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Hi there!!

For a healthy discussion and to clear my utterly confused mind:-  

Is it a sin to tattoo your body? If is is, why?

Other then the book of Leviticus, is there any place where it says that it is a sin?

God Bless


Esther  :-\

Anyone out there for this topic or has this been already been discussed here in this forum?

Already been discussed....  ;D

er oops!! Could you be so kind to guide me to that thread, please?  :-[

Thank you and God Bless

Where please?

 :(  Yes. Where please?

Hi Gheetam -

You asked:


Yes, I do believe it is a sin. Here is the verse in Leviticus - Le 19:28 'You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the LORD. '

In the context of this Leviticus passage is that God is commanding the Israelites not to adopt the practices of the pagan nations in the land that is now Israel.

The pagans and heathens of today still tattoo their bodies. The question is, does God still want us to be separate from "the world." Yes, He does.

The other question is why would you want to get a tattoo anyway? There really is no good reason why other than you probably think it's cool - and don't try to justify it by saying you want to get a "religious tattoo." Hey, you should get a tattoo that says the Leviticus 19:28 verse - hehehe  ;D


No, the Levitcus passage is the only place in the Bible where it says anything about tattoos. The reason the New Testament doesn't deal with it is because it is already addressed in Leviticus. C'mon, Jesus didn't die on the cross so that now we can tattoo our bodies! I know what you're thinkin'!  ;D

Besides, aren't you relieved now? I heard getting a tattoo really hurts.

Blessings!
Chesed

No, he died to save our eternal souls and I seriously doubt whether a butterfly tattoo on your ankle is considered a sin.  God must be cracking up at how ridiculous we get.

Nope, my next one will be Galations 6:17  :)

Mine didn't hurt at all.  ;D

Melody -


Well, there are also those who seriously doubt that homosexuality is a sin too, but it plainly says so in the Bible. I'm not trying to equate tattooing to homosexuality, but the Bible is very clear about both.

Yes, Jesus died on the cross to save our souls, but also to create for Himself a holy people. What does it mean to be holy? Can we determine ourselves what it means to be holy? No. Should we look to the Bible that God Himself authored? Yes.

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

I know you must think it's a silly commandment not to tattoo our bodies and that breaking this commandment would be a small sin if a sin at all, but Jesus said, (Lu 16:10) "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much."

Blessings  -
Chesed

Sorry I missed the 'where' questions!  :-X

Click 'search', type in 'tattoo' and set the parameters for 360 days and posts by 'any'. If you don't have any luck, let me know and I'll try to search it for you. I'm heading off in just a minute or two.  :)

Commandment?  Is this #11?  We'll have to agree to disagree on the interpretation of the Bible.  If I followed all of the laws in Leviticus, I could hold slaves and sell my children if they were disobedient.  I try not to get tied up in "sins" and pray to the Lord for guidance in how to live my life.  :)

I used to have a nipple piercing. Now i don't have it anymore :D

That's what I think about tattoos and stuff.

It's another topic which will be discussed over and over again. However, I am not to judge anybody.

Melody -

Yes, you and I definately have a different understanding. I don't want you to misunderstand me, I don't think Christians who get tattoos are going to hell - but we shouldn't think about everything in terms of our salvation should we? Shouldn't we also think of things in terms of obeying and pleasing God?

You say "I try not to get tied up in "sins" and pray to the Lord for guidance in how to live my life."

Well, how do you know it is really the Lord who is guiding you if you don't use the Word as a standard to measure up the "guidance" you are getting? I have seen many people who said they had guidance to do many things. I have seen people who believed God guided them to have an extra marital affair, buy a really expensive corvette, all sorts of things! I think many people get confused between their emotions, and God's guidance. That's why we need to use God's Word as a standard, that is why He gave it to us.

I am saddened by your disdain for the Law God gave to us, when you say, "If I followed all of the laws in Leviticus, I could hold slaves and sell my children if they were disobedient. " It really shows how much you misunderstand God and His commandments.

Of this same Law, David said:

 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19)

What reason is there for getting a tattoo? What is at the heart of it? Is it not vanity? Proverbs 31:30 -Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, {But} a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

Blessings -

Chesed

Chesed,
I'm sorry you feel the need to judge me based on *your* interpretation of the bible.  Perhaps you should reread the part about "Judge not lest ye be judge."

I do not disdain the law of God.  I just disagree on your interpretation.  The Pharisees and Sadducees also tried to interpret God's law for His people rather than worrying about their own relationship with God.  There's a lesson to be learned there.

