Tattooed Temples

[Melinda0213]

Two very controversial topics in the Body of Christ are tattoos and body piercings. Many Christians condemn this and rightfully so. In the scriptures, God makes references to your physical body as being the housing place for His spirit. For this reason it should not be defiled.


Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 1 Corinthians 3:17

Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:19

Based on these scriptures, Christians, do not approve of tattoos and body piercing. Because these are damaging and altering your physical body, which is God’s dwelling place, it is unacceptable. This is a completely logical argument.
If tattoos and body piercings are not acceptable for the temple of God, is being overweight, unhealthy, and out of shape acceptable? Do you think about your body being the temple of God when you fill it with fatty foods, chose not to exercise, or take proper care of it? You see, scripture applies to ALL areas of life. If you are going to condemn people with tattoos and body piercings for defiling their temple, you should first examine yourself. They may defile their temple with body art and ink, but you defile your body with food and laziness. In both cases, we are not treating our bodies as the holy temples for the dwelling place of our Father. It may be tight, but it’s right!


The bottom line is that our bodies are the temples of God and we should care for them as such. We should keep them in good condition. If you are overweight, and choosing not to each right and exercise, you are just as guilty of defiling your temple as a person who has tattoos from head to toe. So be careful before you judge. Take a hard look at your own temple and ask yourself is it acceptable to God. If it is not, then commit to changing.


What do you guys think about this topic?

(website edited out by moderator)

 

[Mike]

Welcome to CFnet!

As I noted in your post, our ToS says members need at least 20 posts in order to include a personal link.

Also, I think you better be prepared to hear from some very solid Christians who disagree with your stance on tattoos. While I've never gotten one, never would, and tend to agree with you, I also believe the heart of believers is much more important than what's drawn on their skin.

 

[tim-from-pa]

I won't comment on the tattoos, but I will comment on the so-called healthy lifestyle.

It seems that some of Christian advise on health guarding the body as the "temple of the Holy Spirit" sounds suspiciously like the medical establishment's advice, to which I say is not that of the Holy Spirit, but that of the world.

I'll tell you what my health is like : I never hardly need to go to doctors, and when I do it's more on the line of confirming a diagnosis in which I then decide how to treat myself based on the wisdom God gave to me. Don't tell me about so-called fatty foods (e.g. saturated fats) because that is a myth, saturated fats are not the cause of heart disease. Don't tell me about cholesterol being too high because that is a myth and an invented disease. Don't tell me to exercise like an "exercisoholic" thinking that means better health because it does not. All I've ever seen from excessive exercise and jogging for example is injury, and nothing good ever came out of it (of course they tell you to do that as it brings in MORE money for surgery). The best exercise is moderate outdoor work in the sun without a shirt on to soak up sun and make vitamin D2---living out here in the country, I am always exposed to outdoor work that needs to be done, healthy hours of sunshine, water to drink and fresh air---- best thing for you.

There's those well-meaning but severely misinformed Christians who would think that I am not taking care of my "temple of the Holy Spirit" but that is just delusional because they base their ideas on so-called medical science instead of the bible. I can do without that so-called Holy Spirit which is not holy at all, but that which casts out demons by the principle of demons. (Matthew 12:24-27)

 

[Christ_empowered]

I'm not a huge fan of tattoos. Not only do I think the Bible would have us "flee all appearances of evil," (can't think of the address, sorry) I also think many people regret them later in life. They fade. For women, having tattoos=a higher risk of an allergic reaction to hair dye (this happened to a friend of mine), which to me indicates that you're exposing yourself to some rather rough chemicals.

I have seen good tattoos, though. I saw an online magazine article about people with scars from "cutting" (self-mutilation) who stopped cutting and got tattoos to turn scars into something more attractive. That's a special situation, though.

 

[farouk]

I'm not a huge fan of tattoos. Not only do I think the Bible would have us "flee all appearances of evil," (can't think of the address, sorry) I also think many people regret them later in life. They fade. For women, having tattoos=a higher risk of an allergic reaction to hair dye (this happened to a friend of mine), which to me indicates that you're exposing yourself to some rather rough chemicals.

I have seen good tattoos, though. I saw an online magazine article about people with scars from "cutting" (self-mutilation) who stopped cutting and got tattoos to turn scars into something more attractive. That's a special situation, though.

Ce:

I had not heard this exactly; interesting; but this is something that women can talk about with the tattooist well beforehand. It used to be that some tattooists used some quite crude ink, but nowadays a lot more attention is paid to ink types.

Melinda:

Interesting article; and I read the original on your site, too, which was a bit longer I think, and it mentioned your own tattoo, I think (correct me if I'm wrong). Of course it's perfectly fine that you've changed your opinion somewhat. I agree with you also that folk who are obese, etc., to fuss about other ppl's tattoos!

