Leviticus 19:28 "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD."
I'm sure all of us know someone who has at least one tattoo somewhere on their body. Some even go to our churches and say they are saved. Don't get me wrong...I'm not passing judgment and saying that all people who have tattoos are lost and on their way to Hell. Some people got them when they were unsaved and others have gotten them since being saved. Having or getting a tattoo will not send a person to Hell. People are just ignorant and unlearned about how God feels about tattoos. I do believe there are some saved people who know or have been told how God feels about them but just don't care how He feels and encourage others to get them or continue to have more put on their body.
It has become "the thing to do" and consider it to be "body art". It used to be that the only ones who had tattoos were heavy metal rockers, bikers, etc. Today people from all walks of life have them. It has become a fashion craze. Many of the professional athletes that our children look up to have them.
The National Geographic News put out a report that 15% of all Americans are tattooed. The Alliance of Professional Tattooists estimates that over 39 million Americans have at least one tattoo...60% of that number are women.
Our children are even being introduced to the tattoo. Toys such as dolls can be bought with tattoos. Temporary tattoos can be bought out of machines for children or come in boxes of some kinds of cereal as prizes for them to put on themselves. The average age for getting tattoos is 16 years of age. Some even receive their first "real" tattoo in their pre-teen years.
Tattooing is the country's fastest growing retail business. You don't have to go far here in the Atlanta area before you see a tattoo shop or a billboard advertising them. And these places are staying in business...they are not closing up shop.
The world has gone tattoo crazy.
Sadly though....tattoos are being welcomed among Christians. Among the fastest growing trend in the tattooing industry is the "Christian" tattoo shops.
I feel this is something that needs to be addressed in our Christian realm today.
I pray that this and the posts to follow will help those who may not know any better to see this subject in a different way and know and realize how God feels about people tattooing their body.
36 comments:
Sis Julie - I agree with you here. Too many people are doing their own thing, adding Jesus to it and calling it Christian - but that doesn't make evil good! Can you believe that there actually is Christian Dungeon and Dragons now? I used to be involved in it before I got saved, and it is so pagan, occultic, and just plain evil - but now they've got a "Christian" version of it!
One fact I found interesting a few years ago is the Biblical term used for a tattoo: mark. All these lukewarm believers or professing believers running around and marking up their bodies - then one day the real church will be raptured out, and the Antichrist will appear and enforce his "Mark." If the church had kept pure, how much of the world after we are gone would have resisted this tattoo/chip? Probably a lot more - but so many believers have compromised and the world thinks there is nothing wrong with a tattoo - oh, this new world leader says we can buy and sell if we have a mark - I already got these other ones... Look this one is a cross and this one says Jesus...
It is just that people no longer care anymore about what God has to say.
Amen sister. I was just engaged in a lengthy discussion about tattoos with a dear friend. The Leviticus verse you quoted is relevant and totally applicable. The world has indeed gone tattoo crazy... what must the Lord think of this??? It should certainly be a matter of prayer, and delicately handled with individuals. Fortunately, our children (or their friends) have no interest. But I wonder about their peer general group. Hugs, e-Mom
People are drawn to tattoo parlors for the same reasons they are drawn to religion -- they are seeking some kind of self-validation and enhancement of self-worth. It doesn't surprise me that religious tattoos are popular: They double the value of the adornment.
If society didn't repress people -- by poverty, by poor education, by miserable health care, by corrupt laws, by fear -- we wouldn't be searching for psychological crutches.
Sorry I cannot sign my name, but I have felt before the hateful poison that drips from the pens of our so-called religious brethren.
bro. jerry....you are so right. I hadn't thought about what you have brought out. It definitely will make it easier for people to receive the mark of the beast. THank you for adding this.
e-mom...thank you for your comment. I have wondered what kind of response I would get to this post. I have two more posts on this subject that I'll be doing. I only pray that God would use these posts to help and not to anger.
Mrs Julie good post. You are right about people try to be ignorant of the situation. I have had a few conversations about this with a few people at work. People just try to condone their sin in our society today. I look forward to the rest of the posts.
Bro Tim
anonymous...I appreciate your comment. It is fine that you signed anonymously. I have done that as well on some sites just to voice my view but not to have them come to my site and attack me about my view on their site. Thank you for leaving a comment.
bro. tim...thank you. I know this is a touchy subject with many people...even saved people. I only desire with God's help to inform and help those that don't know the Truth to know what God says about this issue.
Julie: Thanks for the provocative post. While I know that I'll never have a tattoo, nor my wife, nor my grown children, I hadn't considered the Biblical implications. Food for thought!
tim perkins...thank you for stopping by and for leaving a comment.
Great post! Tattoos are so ewww!lol... Honestly I can't see why people have the desire to have tattoos. Although I do believe that tattoos are wrong.
Ginger
ginger....you are so right. They are ewww!! I don't know how anyone would want to put themselves through the pain and torture of getting a tattoo either. But they do. It is anti-God and people just don't care. I'm hoping to be of help through these posts.