I see no point to further conversation on this topic as we will not come to agreement on this.

Melody -

I'm not judging you. I am judging the act of tattooing our bodies. The question was asked if it is a sin. The Bible clearly says it is - there is no need for "interpretation"  because it is obvious. If you happen to have a tattoo, I don't think the less of you. One of my best friends has a tattoo and got it while she was a Christian.


Jesus' contention with the Pharisees and Sadducees was not about their law keeping, but about their law breaking hypocrisy and traditions of men: Mark 7:13 "Thus, with your tradition which you had handed down to you, you nullify the Word of God! And you do other things like this."

We need to be careful that we don't nullify the Word of God by our traditions and interpretations. We should be cautious not to "turn the grace of God into licentiousness" (Jude 1:4).

I can understand if you don't want to discuss this further. I don't want to frustrate you. If you already have a butterfly tattoo on your ankle, I wouldn't even suggest you remove it. But Gheetam asked about tattooing and if it is a sin. Maybe she is considering getting one. I would try to convince her not to. That's all.

Take care,
Chesed

 

Hi there  :)

I just wanted to respond to this one statement even though it wasn't directed at me, if that' sok. ;D


I can tell you that my reasons are not vanity. You may not believe it, but it's true.  :) That's all...I just wanted to point out that while some people get tattoos out of vanity, not all do.

Vanity is definitely not an issue I struggle with--those who know me, know this to be true. ;D I don't wear makeup, get my nails done, or mess with fancy hair do's. Appearances really mean zilch to me.

My next tattoo will be done as a witnessing tool...don't knock it either. You'd be surprised how well it works. ;)

Actually, my sister has the tattoo and it is of the dancing Snoopy with 2 Samuel 6:14 underneath.  Based on the questions she gets from perfect strangers, I would guess that it, along with her character, are a wonderful witness for the Lord...for a couple reasons.  First, by having a tattoo many people consider her approachable and, second, they'll ask about the tattoo and it leads into a discussion on God and the Bible.  btw...her tattoo was not done for vanity.

I believe that when the Bible talks about cutting or tattoos it may very well have been intended to warn the people against defacing their bodies with the marks of idols or other religions.  That is why I say it is in how you translate it.

Am i the only one who thinks this is so cruel to homosexual people or people who have tattoo's, i hane nor am neither, but still i find this offensive.  I don't wanna sound like i'm 'having a go at religion' but i just find it so hard to buy into beliving everything that the bible says :-\ :-\ :-\ .......i doubt anyone feels the same way though.


Yo who is that guy with the butterfly tattoo on his ankle, cause Molly has the same tattoo, can someone give a brief definition of what the guy did n stuff, thanxs a lot guys

Luke O -

Yes, some people find the Bible offensive. I make no apologies. If you are offended by Christians believing their Bible, maybe you're on the wrong forum.

Homeskillet and Melody -

Because of your posts, I am convinced that I should rob my local bank and give the booty to God as an offering. I figure He won't mind my stealing as long as I'm doing it for Him, right?

Well, you know I am speaking in jest. I am using an extreme example to point out your error.

Melody, if we use your way of interpreting the Bible, we can manipulate it to say anything we want it to say.

I think that using tattoos as a witnessing tool, is like offering to God a "sacrifice" that He didn't want -- and "To obey is better than sacrifice." (1 Samuel 15:22)

Take care,
Chesed

And I will agree to disagree with you (http://www.joskillet.com/images/Smilies/Thumbs%20Up%20and%20Down/thumb.gif)

Well, not about finding the Bible offensive, there isn't one part of God's word which offends me. It's my sword!

It's always nice getting others opinions, isn't it?  ;D

Anyway, for anyone who may be interested here's an example of what I think I would like my next tattoo to be. (Still undecided)

(http://www.joskillet.com/images/hurricane/tat.JPG)

Galations 6:17 reads "From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus."

God bless.  :)

Homeskillet -

Agree to disagree? Sure that's fine.

Hey that's a nice picture you posted of the tattoo. Can you get it as a press-on? ;D

Take care,
Chesed  

One press on coming up...Just for you!  ;D

Hey--a question or two if I may--just to get your take and not necessarily to debate....k?