(PS: In Ezekiel 16, even the Lord Himself gives Zion a nose ring!)

 

[Free]

I agree with the healthy lifestyle but it is also about taking care of our soul, our entire being. 1 Cor 3:16 and 17 are speaking of the Corinthian church as a whole--'you' is plural, therefore the church is the temple--and 6:19 is speaking to the individual but is in the context of sexuality. As such we need to be very careful in applying these passages to arguments against things like tattoos and piercings. I'm not saying 6:19 can't be used, just that we should be careful

Having said that, I think that there certainly is a point to be made about excessive tattoos and piercings and some of the other things that some do to their bodies.

 

[farouk]

I agree with the healthy lifestyle but it is also about taking care of our soul, our entire being. 1 Cor 3:16 and 17 are speaking of the Corinthian church as a whole--'you' is plural, therefore the church is the temple--and 6:19 is speaking to the individual but is in the context of sexuality. As such we need to be very careful in applying these passages to arguments against things like tattoos and piercings. I'm not saying 6:19 can't be used, just that we should be careful

Having said that, I think that there certainly is a point to be made about excessive tattoos and piercings and some of the other things that some do to their bodies.

Free:

Yes, you are right: excessive tattooing and piercing is not a good idea. In moderation: well, this is really a matter of individual taste, I reckon.

I agree about 'excessive' being over the top, although maybe years ago when there were less piercings some folk would have defined it a bit differently. Like, today even some grandmothers, pastors' wives, etc., might have 2 (or 3) pairs of ear piercings, yet it wouldn't be thought of as excessive.

Blessings.

 

[Fedusenko]

Exodus 21:6, "Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever."

Leviticus 19:28, "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD."

1 Corinthians 10:31, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Exodus uses piercings to mark a willing, life-long slave. That means that when the slave finishes the time period for serving his master he can choose to serve that master for the rest of his life. There are rules regarding slaves so this is not a 1700's african-american lifestyle.

Levitecus says not to do it at all.

Corinthians can do whatever they like... or that is how some Christians will take it.

 

[farouk]

...
I have seen good tattoos, though. ..

PS: Christ empowered:

Do you think that the medium can be effective in communicating something testimony related?

For example, for the serious young man who goes into the military and wants from the start to have something relating to his faith; for the pastor's daughter who is keen to assert testimony in this way before she goes away to college. Or even, the youngish grandmother who wants to be able to relate to her grandkids but to do so in a serious and memorable way?

 

[Christ_empowered]

I guess I just have a certain disdain for tattoos because I associate them with heavy drinking, drug use, and general immorality. However, if a born again, clean-living believer really wanted to get a tattoo to display something Christian, I guess it could work, especially now that tattoos are much more socially acceptable.

 

[farouk]

I guess I just have a certain disdain for tattoos because I associate them with heavy drinking, drug use, and general immorality. However, if a born again, clean-living believer really wanted to get a tattoo to display something Christian, I guess it could work, especially now that tattoos are much more socially acceptable.

Christ empowered:

So you do really think so, then? For myself, the question of whether something is socially acceptable isn't necessarily the key issue, if there is some higher principle involved. But if there isn't, and especially if the motive is faith related, I guess there are not a few Christians who go under the ink needle, do so with a clear conscience, I guess?

 

[Christ_empowered]

I think one reason Christianity has been able to spread so quickly and so far is because its adaptable to social norms (within reason). So, 30 years ago, if a Christian wanted a tattoo, I think it would have probably been inappropriate (at least in mainstream US society) because we are to "flee all appearances of evil," and a tattoo at that time definitely would have marked someone as a deviant of some sort.

These days, they're much more acceptable. Also, I'm not a Bible scholar, so I'm not really clear on how much the OT rules bind modern day believers. The more I think about it, the more I realize that my concerns would be: 1) a shallow, external display of faith; 2) trying to make Jesus trendy in a world where tattoos are "cool"; 3) cheapening the faith; and 4) like I posted before, I associate tattoos with drinking, drugs, and general immorality. That's probably more my problem than anything else, since lots and lots of people get tattoos.

Anyway, I thought over that article I read about cutters getting tattoos to hide scars. Why should it be OK (in my mind) for them to do that and not OK for a believer to mark his/her body for Christ, especially when lots of tattoos are decidedly un-Christian in nature? Also, a friend of mine got a sort of tattoo on her eyes @ a plastic surgeon's office recently (permanent eyeliner--actually, lasts about 5 years). Why did I think of that as a non-issue, but a trained tattoo artist making a permanent statement of faith on someone's body is somehow not OK?

Luckily for all of us, no one individual (me included) makes the rules for Christian behavior, lol.