Great post, Sis!!! I've seen this often in the young people of today - they want a foot in the world but yet say they are Christians - all under the guise of "Christian liberties". They don't stop to think about the tatoo causing a brother to stumble. They don't think of their testimony. What is right for someone else is not expedient to the believer. :-(
Thank you for tackling this subject!!!
sis. kate....thank you for your comment. It is a subject that I studied out a while back and have been praying for liberty to post it. I wanted God's timing on it. I got liberty over the weekend to go ahead with it. I'm not one to usually tackle such subjects that might bring about hostile comments or arguement. So far though all have received it well. I pray all do and realize that I do not mean to attack anyone but simply to inform.
Amen! Excellent post and great comments (esp. the aspect of the "mark" brought out by Bro. Jerry). Our family has talked about the tattoo craze, but your statistics still surprise me; I didn't realize it had gotten that bad. [And toys with tattoos ~ Ugh!]
As with so many other worldly things that have crept into the church, this fad is helped along within the Christian community by Biblical ignorance. (My son got into a discussion with several youth in our last church's youth group because they did not believe a verse existed that addressed tattooing.) Add to that the goats milling among the sheep sporting their their latest *branding*, and, well, the sheep stray!
Praying for you as you post this series, Sis. Julie!
sis. jodi...thank you so much for your prayers as I address this topic. I know it isn't popular with the world or with worldly so-called Christians. What a blessing to know there are godly young people that are taking a stand against such wickedness and helping other young people to become informed. May your son always take a stand for God and for right!!
This is so true. I plan on linking this post to my blog. Do you know, here in our local high school they have a few pages dedicated to pictures of the arms of students that have tattoos. Isn't that terrible? I thought it was a disgrace, myself. I couldn't believe my eyes.
~Kristi
sis. kristi....that is just awful. But that is so typical of the world...to glorify sin. That is how it becomes so commonplace and popular. Kids see that and think they have to have that too so they go get one and then it continues to spread. I'm sure the numbers I gave in this post will only begin to climb in years to come.
Hello, I got here by way of Happymama, I like your post, and I agree with you 100%. I to am a member of Independent, Fundamental Baptist Church that is King James Version 1611 Bible only.
I like your blog and will be back. Please feel free to visit my blog any time. thanks
http://www.theresamcentire.blogspot.com
Can you imagine all these young people once they are aged? Saggy tattoos! YUCK!
So glad you're back!
What a closed minded post. "It used to be that the only ones who had tattoos were heavy metal rockers, bikers" - tattoos have been around long before them.
just theresa...thank you for stopping by and for letting me know you were here. I pray you find a blessing and encouragement here. I'll be going to check out your site as well.
sis. pam....oh yeah...most definitely yuck!! LOL!! It's good to be back.
christian....my statemtent was not meant to be closed-minded. I guess I should have said that those groups are the ones that were known for wearing tattoos. They were the ones who made sure that people knew they had them by displaying them proudly. Thank you for bringing that statement to my attention. Thank you also for stopping by.
What a closed minded post. "It used to be that the only ones who had tattoos were heavy metal rockers, bikers" - tattoos have been around long before them.
You're right - the lost pagans had them long before lost bikers and lost heavy metal rockers did. Still, the Lord tells us not to conform ourselves to the world. TRUE Christians are to live and act differently than the lost world around them.
Hmmm, lost pagans. So it was fine to kill indigenous of the Philippines because they didn't share the same believes as you? Oh well. I don't believe in the bible anyway. Nice story though. Here's something I found that you guys can debate. It's on ReligiousTattoos.net
Leviticus 19:26-31 deals with pagan practices and God's prohibitions against adopting those practices. In verse 28, God is warning the Jewish people about a pagan practice at funerals, where pagans would mutilate/mark themselves to appease their false gods. The pagans hoped that by cutting themselves and marking images/symbols of idols on their bodies, that they would obtain favour in the afterlife from their false gods, both for themselves and for those who just died.
See the Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible, the New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible, the Adam Clarke Commentary, and the Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible for more detailed analysis.
Then why are you lying by choosing Christian as your name?
P.S. Check your history - it wasn't Bible-believing Baptists that slaughtered anyone that disagreed with them. That was the Catholics, and some Protestants, of which Baptists are neither...
