorifying ways, even if unintentional. Don't you think?

To the picture, this really is neither here nor there ~ and maybe me just being nit-picky... ~ but Psalm 46 is only 1 of 150 Psalms, so the citation should be Psalm 46:5... I always sort of chuckle at making the singular plural regarding individual Psalms. Same thing with "Revelations"... John didn't have multiple revelations, so citing any particular passage there should also be singular ~ Revelation 11:5, for example. Sorry, sort of a pet peeve of sorts...

Grace and peace to you.

 

[robert derrick]

It was also unladylike to wear pants a couple decades ago. I wonder if she wears pants today.

Unlady like does not mean unchristian like.

This is only to be expected, perhaps also in the light of Romans 14.

Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

The teaching on conscience, is that we of liberty do not force it on the weaker conscience, and the weaker conscience doesn't judge the liberty of the strong.

Pentecostal 'holiness' churches are all about the weak of conscience, thinking they are the really really strong Christians in the room.

 

[farouk]

Hi @Gospel Believer FYI....did you see/vote in this poll I started?

 

[farouk]

@Rockerduck: FYI..........poll/thread I started..................

 

[farouk]

Hi @Rockerduck Thanks for your poll participation!

Feel free to explain why you voted the way you did.....................

 

[farouk]

I don't like tattoos but I don't judge others if they choose to get them. My son, stepson and stepdaughter all have tattoos.

@RLT63 I read an account of how a Hollywood producer wanted to re-create a 1950s beach scene; but it was hard to find enough young women without tattoos...

(Maybe the widespread urge to get a little inking done can be turned to testimony advantage when believers choose Bible quotes / faith based designs as theirs.....?)

I think a lot of believers - younger ones, especially - would view the tattoo artist profession quite positively, anyhow..........

 

[RLT63]

@RLT63 I read an account of how a Hollywood producer wanted to re-create a 1950s beach scene; but it was hard to find enough young women without tattoos...

(Maybe the widespread urge to get a little inking done can be turned to testimony advantage when believers choose Bible quotes / faith based designs as theirs.....?)

I think a lot of believers - younger ones, especially - would view the tattoo artist profession quite positively, anyhow..........

My stepdaughter has always keeps hers covered up. I have never seen it. She wears a one piece bathing suit so even when she is in the bathing suit you can't see it. Her Grandmother still doesn't know she has tattoos.

 

[farouk]

My stepdaughter has always keeps hers covered up. I have never seen it. She wears a one piece bathing suit so even when she is in the bathing suit you can't see it. Her Grandmother still doesn't know she has tattoos.

@RLT63 Yes, well you are right that one piece suits rather than bikinis do tend to cover some tattoos, navel barbells, etc.

Although if your stepdaughter's grandmother knew that her granddaughter's tattoos were - for example - faith based in design, she might eventually prove more amenable. (Though if she doesn't even know about the ink, I guess there's no knowing exactly how a person will react at first.)

 

[farouk]

My daughter is the oldest of my three children and has tattoos of her children's names on her wrists.

@Pearl I guess after your initial (slight) surprise at your daughter's tattoos, you have both gotten accustomed to them and also moved on and sometimes forget that they are even there...

 

[Pearl]

@Pearl I guess after your initial (slight) surprise at your daughter's tattoos, you have both gotten accustomed to them and also moved on and sometimes forget that they are even there...

Hi farouk, that was very old quote. Definitely forgotten all about it and moved on. Not an issue at all. People are free to ink or not ink, either way I'm not bothered.

 

[farouk]

Hi @The PuP FYI.............poll/thread I started................

 

[farouk]

You know, Most 18 year olds shouldn’t vote anyway. They’re pretty much still young and stupid and vote on emotion rather than logic. They do have soft heads that absorb information and maybe gun training at a young age would help. I dunno.

Hi @Mantis I guess it could be said that - from what you commented on the other thread - while 18 is often both the time for the first voting and the time for the first tattoo, the potential damage consequences of one as against the other can sometimes be more limited in the case of the tattoo........

(But then who are other ppl to judge.......)

( cc @atpollard )

 

[Rockerduck]

Hello,
Lev. 19:28 -“Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord.
Malachi 3:6 - I am the LORD and I do not change.

This sums it up for me. I have also found that the more one hates himself the more tattoos and piercings they have.

 

[farouk]

Hello,
Lev. 19:28 -“Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord.
Malachi 3:6 - I am the LORD and I do not change.

This sums it up for me. I have also found that the more one hates himself the more tattoos and piercings they have.

Hi @Rockerduck Thanks for the comment.

What do you make of the verse also in Leviticus 19 seemingly about not trimming the sides of one's beard? (Do preachers shave? if they do, maybe they are acknowledging that they are NY Christians under grace rather than OT Jews with bushy beards under the law...)

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 given the expected conversations about the verse that she likely anticipated, I can guess she would have gone joyfully into the tattoo parlor.

Thanks, anyway.

 

[RLT63]

Hello,
Lev. 19:28 -“Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord.
Malachi 3:6 - I am the LORD and I do not change.

This sums it up for me. I have also found that the more one hates himself the more tattoos and piercings they have.

Isn't Leviticus rules for Levitical Priests? I don't know if this applies to everyone

 

[farouk]

Isn't Leviticus rules for Levitical Priests? I don't know if this applies to everyone

Hi @RLT63 Some Christians do hesitate and struggle with the idea before they finally grasp it and do it, but once done they seem to be glad to have embraced it instead of struggling against it; one poster wrote about becoming a tattooed woman:

Mayflower said:

I struggled with the idea of getting a tattoo. But Jesus was the first thing on my mind when deciding what to get. .. I think the pastor's wife has a faith tattoo..I think I saw one.. quite a few in my church have faith based tattoos and my friend and I were talking about them....I've seen tattoos that have a lot of meaning like mine. I feel mine is special and thankful I got it. I haven't once felt guilty for getting it.

HeatherA talked about the path to getting hers:

I waited 5 years before getting it. .. Reno also has a lot of tattoo places. Carson City has a few. Most people travel to Reno or Las Vegas for it. .. I have 1 tattoo and I got it in Reno. .. I do have a cross tattoo.

 

[Rockerduck]

Hello farouk,

you said "What do you make of the verse also in Leviticus 19 seemingly about not trimming the sides of one's beard?"

This was to separate the Hebrews from their pagan neighbors and the priests who did shave the sides off their beards. Each of the "relationship" commands was to separate Hebrews from a pagan practice. However, Leviticus gives us the mind of God, so to speak. So when the Apostle Paul says the body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, we are sealed and belong to Christ now, so don't put graffiti on the Temple. You can have a beard now, just don't copy a cult leader. In the same Leviticus 19:26 it says don't eat blood, and at the Jerusalem council in Acts 15:20, blood is still a non starter to eat.