Can a Christian Get a Tattoo?
Why are you posting this again?
Because:
1. This post sends FTM a lot of traffic.
2. There is a lot of bad information on the web regarding tattoos and Christianity. There is some real stupid stuff being written, and I would like to combat that.
3. This post is about more than tattoos--it's about Christian legalism.
I was watching Miami Ink on TLC last night and I thought about this post. A lot of people watch shows like Miami Ink and see people with large tattoos up and down their arms and are really put off by it. Now, I don't plan on ever getting tattoos up and down my arms or covering my back or in any other manner that is such a dramatic bodily change, however, I've always found tattoos, artistically speaking, fascinating. Frankly, I look at some of that really great tattoos on shows like Miami Ink with a bit of artistic respect. But this is not why I am making a Christian defense of tattoos. I make a Christian defense of tattoos because there is nothing wrong with tattoos alone.
I've had people leave some nasty comments about Christianity and tattoos. If only these people were as passionate about Jesus as they were about their distaste of tattoos! People really get worked up over this stuff, and I really can't figure out why. It all boils down to legalism. I'm not saying there aren't certain things to be legalistic about... What I am saying is that tattooing isn't one of those things. I'm pleased that I have a high enough Google page rank that FTM comes up whenever someone does a search for Christian tattoos. It puts me in a position where I can argue against some of the legalistic misinformation that is out there. I don't claim to be any kind of Bible scholar (I'm pretty far from it), but I do have a Bible and a brain.
I can't give a straight answer on the issue of tattoos because it's not an entirely black and white issue. Tattoos aren't wrong, but...
Read on:
Should a Christian get a tattoo?
Only if you want one! But it's really not that simple, is it? What if you want a tattoo but your parents will be ashamed of it? What if you fear your tattoo really is a sin? What if you fear your tattoo might causes others to sin? Well, then, perhaps you need to read Romans 14:
I really like my tattoo and have absolutely zero regrets, but others may have regrets after getting one. If you want a tattoo you should think about it for a year or two before you get it. I thought about getting one for perhaps 3 years before I actually did it. If you have the least bit of doubt, then you shouldn't get a tattoo.
I always chuckle when people see my tattoo and say something like, "You know that's there forever now, don't you?" I like to respond by saying, "It is? Really? Uh oh! I had no idea!"
What does your tattoo look like?
My tattoo is on my upper arm (bicep/tricep area). Its about 6 inches long and 5 inches wide. It's a tattoo of Jesus with the "John 15:13" appearing below.
Many people are coming here wondering if its okay for a Christian to get a tattoo. Of course a Christian can do just about anything. That may or may not mean its okay. The real question is, is it a sin?
To answer the question immediately: It's not a sin to get a tattoo. There is nothing inherently wrong with a tattoo. There is something wrong (very wrong) with idolatry and satanism, both of which can be dangerously intertwined with tattooing. Many of the arguments against tattoos delve into idolatry and satanism, making some odd argument that all tattoos are of this form. Sure, a tattoo can be such things, but the vast majority aren't. Can a tattoo go the other way, perhaps so far as to be a symbol of one's faith in God? I say yes!
Don't think for a moment that I didn't give this thought before getting mine. There is some real rubbish on the Internet, so be careful what you read and ALWAYS check someone's opinion (including mine) against scripture. It's easy to find someone of an opinion that happens to fit with what you were hoping to hear and follow it blindly, so be careful.
I found a web site that says its wrong for Christians to get tattoos...
Be very careful what you read on the web.
When I was researching this topic myself I found one 'Christian' web site that was very anti-tattoo. None of their reasoning was based on the Bible, however, it was all based on emotion. Tattoos just didn't seem right to the author, so she went on a tirade against paganism and tribal art. Displayed on this site were numerous tattoo images of a satanic nature, furthering her 'proof' that tattoos are evil. She failed to mention anything about Christian tattoos, rather, she attempted to imply that all tattoos are of satan and death images.
