“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31(NIV)
*Most verses will always be in NIV version.
I thought I would tackle this issue, because I get asked about it a lot.
Lisa, “What do you think about tattoos? You have one… and you are a Christian.”
I am sitting here in my best friend’s apartment (Diana I told her I would put her name… love you) building’s lounge and felt inspired to write amongst the marble and trendy, simple decor. Part of me belongs in the city amongst the hustle and bustle. I love downtown. Honestly, I believe there is an inner hipster inside me that comes out at certain times- like when I see reusable grocery bags or a see homemade soap online. There is this part of me that says, “I should live in San Antonio, open up a zero-waste shop and write to my heart’s content.”
That being said, my pocket book and God are like, “Yeahhhh, no.”
But moving on, I also have discovered something else hipster about me- I like tattoos.
Now, let me preface this by saying- I think there is a point where self-expression can get a little excessive- and so am I saying I want to be covered? No. However, I don’t feel bad for my tattoo. Not at all. In fact, I love it and I embrace it. I use it to witness to others and I have started several spiritual/deep conversations just by being asked, “Hey, what does your tattoo mean?”
But WARNING- if you get one, you will want another. I can totally see where they are addictive. So, fair warning.
The three main arguments I hear against tattoos are:
- “‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:28 In order to read the Bible in a way that makes sense and to interpret scripture we need to remember that although it is Holy, it is God’s Word and I do believe it is our greatest weapon against the powers of evil- it also is a historical document that involved the time and cultures around it. Am I saying it is outdated? Absolutely not. Am I saying you have to read it in the context of “This was written to these people about this…” and that you should know some Bible history if you plan on debating any issue at all. Absolutely. GOD DOES NOT CHANGE; however, cultures differ. Do I think all rules should be thrown out the window? No. Some things are just wrong because they are wrong. But let’s take a dive. Let’s consider who was writing this and who was being written to: Leviticus was more than likely written by Moses. We don’t have exact evidence of this, but it can be concluded. Leviticus was written to the Israelites after they were taken out of Egypt as slaves and it is what is referred to as the “Mosaic Law,” as apart of the Torah. What is so interesting is that Leviticus was generally the first book that Jewish children read, and it is the one that we now most avoid. LOL Let’s be honest, Leviticus can be taxing. So why would God command His people to not mark themselves? Well, the Israelites were living among the Cannanites, against the Lord’s command. God had already commanded they be driven out of the land, but that didn’t happen…so. God warned them if they did not drive all of the Cannanites out it would be a thorn in their side (AKA a pain in their butt)- Numbers 33:55. So God was saying, “Look if you don’t rid of these people, they are going to turn your hearts away from me.” And sure enough, God had to put some rules in place for the Isrealites because He wanted them to remain separate and distinct from their pagan surroundings. One way He did this was giving the Mosaic Law. So this command was established, (do not mark yourselves), because that is something the Canaanites and Egyptians did. The Cannanites would slash themselves after the death of a loved one in mourning and remembrance. The Egyptian women would have markings on their feminine parts as a “charm” for healthy fertility. There were also other commands to set them apart like Leviticus 19:27, “You must not cut off the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.” So, when posed the question, “You know you can’t get a tattoo right? It’s against Levitican law…” I say, “You know you can’t cut your hair right, it’s against Levitican law…” Tattoos are no longer seen as “pagan,” in general. Tattoos are pretty common and no longer set apart God’s people from the pagans of the land. Also this is the only verse in the Bible that deals with this. That being said, tattoos may not be for every Christian or person in general. Think twice before you get something permanent.
- “Tattoos cause diseases.” I get this one a lot. True, if Timmy is in his mother’s basement tattooing you with a dirty needle in a make-shift machine, you may get AIDs… just saying. Or with the popular and cheap “Stick and poke….” OUCH… you may get some unwanted skin rashes. But in general, tattoo parlors have all kinds of rules now that don’t allow them to use dirty needles or crappy equipment. My tattoo artist opens the needles out of a fresh package in front of me; his shop is clean; and I can attest to this because I have been there right after he mopped his floors.
- “Tattoos are not classy or professional.” Now, let me say I can see this argument and do agree with it to some extent. Let me also say that some people that I know who are covered in tattoos are some of the nicest I’ve ever been around. Use discretion, think about your placement, and really consider what you are getting on your body beforehand. Consider what job you want, how you want to be viewed and what position you are in spiritually. As a church leader, I know going and getting tatted-up is probably not the best idea. I realize we should not live our lives for other people opinions, but we do want to protect our witness. We don’t have to be perfect, be relatable, but don’t go out and do things purposefully being like “I’m going to tick some elderly person off! Tattoo here I come!” LOL Ya know, think about it first. If you are getting a tattoo of something that doesn’t glorify God- may not be the best decision. Saying “I love Jesus,” with a naked women on your chest can be quite confusing….
There you go. Three arguments against tattoos and three rebuttals/thoughts. Take it for what you will, and no matter your opinion on the matter know I love you!
Tattooed or not-
YOU ARE LOVED VALUED AND USEFUL.
Here are some websites I researched to help me gather my information:
Disclaimer: This does not mean I agree with everything it says. https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/what-does-the-bible-say-about-tattoos/
http://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-pentateuch/leviticus
http://www.learnthebible.org/they-did-not-drive-them-out.html