Do you shave your facial hair? (If you are not male then please ignore the question.  ;D)

And...here is Lev 19:28 (the verse in question) in a couple different versions:

28   Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. (KJV)

28 " 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD . (NIV)

28You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD. (NKJV)

I interpret that the same way many scholars do--that we aren't to make cuttings or tattoo for the dead. (This was a pagan ritual in those times) So, if we're not doing it 'for the dead' then how does this verse really apply to us?

Just wondering what your take is, that's all. :)

Homeskillet -

Well, I'm not a bearded lady - and I'm very thankful that I don't have facial hair to contend with... lol :) My husband, however, does have a beard/mustache.


Yes, the context of this chapter and verse is related to the prohibition of pagan rituals. I think the reason the commandment not to tattoo is lumped together in the same sentence with cutting our flesh is because both are related to skin. In the verse before it, it gives 2 prohibitions regarding the head: "(1)You shall not round off the side-growth of your heads (2)nor harm the edges of your beard. " Then it gives 2 prohibitions regarding skin: "(1)You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead (2)nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves." Notice how the 2 verses read similarly.

Take care,
Chesed

Nice to meet you SISTER ;D

God bless.

Chesed,
Yes, but if you are going to take the Bible literally, then you can't just pick and choose the parts you want...which you are doing.  If you take some of the laws of Leviticus literally, then you must take them all....or you are manipulating the bible to suit your motives.

Galatians has quite a bit to say about the laws of the Old Testament.  Paul wrote that our salvation is only through accepting Christ as our Saviour and Lord and that following the laws won't do it.  I don't have my Bible with me at the moment, but will be happy to forward some quotes about it.

TATTOOS & THE BIBLE

http://www.biblebelievers.com/watkins_tattoos/bible.html


The above link has a lot of info on this subject



<:)))><

Well I'll certainly admit they have a powerful lot of quotes from people who obviously agree with them.

Personally, I find it a little scary that some Christians believe they speak for God and are using the literal translation of the Bible (which btw has already been proven to have numerous errors of translation - both mistaken and politically motivated) as their basis of proof...and pick and choose which parts they adhere to.

Melody,

in Hebrew, the latter part of the verse (Lev. 19:28) says  "u'ktovet ka'aka lo titnu bachem- ani YHVH"
which means-
and you (plural) shall not make in yourselves tatoos- I am the LORD.

Now I would guess that you don't read Hebrew, but this is a great time to start learning how.  I think it is a shame that all churches don't offer and strongly ephasize original language learning. The only reason that the text has survived this long is that there were those who did make a strong emphasis on learning the original languages.  (I'll get off my "original language" soapbox now).

As far as taking it literaly, are you saying that God didn't tell Israel not to tatoo themselves?  If you were part of Israel and Moses taught you not to tatoo yourself, how would you understand that?

When reading the text, you need to take the literal parts literally (though they may have deeper symbolic meaning etc), the poetic parts as poetry, narritive as narritive, etc.
In other words, genre plays into how a verse is to be understood as well as textual and historic context.

If you don't have the original language understanding, then you need to consult other people who have that understanding. I would recommend that you find some Bible scholars, and consult them before accepting the current practices of Christian youth (or what I am telling you).  Just because someone is a Christian, doesn't make what they do right as you pointed out.  

God speaks for himself through His word, but in translation is where we get bogged down.  I think that experientialism has been replacing our Biblical foundation for some time now.  Experience is good, and all believers will have experience with God to draw upon, but we also need to heed and take seriously (literally) what God says. If the word is not the foundation, then we will never be one in Messiah, but each man will do what is right in his own eyes (Deut. 12:8) worshipping God however they want.  This has led to the rise of such things as snake handling, and "Christian" nudist colonies!!

In all fairness, I realize that most believers who do get tatoos, just do it for fun, or to be a "witness", however misguided this may be.

If one does use it as a witness, and then the person one is witnessing to starts to read the Bible from front to back, it will then become clear that there is a conflict between the life of the witnessing person and the Bible, and that will just confuse them.  Besides, God doesn't need us to think of gimicks to attract people to Him, He draws them Himself and appoints the people He desires to talk to them.

BTW, Galations doesn't deal with the Biblical law, but the rabbinic law of conversion through circumcision.

If you are ever in need of a Bible while posting, use one of the online Bible search tools-
http://biblestudytools.net/OnlineStudyBible

They have several versions, and you can search for a phrase, etc.  They also have some study tools available as well.

I want to emphasize that I am only discussing tatoos and the Bible, I'm not judging you or anyone else on this matter.