I refuse to link to the site here because it is complete rubbish. By the way--the same site that I am referring to argues that the King James translation is te ONLY accurate translation.
Hey! I believe the King James Version is the ONLY acceptable translation!
Hmm... Let me know how that works out for ya.
What about such and such a verse in the Bible?
The most common verse people point to when discussing tattoos is Leviticus 19:28:
Here's a article that speaks to some of this [christianteens.about.com]:
Romans 10:4 says:
Many anti-tattooing Christians also point to this verse:
Romans 10:23 says:
You have the power to see for yourself!
So often Chrstians decide something is wrong not because of what they have read in the Bible, but because of what they have been told the Bible says. We are lucky these days--each and every one of us can look to the Bible for ourselves to see what is written on a given subject.
I don't favor loose or liberal interpretation of scripture at all. I think loose interpretation of scripture is a result of longing for a desired statement (or lack thereof) in scripture. Legalism can be bad too. Legalism is bad because it is based on incorrect interpretation of scripture.
Are you taking a liberal Biblical interpretation?
No!
I am (very) conservative when it comes to reading the Bible. Here is how I read it: Yes, it is okay to get a tattoo, so long as it is not idolatrous or pagan and it glorifies God.
I've gotten both positive and negative reactions to my tattoo. For the record, and to my surprise, most reactions have been positive. People like it, especially people at church. I was surprised by this.
Isn't your body a temple?
Absolutely. I want my body to "be a temple," for certain. I'm not about to get a pagan or idolatrous tattoo. I got a Jesus glorifying tattoo.
To summarize...
Here is my final opinion on tattoos: They are okay, if and only if they are used to glorify God and DO NOT offer a display of a false idol. Personally, I would only get tattoos that echo my love of God. Now, if you got a tattoo of a dragon, skull or even satan at some point in your life, you are not eternally condemned. There is a sin here, and it is idolatry.
Yes, if you repent and ask, Jesus will forgive you even for idolatry. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. That is not my opinion. That is a fact.
Do Christians have to get tattoos?
I get some people coming to this site by searching for the text "Should a Christian get a tattoo?" That question makes me laugh. This much is clear: Christians ARE NOT, I repeat, ARE NOT commanded to get tattoos. This should be obvious. There is a bit of history here, with Christians through the ages getting tattooed for various reasons.
A Christian may never display a picture of Jesus, wear a cross or have a Jesus tattoo placed on his arm. These are not requirements of being a Christian and to think so would be downright silly (not to mention tasteless and deceptive).
Thinking about getting one?
If you are contemplating a tattoo think and pray about it. What are you reasons? What is the image? Will the image be God glorifying or offensive to God? What is your motivation?
Tattoos aren't for everyone, and if you think for one moment you may someday change your mind about the tattoo, you're not ready to get one. To put it simply, tattoos may be Christian or un-Christian, depending on the subject matter, but there is nothing inherently wrong about a tattoo. There may be a lot wrong with what one makes of his or her tattoo. Of course, there may be something right about it too.
Keep in mind, some people, especially your family, may react negatively to your tattoo. Are you prepared to deal with that? I was. More than 1 of my family members were put off by my tattoo. I didn't really expect this, and, I must say, it did bother me a little. It would be easy to take an attitude and say, "That's their problem!" But, at the heart of it, I was a little bothered by their reactions. These people are over it now, or at least they don't complain about it anymore. I note this not because you should care what others think, but you may be surprised to learn that you do care, at least a little.
If you want one like mine feel free to email me. I have a jpg image of the template that I will gladly send to you.
Did it hurt?
Surprisingly very little. It kinda felt good!
Do you regret getting a tattoo?
No. On the contrary. I like it very much and if it disappeared tomorrow I'd go get it redone. (Actually, if it disappeared I may think about why that happened, but you get my point...)
Would you get another?
Yes.
I don't like tattoos!
I'm sorry. More power to ya... Herein lies the problem. We expect everyone to like what we like and dislike what we dislike. We expect our church experience to be everyone's experience. We expect everyone's arms to look like our own. We expect everyone's church music to be like ours. It gets pretty wacky.
