Tattoos 'just part of our society'; among Christians 'it is open'.

[farouk]

Not yet no, there are quite a few in my area so will check them out soon

This is the sort of thing I'm looking at
View attachment 3864

Grazer:

Interesting; an operative witness word there, in an ornate font.

Do you have a placement in mind?

 

[Grazer]

Grazer:

Interesting; an operative witness word there, in an ornate font.

Do you have a placement in mind?

Thinking the forearm or wrist

 

[farouk]

Thinking the forearm or wrist

Grazer:

Yes, well the wrist /forearm placement is popular for this kind of tattoo, I think; it's where something such as a WWJD bracelet would go in any case. I think women have been at the forefront of making this placement particularly popular since many women traditionally wear bracelets anyway; so putting a tasteful tattoo there is kind of simply going a stage further, I guess. (From being a mainly male thing, getting tattoos has now been adopted by women to a huge extent, and in North America some parlors report 60 - 70 % of their clients to be female. Previously the sleeve tattoo was very much a male thing but now a lot of women are doing it there, too.)

I talked to a guy who had the whole of John 3.16 on his arm. I'm sure others talk to him also; and this was probably the whole point why he had it done, so that it would bring about conversations.

 

[Grazer]

Grazer:

Yes, well the wrist /forearm placement is popular for this kind of tattoo, I think; it's where something such as a WWJD bracelet would go in any case. I think women have been at the forefront of making this placement particularly popular since many women traditionally wear bracelets anyway; so putting a tasteful tattoo there is kind of simply going a stage further, I guess. (From being a mainly male thing, getting tattoos has now been adopted by women to a huge extent, and in North America some parlors report 60 - 70 % of their clients to be female. Previously the sleeve tattoo was very much a male thing but now a lot of women are doing it there, too.)

I talked to a guy who had the whole of John 3.16 on his arm. I'm sure others talk to him also; and this was probably the whole point why he had it done, so that it would bring about conversations.

I'm thinking it would generate some questions which is always good

Think I'm going to be checking out tattoo parlours today :D

 

[farouk]

I'm thinking it would generate some questions which is always good

Think I'm going to be checking out tattoo parlours today :D

Grazer:

Tattooists don't usually do a 'hard sell'; it's not professional. They are usually willing to answer all sorts of questions. They want the client to be satisfied and to come when 'ready' and not before. Is your local parlor near you? the one near us closed recently, actually.

 

[Grazer]

I think there are several near me

 

[farouk]

PS from earlier:

I know at least one middle aged woman in our church that has tattoos. I know one of them is a Celtic cross on her arm. It's pretty small and it doesn't show when she wears long sleeves. She doesn't regret it or feel bad about it at all.

Speculative:

Yes, well I guess the comment would be, why should she regret it, right? It's something that many Christians do, and the fact that the person is described as a middle aged woman: many people in that category do it, also.

 

[farouk]

I think there are several near me

Grazer: Well, it doesn't surprise me; it's a service than so many men and women today feel they need. Hope your visit is informative and helpful, anyway.

 

[Speculative]

PS from earlier:



Speculative:

Yes, well I guess the comment would be, why should she regret it, right? It's something that many Christians do, and the fact that the person is described as a middle aged woman: many people in that category do it, also.

Well, she might have regretted it if it had been the name of an old boyfriend she had broken up with. :D. But with a Celtic cross you can't go wrong, IMO.

 

[farouk]

PS:, from back a bit,

My church is also very conservative, and I know that at least a couple of members/past members have tattoos, and probably more than that. (It's a small church and only a handful of people tend to attend.) We don't seem to have a policy on that.

.

questdriven:

Yes, well it I guess just goes to show that it's something that's really hard to have a 'policy' about, right? like, 'Abandon tattoos, all ye who enter here...'

Just doesn't work, does it?

(In fact, the potential for faith based designs might in some Christians' minds be even an argument in favor, at least on the level of the individual, of course.)

Blessings.

 

[farouk]

Well, she might have regretted it if it had been the name of an old boyfriend she had broken up with. :D. But with a Celtic cross you can't go wrong, IMO.