 

[farouk]

Also, a friend of mine got a sort of tattoo on her eyes @ a plastic surgeon's office recently (permanent eyeliner--actually, lasts about 5 years). Why did I think of that as a non-issue, but a trained tattoo artist making a permanent statement of faith on someone's body is somehow not OK?

Luckily for all of us, no one individual (me included) makes the rules for Christian behavior, lol.

Christ empowered:

Actually, you have made an interesting and probably made an apt analogy, there.

What your friend did, having the eyeliner injected, is what not a few women do. If they intend to do it manually nearly every day anyway, then going under the needle for it simply saves a lot of time.

When it comes to a tattoo design that is avowedly a testimony related design, however, I guess the motive may well be a lot stronger than the mere convenience of having the eyeliner tattooed.

So, yes, your comment is quite thought-provoking. You have a very incisive way of looking at things. Blessings.

 

[Davies]

Given the Scriptures in the OP, they don't communicate explicitly that tattoos are sinful, so the question really is what does God think about tattoos? I wonder if we would be surprised, one way or the other? I'm not sure if drawing a permanent picture on the body is damaging or defiling to our temples, but I'd be more concerned with what comes out of the heart of a man. I'd say because I wasn't sure if tattoos were endorsed by God, I don't think it's a good idea. How do you do something without faith and say I have freedom in Christ to do it, and if the Bible doesn't explicitly say that tattoos are wrong or drawing any pictures on the body is wrong in and of itself, saying that's it's ok by reasoning from silence is not a good idea. I don't believe anyone would be condemned for getting a tattoo, but it's likely not a good idea. But if your conscience is clear, and you can have confidence in your faith that tattoos is not sinful, then so be it. I just hope ten plus years down the road, you won't be one of those going through the painful process of removing your tattoos.

- Davies

 

[farouk]

Given the Scriptures in the OP, they don't communicate explicitly that tattoos are sinful, so the question really is what does God think about tattoos? I wonder if we would be surprised, one way or the other? I'm not sure if drawing a permanent picture on the body is damaging or defiling to our temples, but I'd be more concerned with what comes out of the heart of a man. I'd say because I wasn't sure if tattoos were endorsed by God, I don't think it's a good idea. How do you do something without faith and say I have freedom in Christ to do it, and if the Bible doesn't explicitly say that tattoos are wrong or drawing any pictures on the body is wrong in and of itself, saying that's it's ok by reasoning from silence is not a good idea. I don't believe anyone would be condemned for getting a tattoo, but it's likely not a good idea. But if your conscience is clear, and you can have confidence in your faith that tattoos is not sinful, then so be it. I just hope ten plus years down the road, you won't be one of those going through the painful process of removing your tattoos.

- Davies

Davies:

Kind of a Romans 14 area, right?

Like I said, I guess if the design is specifically faith related, then for some people and their motives for going ahead with it, this may bring a whole, extra dimension, really.

Blessings.

 

[farouk]

These days, they're much more acceptable. ...
Anyway, I thought over that article I read about cutters getting tattoos to hide scars. Why should it be OK (in my mind) for them to do that and not OK for a believer to mark his/her body for Christ, especially when lots of tattoos are decidedly un-Christian in nature? ...

Christ empowered:

While whether they are socially acceptable would not necessarily be the main issue for me, yet you are absolutely right: they are much more acceptable these days.

I guess, for someone motivated to have a faith related tattoo design, if there were not any other significant arguments against it, then the fact that they are, as you say, much more acceptable today, might influence some people considering one (if this makes any sense?)

 

[Dirt]

There are a lot of things that are more "acceptable" today that still aren't right. I however have this, got it when I was 22...View attachment 2527

 

[farouk]

There are a lot of things that are more "acceptable" today that still aren't right. I however have this, got it when I was 22...View attachment 3085

Hi D:

Nice looking ink there.

So have you had opportunities to talk about the Lord Jesus to people as a result of your faith related tattoo?

Blessings.

 

[Dirt]

Hi D:

Nice looking ink there.

So have you had opportunities to talk about the Lord Jesus to people as a result of your faith related tattoo?

Blessings.

I have, although for a few years I shy'd away because I wasn't happy with the way I was living and even felt hypocritical even showing it. That's all changed now though...

 

[farouk]

I have, although for a few years I shy'd away because I wasn't happy with the way I was living and even felt hypocritical even showing it. That's all changed now though...

D:

Yes, and the natural and expected characteristic of believers is to 'grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ' (2 Peter 3).

I guess, also, it's also a matter of God's sovereignty in believers' personal lives.

In terms of the practicalities of now and the future, if He has allowed circumstances up to now to have involved the man or woman to have gotten a Bible related tattoo that 'speaks' to people, then by His grace He can still use it!

Did you get any ink touch ups in recent years? It still looks pretty good, though.

Blessings.