I like tattoos. No, I'm not getting my arms covered in them, but I always enjoy seeing a really cool looking tattoo (there are some really bad tattoos out there too). Some do, some don't...
[My Tattoo]
[Miami Ink]
[Tattoo Johnny: The History of the Christian Tattoo Designs]
[The Poor Blogger: Coptic Christian Tattoos]
Technorati Tags: Christianity tatoo tattoos Christian tattoos Christian tattoo Miami Ink
Because:
1. This post sends FTM a lot of traffic.
2. There is a lot of bad information on the web regarding tattoos and Christianity. There is some real stupid stuff being written, and I would like to combat that.
3. This post is about more than tattoos--it's about Christian legalism.
I was watching Miami Ink on TLC last night and I thought about this post. A lot of people watch shows like Miami Ink and see people with large tattoos up and down their arms and are really put off by it. Now, I don't plan on ever getting tattoos up and down my arms or covering my back or in any other manner that is such a dramatic bodily change, however, I've always found tattoos, artistically speaking, fascinating. Frankly, I look at some of that really great tattoos on shows like Miami Ink with a bit of artistic respect. But this is not why I am making a Christian defense of tattoos. I make a Christian defense of tattoos because there is nothing wrong with tattoos alone.
I've had people leave some nasty comments about Christianity and tattoos. If only these people were as passionate about Jesus as they were about their distaste of tattoos! People really get worked up over this stuff, and I really can't figure out why. It all boils down to legalism. I'm not saying there aren't certain things to be legalistic about... What I am saying is that tattooing isn't one of those things. I'm pleased that I have a high enough Google page rank that FTM comes up whenever someone does a search for Christian tattoos. It puts me in a position where I can argue against some of the legalistic misinformation that is out there. I don't claim to be any kind of Bible scholar (I'm pretty far from it), but I do have a Bible and a brain.
I can't give a straight answer on the issue of tattoos because it's not an entirely black and white issue. Tattoos aren't wrong, but...
Read on:
Should a Christian get a tattoo?
Only if you want one! But it's really not that simple, is it? What if you want a tattoo but your parents will be ashamed of it? What if you fear your tattoo really is a sin? What if you fear your tattoo might causes others to sin? Well, then, perhaps you need to read Romans 14:
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15 If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16 Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by menSee what Paul says here? It might not be a sin in God's eyes, but there is a way for something that is not a sin in and of itself to lead to sin. Tattoos alone are not a sin in the eyes of God--I am convinced of this, but a tattoo might cause other problems and sins. This should be thoughtfully and prayerfully considered.
--Romans 18:13-18 (NIV)
I really like my tattoo and have absolutely zero regrets, but others may have regrets after getting one. If you want a tattoo you should think about it for a year or two before you get it. I thought about getting one for perhaps 3 years before I actually did it. If you have the least bit of doubt, then you shouldn't get a tattoo.
I always chuckle when people see my tattoo and say something like, "You know that's there forever now, don't you?" I like to respond by saying, "It is? Really? Uh oh! I had no idea!"
What does your tattoo look like?
My tattoo is on my upper arm (bicep/tricep area). Its about 6 inches long and 5 inches wide. It's a tattoo of Jesus with the "John 15:13" appearing below.
Many people are coming here wondering if its okay for a Christian to get a tattoo. Of course a Christian can do just about anything. That may or may not mean its okay. The real question is, is it a sin?
To answer the question immediately: It's not a sin to get a tattoo. There is nothing inherently wrong with a tattoo. There is something wrong (very wrong) with idolatry and satanism, both of which can be dangerously intertwined with tattooing. Many of the arguments against tattoos delve into idolatry and satanism, making some odd argument that all tattoos are of this form. Sure, a tattoo can be such things, but the vast majority aren't. Can a tattoo go the other way, perhaps so far as to be a symbol of one's faith in God? I say yes!