As far as your comment that it is full of errors, are you saying the Bible is full of errors? Who were you saying was using the literal translation, the writer on the link, or Chesed?

Peace and Blessings,
-oneBook

OK Melody, enjoy your own religion and write yourself a new bible. I just posted the link.

Have a GRRRREAT Day :)





(http://www.sirinet.net/~blkidps/blgif1.gif)

I am saying the translations are in error.  Not all, but enough that I look at the Bible more as a work of inspiration and hope and not a literal translation "from God's mouth to somebody's hand."    No, I don't speak Hebrew or Greek but have read works from bible scholars who do.  Some of these have dealt with the errors in translation.   Our pastor is also a bible scholar, fluent in both Greek and Hebrew, and I've talked over some of these points with him at the time I became aware of them.

Sorry, but I don't keep all of the exact quotes in my head.  I have enough trouble finding my car keys and shoes in the morning.  However, one that sticks is a quote that we should not suffer a witch to live.  According to several bible scholars, the word "witch" actually translates to "poisoner."

Recently, I read an article from a bible scholar saying that there's a passage in the bible (sorry...again can't remember exactly where) where the translation reads "in pain I bore you" but bible translators changed the wording because they felt it was too similar to how a woman gives birth and the writers of the time felt this would give people the idea that God was a woman.  

I'm just throwing this out and if I find the actual information again, I will happily post it here.  Just explaining why I will not use the bible as a literal translation.  When I read the Bible, I pray and ask God for guidance and then follow where he leads.

If someone reads the Bible and feels tattoos are wrong, then by all means they should not get a tattoo.  That's not the way I feel after talking to some learned bible scholars and praying.

God does not want us to be part of the world but He wants us to be in the world. That is why God does not want us to get any tattoos because it defiles and defames our Temple. God DWELLS in US. We should not cut ourselves or get any tattoos. God says we should be holy because God is Holy being set apart from the world and the pleasures in the world.

Michael

I forgot to add. I do not believe there are any errors in the Bible and the errors that are contained are Numerical errors in the Old Testament, which do not sway or mislead or take away from the stories in the Scriptures since they are not Divine Errors but Human tranlsation errors.But you can normally look through the Septguaint or the Tanakh to normally clear up the numerical mistake.
 The scriptures are error free.

in the Tankah Exodus 22:17 it says You shall not tolerate a sorceress.

in the Septguaint in Exodus 22:18 Ye shall not save the lives of sorcerers.

The NIV Exodus 22:18 Do not allow a sorceress to live.

The Torah the Five Books of Moses the New JPS tranlsation according to the traditional Hebrew text.

Exodus 22:17 You shall not tolerate a sorceress.

Complete Jewish Bible translation by David H. Stern.

Exodus 22:17(18) You are not to permit a female socerer to live.

The Reformation Study Bible The New King James R.C. Sproul.

Exodus 22:18 You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

Through these different tranlsation they all agree on the same thing  to not let a female sorcercess to live. and I do not see any errors of any of the different tranlsations that i posted.

Michael

All of these translations agree, but according to my pastor they are all mistranslating the original word...sounds like either deliberately or they're not doing their own translations.

Ok....I stand corrected and am going to have a little word with my pastor as well  :(.

I called one of my friends who is also a linguist and he said that the Hebrew word used in the Bible is Kashaph which translates as witch.  He said that some people are mistakenly using the word "chemah" (poison).  I don't understand how you can mistake one word for the other but then I don't read Hebrew.

I concede this particular point.

 Hi Melody did you read my post in General Theology called Hebrew Word Suffer and Poisoner.

I found the site this morning.

Hi,
No, I run my own business so I'm usually pretty busy in the mornings so I respond only to those threads I'm already following.  I don't check new threads until the evening and then only if I have time.  However, I'll make sure to look for your post.  

Interesting discussion!  I've been lurking in here for a few days now.   :D

Personally, I think this is somewhat in a grey area, and I doubt a tattoo would keep a person out of heaven.

Perhaps a better question is, whats the honest reason for wanting a tattoo to begin with?   As believers we should always be mindful of how the Lord wants us to live our lives.   So in my mind I would be asking....

1.  Is there anything in scripture that indicates that it might be wrong/OK?
2.  Will it improve my walk with Christ?
3.  Will it harm my witness for Him?
4.  Is it something you would invite Christ to do with me?

If you're not sure, then I would suggest praying about it before hand and ask God for opinion on the matter.

Grace and Peace!

Good stuff here!  :)