Speculative:

Well, you're right; while an ex-bf might be long gone, yet when doing it what she was really saying, probably, was, 'I want the skin on my arm (?) to point permanently to God', right?

Blessings.

 

[Claudya]

I don't know, I like the idea of having tattoos of ex boyfriends. It can be bad if a new boyfriend can read the whole list, maybed that's not what he wants to look at .... but other than that it's a nice idea to keep some memory of all your past loves on your skin. If they really mattered they've written their names on your soul anyway.

 

[farouk]

PS: from back a while:

One son has the word faith and a cross through it over his heart and the other has the Alpha & Omega symbols between his shoulder blades. They're OK, but as a parent you have to learn to let go and put them in God's hands. I have 3 sons and one daughter...she is the eldest. She has one .. It is actually in Hebrew script and means FAITH. She also has one on her neck that reads HALAL which is Hebrew for "Worship clamorously"..

Yes, well a lot of Christian parents would simply rejoice that their adult children had made a decision for their skin to point to God in faith, permanently.

 

[farouk]

I don't know, I like the idea of having tattoos of ex boyfriends. It can be bad if a new boyfriend can read the whole list, maybed that's not what he wants to look at .... but other than that it's a nice idea to keep some memory of all your past loves on your skin. If they really mattered they've written their names on your soul anyway.

Claudya:

Yes, well to me the idea of a woman wanting and enjoying having multiple tattoos doesn't seem at all inappropriate, anyway. It's something that many women do, and if this is what they want, then they should be able to go ahead and get them all with as much confidence and decisiveness as men do, when they get them.

I understand that you like the idea of showing hypothetically that you hypothetically have had multiple bfs, by having all their names as tattoos. I do wonder how it might be taken, especially if the message was: I want everyone to know that none of these relationships, that were important enough for my skin to be permanently marked, led to marriage. Probably some women, maybe Christian women, would want their tattoos to reflect a permanence in a relationship of a marital, as well as an ink, nature.

(Thanks for your thoughtful comment.)

 

[Claudya]

Claudya:
I understand that you like the idea of showing hypothetically that you hypothetically have had multiple bfs, by having all their names as tattoos. I do wonder how it might be taken, especially if the message was: I want everyone to know that none of these relationships, that were important enough for my skin to be permanently marked, led to marriage. Probably some women, maybe Christian women, would want their tattoos to reflect a permanence in a relationship of a marital, as well as an ink, nature.

(Thanks for your thoughtful comment.)

Well I wouldn't get my ex bf's names tattooed. I'm not totally certain whether I want to get any tattoos at all.
But I'm not getting why ex partner tattoos are considered such a huge mistake. Those people are part of one's life story, feeling regret about either the tattoo or the relationship it is just kinda silly and pointless.
Also you shouldn't be judgemental about other people's lives. Not everyone is lucky to meet their perfect partner early in life and stay with them forever. Some people just need to take detours to find God's path.

 

[farouk]

Well I wouldn't get my ex bf's names tattooed. I'm not totally certain whether I want to get any tattoos at all.
But I'm not getting why ex partner tattoos are considered such a huge mistake. Those people are part of one's life story, feeling regret about either the tattoo or the relationship it is just kinda silly and pointless.
Also you shouldn't be judgemental about other people's lives. Not everyone is lucky to meet their perfect partner early in life and stay with them forever. Some people just need to take detours to find God's path.

Claudya:

I think you've misunderstood my previous point.

It shouldn't be surprising that on a Christian site the idea of having multiple partners permanent enough to have led to tattoos, but which were casual enough not to have led to marriage, would be regarded as somewhat unusual and incongruous. I guess the aspiration towards monogamy is kind of implied by a Christian site, really.

So I don't think you quite followed what I was saying. (I hope my attempted point wasn't too obscure, anyway. A suggestion about something to consider, anyway.)

 

[farouk]

PS: But, yes, the idea of multiple tattoos on a woman I certainly don't find objectionable.