Don't think for a moment that I didn't give this thought before getting mine. There is some real rubbish on the Internet, so be careful what you read and ALWAYS check someone's opinion (including mine) against scripture. It's easy to find someone of an opinion that happens to fit with what you were hoping to hear and follow it blindly, so be careful.
I found a web site that says its wrong for Christians to get tattoos...
Be very careful what you read on the web.
When I was researching this topic myself I found one 'Christian' web site that was very anti-tattoo. None of their reasoning was based on the Bible, however, it was all based on emotion. Tattoos just didn't seem right to the author, so she went on a tirade against paganism and tribal art. Displayed on this site were numerous tattoo images of a satanic nature, furthering her 'proof' that tattoos are evil. She failed to mention anything about Christian tattoos, rather, she attempted to imply that all tattoos are of satan and death images.
I refuse to link to the site here because it is complete rubbish. By the way--the same site that I am referring to argues that the King James translation is te ONLY accurate translation.
Hey! I believe the King James Version is the ONLY acceptable translation!
Hmm... Let me know how that works out for ya.
What about such and such a verse in the Bible?
The most common verse people point to when discussing tattoos is Leviticus 19:28:
Here is something else in the same chapter:Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
--Leviticus 19:28 (NIV)
27 Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.These were commands to the Levites, and as you can see by reading these all of these Old Covenant commands, they speak very much against idolatry (I would recommend reading all of Leviticus 19). It can be problematic when scripture is quoted out of context or without regard to other scripture, and this is one case where pointing to a single verse has created an inaccurate legalism.
Here's a article that speaks to some of this [christianteens.about.com]:
The commands about idolatry still stand. In Leviticus 19:28, was God commanding that we not tattoo our bodies or that we not worship false idols? Its hard to say without further reading in the New Testament.As you can see, many of the other 'rules' that are laid out in Leviticus are not followed today. Does that mean that the whole book of Leviticus, or even the Bible should not be followed? No! It just means that we need to carefully analyze what the theme of the Bible is, and realize what it means for us today. The book of Leviticus contained several 'laws' that were made to keep the children of Israel healthy and holy for God. Tattoos in those days were extremely dangerous and could result in injury, disease, or death. The verse also is referring to a pagan ritual of putting tattoo marks on oneself for the dead, in order to protect oneself from the spirit world.
...
Why then, should one get a tattoo? A person does not need to get a tattoo! I am not advocating that everyone should get a tattoo - rather I am saying that we should not shun those who have tattoos, or make the blanket statement that they can't be a Christian. Some Christians get tattoos to show their allegiance to Christ, while others just think that it is something cool to do.I personally got my tattoo because it is something that I thought would look cool. I also wanted to have a tattoo that reminded me of my commitment to Christ as well as announcing that commitment to others.
Please think very carefully about getting a tattoo before you get one. It is not a rash or quick decision. Always get the permission of your parents if you are still living at home with them, and be very careful that you get your tattoo at a clean and healthy place.
Romans 10:4 says:
Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
--Romans 10:4 (NIV)
23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law Christ is the new covenant.Christ is the new covenant. I could point to more and more text in the New Testament that hammers this point. This is why it's okay to wear sideburns.
--Galatians 3:23-25
Many anti-tattooing Christians also point to this verse:
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.Some Christians will argue that these verses condemn tattooing (I don't see it). Other Christians point to these verses and say "I am glorifying God with this tattoo." By my interpretation, this verse is saying that I may get a tattoo, so long as it honors God and is in no way, shape or form indicitave of idolatry. Idolatry is the key issue here. We need to avoid idolatry of other gods and the passive idolatry of vanity.
--1 Corinthians (NIV)
Romans 10:23 says:
In other words, if I am getting a tattoo, I better be doing it out of faith. I'm not doing it out of pride or vanity--but because of my love of God. This is important. This is key!But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
--Romans 10:23 (NIV)
You have the power to see for yourself!