I don't really know how I feel about this. To say a tattoo is wrong, does that also mean you think getting your ears pierced is wrong? Or any piercing for that matter? How about painting your face for a costume or a football game -- is that wrong? The Bible does not specify permanent or temporary markings, as you indicated with mentioning temporary tattoos. Now yes, I would say it would be wrong to get an "evil" tattoo, such as inappropriate symbols, words, pictures, etc, but I honestly don't see the harm in a little butterfly or animal or design or something of the sort. I do not have a tattoo, and I respect that you believe they are wrong. I'm just wondering what other things could also be considered wrong. Honestly, if you're going to abide by all the Old Testament laws (which, by the way, are not for the New Testament church of today), then you will have to
1. start offering sacrifices
2. declare yourself to be unclean when you are sick
3. not wear clothing that is made of two materials (Lev 19:19)
4. only eat the fruit you grow every fourth and fifth year
5. keep the Sabbath day (this is Saturday in the Old Testament)
There are many more I could list. I believe in the New Testament church, many of the OT laws were written in accordance with the practices of the times. I could really start a whole discourse on this. Anyways, yes, I agree, tattoos can be ungodly. However, I just think that if you are going to take one OT verse and use it against tattoos (which you may or may not be justified in doing), then you may need to be prepared to also abide by the other (outdated) laws. I'm sure you will have to agree that the practice of sacrificing is outdated.
Just my opinions/beliefs -- I hope I have not offended you in any way. I would definitely be willing to discuss this further. Thanks for reading!
The OT sacrifices and clean/unclean laws have been clearly done away with in the NT - show me where it says the commands against tattoos/marks has been. The Bible teaches earrings are okay for WOMEN, but that piercings are wrong.
melissa....To answer your question...does that also mean you think getting your ears pierced is wrong? Yes I do. I know that is not a popular belief either but the Bible speaks against this as well. My same statement applies to that "If Gad wanted them there He'd have put them there.
I also say a tattoo is a tattoo. It is a marking of the skin. So to get a butterfly or flower as opposed to a skull and crossbones or a dragon makes no difference. I suppose you can justify anything then that is wrong as long as it looks good or sounds good. Do I have something against painting the skin for football games and such...if it causes a person to stumble in this area of tattooing...yes I do. I do not want to give anyone reason to believe that I agree with something that is wicked. I also don't wear fake or clip-on earrings for the same reason. Now that may seem foolish to you but I am not going to take a stand against something the Bible says is wrong and give a person reason to question me where I stand on it.
As for the things you mentioned about us observing in NT times that were observed in OT times...here are my answers. We no longer need to sacrifice because the ultimate sacrifice has satisfied the Father...that sacrifice being the Lord Jesus Christ and His death on Calvary and His resurrection. Declaring ourselves to be unclean when we are sick....I do that...when I am sick I call the parents of the children I babysit and let them know I am sick and contagious. I also tell others at church that I am sick so they don't get too close to me and catch what I have...don't you do that? As for not wearing materials that are two different types....there was a reason for that then and I would suggest you study it out for yourself or read my Godly Apparel posts....I believe I dealt with that in there. And the dietary laws were done away with in the NT as well. We are now free to eat anything we choose. The dietary laws were done in the OT due to the different feasts they observed and that was linked to the sacrificing that was done then too. As for the Sabbath....NT saints no longer observe the Sabbath...we observe the Lord's Day (Sunday) since that is the day the Lord rose from the grave.
I'm not offended by your comments. I appreciate them. I just simply ask that you either go to a good Bible believing church that will teach you the things you have mentioned and what God says about each of them or you get in your Bible and do some earnest studying on these subjects that you mentioned. I can also tell you that many of the people that visit my site have excellent blogs that have dealt with some or all of these subjects. I'm sure you can find the answers you are looking for there.
I've not done posts on all of these subjects you mentioned. I've not felt led to. But since you have brought them up I will pray about doing some and begin to study them out for myself so as to inform others like you that are not learned in these areas.
I do not wish to argue with anyone on these things I post about on my site. I simply share what God showed me. Pray and search God's Word and see for yourself what God has to say about this and other issues. Thank you again for stopping by. I pray you'll come by again sometime.
bro. jerry....thank you for all the input you are giving. I only wish and hope to help those that are deceived about the evil practices of our day. Any help you give is greatly appreciated!!
In response, I do go to a fundamental Bible-believing church, but there are not generally messages preached on tattoos and piercings, if you know what I mean. I will have to look into the Word for further answers. Thanks for giving your input, I respect that you are consistent in your beliefs.
melissa....I can understand that messages are not preached on these subjects in length and detail. My husband hasn't "preached on" these subjects but has mentioned them in his preaching when he preaches on sin and names it. I'm glad you go to a good church. But even the church isn't our final authority....God is. I'm glad you are going to dig deeper in God's Word and confirm what He says about it. May God bless you as you seek to serve Him faithfully.
Sis. Julie, I totally agree with you. I thought I was probably the only one who had come to the conclusion that ear piercing was wrong. Too bad, I already had my pierced before I knew what the Bible had to say. I quit wearing my earrings and am in the process of hoping and praying the hole in my ear grows back together. Great Bibles lessons you have taught. My first time to read them. Thank you . connie from Texas
Sis. Connie...I have two holes in each ear and only one of them have closed up. I haven't worn earrings in over 10 years and they still haven't closed. Not too many Christians believe ear piercing is wrong. They feel the other piercings are wrong but not the ears....I really don't understand that.
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