 

[Carolyn]

Doing something because everyonè else is doing it is the worst reason for doing anything. Doing something that is culturally popular in òur society is just as bad. We have a society that murders babys and, in our state, marries gays and sanctions smoking pot. Since it is socially acceptable here and becoming accepted in some denominations, doesn't make it something to run out and do.
While I really hate tatoos and big holes in ears, or posts, and I do find them disfiguring to my taste, it doesn't mean I should project my distaste of them onto other people. I don't believe that they have the same significanse that they did in the OT as being a part of heathen mourning. I do believe we should be seperated from òur culture and dedicated to God. Whether that means to tatoo or not to tatoo, that is the question. I definitely çhoose not.
But it is a matter of listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When Paul was trying to reach the gentiles, he became more like them. When he was trying to reach the Jews, he tried not to offend them. He became all things to all people so that some might be saved. So is it being done for vanity, rebellion, being daring, a whim, some selfish reasòn, or because Faròuk likes them and is trying to talk you into it. Or is it something God is leading you to do?
Farouk, bless yòur heart, if you spent as much time trying to introduce people to our Savior and tearing down the walls of prejudice toward Him as you do in championing hard rock, tats and piercings, you might have saved your whole city.

 

[farouk]

Doing something because everyonè else is doing it is the worst reason for doing anything. Doing something that is culturally popular in òur society is just as bad. We have a society that murders babys and, in our state, marries gays and sanctions smoking pot. Since it is socially acceptable here and becoming accepted in some denominations, doesn't make it something to run out and do.
While I really hate tatoos and big holes in ears, or posts, and I do find them disfiguring to my taste, it doesn't mean I should project my distaste of them onto other people. I don't believe that they have the same significanse that they did in the OT as being a part of heathen mourning. I do believe we should be seperated from òur culture and dedicated to God. Whether that means to tatoo or not to tatoo, that is the question. I definitely çhoose not.
But it is a matter of listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When Paul was trying to reach the gentiles, he became more like them. When he was trying to reach the Jews, he tried not to offend them. He became all things to all people so that some might be saved. So it being done for vanity, rebellion, being daring, a whim, some selfish reasòn, or because Faròuk likes them and is trying to talk you into it. Or is it something God is leading you to do?
Farouk, bless yòur heart, if you spent as much time trying to introduce people to our Savior and tearing down the walls of prejudice toward Him as you do in championing hard rock, tats and piercings, you might have saved your whole city.

Carolyn:

Okay, thanks for your various comments. But actually, even in the things you find it supposedly objectionable for me to talk about, there is generally a witness aspect. I do think there is potential for faith based designs, Scripture references, etc. They can be effective conversation starters. I talked to a guy a while back who had had the whole of John 3.16 put on his arm, and the fact that I talked to him means that others probably did, also, so it proves that it can be an effective way to talk to people. Re. Christian rock, there are various bands that do proclaim a bold witness. A Christian presence among such bands and music is presumably a positive thing.

Also, I have repeatedly said that people should not rush into getting a tattoo, or do it before they are definitely ready, so any suggestion otherwise about me, would not be accurate.

The idea that I should be a better and more frequent witness, generally speaking: well, yes, I must be humble and admit that I should, and I guess it can apply generally among Christians.

I need to be humbled, yes, certainly. We must try also to concentrate on the thread topic as opposed to issues with each other, also.

Blessings.

 

[Claudya]

Claudya:

I think you've misunderstood my previous point.

No, I don't think so.

It shouldn't be surprising that on a Christian site the idea of having multiple partners permanent enough to have led to tattoos, but which were casual enough not to have led to marriage, would be regarded as somewhat unusual and incongruous. I guess the aspiration towards monogamy is kind of implied by a Christian site, really.

So because we are a christian site we should pretent that we are all perfect like angels and never failed on our path and something like ex bfs don't exist?
Yeah lifetime monogamy is a high ideal, but few of us achieve it. Some relationships aren't casual, but still don't lead to a marriage.

So I don't think you quite followed what I was saying. (I hope my attempted point wasn't too obscure, anyway.)

Well it sounded a bit like you wanted to make me feel like an immoral person.