So often Chrstians decide something is wrong not because of what they have read in the Bible, but because of what they have been told the Bible says. We are lucky these days--each and every one of us can look to the Bible for ourselves to see what is written on a given subject.
I don't favor loose or liberal interpretation of scripture at all. I think loose interpretation of scripture is a result of longing for a desired statement (or lack thereof) in scripture. Legalism can be bad too. Legalism is bad because it is based on incorrect interpretation of scripture.
Are you taking a liberal Biblical interpretation?
No!
I am (very) conservative when it comes to reading the Bible. Here is how I read it: Yes, it is okay to get a tattoo, so long as it is not idolatrous or pagan and it glorifies God.
I've gotten both positive and negative reactions to my tattoo. For the record, and to my surprise, most reactions have been positive. People like it, especially people at church. I was surprised by this.
Isn't your body a temple?
Absolutely. I want my body to "be a temple," for certain. I'm not about to get a pagan or idolatrous tattoo. I got a Jesus glorifying tattoo.
To summarize...
Here is my final opinion on tattoos: They are okay, if and only if they are used to glorify God and DO NOT offer a display of a false idol. Personally, I would only get tattoos that echo my love of God. Now, if you got a tattoo of a dragon, skull or even satan at some point in your life, you are not eternally condemned. There is a sin here, and it is idolatry.
Yes, if you repent and ask, Jesus will forgive you even for idolatry. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. That is not my opinion. That is a fact.
Do Christians have to get tattoos?
I get some people coming to this site by searching for the text "Should a Christian get a tattoo?" That question makes me laugh. This much is clear: Christians ARE NOT, I repeat, ARE NOT commanded to get tattoos. This should be obvious. There is a bit of history here, with Christians through the ages getting tattooed for various reasons.
A Christian may never display a picture of Jesus, wear a cross or have a Jesus tattoo placed on his arm. These are not requirements of being a Christian and to think so would be downright silly (not to mention tasteless and deceptive).
Thinking about getting one?
If you are contemplating a tattoo think and pray about it. What are you reasons? What is the image? Will the image be God glorifying or offensive to God? What is your motivation?
Tattoos aren't for everyone, and if you think for one moment you may someday change your mind about the tattoo, you're not ready to get one. To put it simply, tattoos may be Christian or un-Christian, depending on the subject matter, but there is nothing inherently wrong about a tattoo. There may be a lot wrong with what one makes of his or her tattoo. Of course, there may be something right about it too.
Keep in mind, some people, especially your family, may react negatively to your tattoo. Are you prepared to deal with that? I was. More than 1 of my family members were put off by my tattoo. I didn't really expect this, and, I must say, it did bother me a little. It would be easy to take an attitude and say, "That's their problem!" But, at the heart of it, I was a little bothered by their reactions. These people are over it now, or at least they don't complain about it anymore. I note this not because you should care what others think, but you may be surprised to learn that you do care, at least a little.
If you want one like mine feel free to email me. I have a jpg image of the template that I will gladly send to you.
Did it hurt?
Surprisingly very little. It kinda felt good!
Do you regret getting a tattoo?
No. On the contrary. I like it very much and if it disappeared tomorrow I'd go get it redone. (Actually, if it disappeared I may think about why that happened, but you get my point...)
Would you get another?
Yes.
I don't like tattoos!
I'm sorry. More power to ya... Herein lies the problem. We expect everyone to like what we like and dislike what we dislike. We expect our church experience to be everyone's experience. We expect everyone's arms to look like our own. We expect everyone's church music to be like ours. It gets pretty wacky.
I like tattoos. No, I'm not getting my arms covered in them, but I always enjoy seeing a really cool looking tattoo (there are some really bad tattoos out there too). Some do, some don't...
[My Tattoo]
[Miami Ink]
[Tattoo Johnny: The History of the Christian Tattoo Designs]
[The Poor Blogger: Coptic Christian Tattoos]
Technorati Tags: Christianity tatoo tattoos Christian tattoos Christian tattoo Miami Ink
posted by MTR @ 7:37 AM
Comments: 67
