What Christians Are Saying About My Tattoos, And How I am Responding
David Dunham defends his particular lifestyle choice.
by David Dunham
5 January 2009
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23 Comments
Tattoos have been around since the earliest days of civilization. Though not found among the Jews, body modification was common to numerous other people groups. Among Christians, however, there has not been much of a history of tattooing. When it became a part of western culture in the 18th century, it was largely considered by Christians to be unacceptable and taboo. Today it is an issue that is still debated. As both a Christian and one who has tattoos I hope to show that there is nothing irreconcilable about the two, and in fact tattoos can be an intriguing way to proclaim the gospel.
The common criticism against tattoo artwork for Christians is to quote two particular scriptural passages as proof that God does not want His children to get tattoos. The first verse I’ll point to is the Pauline passage stating that “your body is a temple” (1 Corinthians 6:19). The insinuation that some Christians make concerning this passage and its relationship to tattoos is as follows: If your body is a temple of the “Holy Spirit within you,” then you should not mark that temple, but keep it pure and healthy. This same passage is used for discouraging Christians from drinking and smoking.
The assumption, however, is that tattooing your body would somehow disgrace, mar, or stain the temple. I am not sure where this comes from or what compels people to make that assumption. If we consider carefully the appearance of the temples in ancient cultures we would quickly note that most, if not all, were marked with paintings, stylized architectural elements, and more. They were marked up to emphasize their grandness and beauty. In that case, it would seem that tattooing your body could be commended. But if that is too much of a stretch for some then I think I can at least say there is nothing inherent within 1 Corinthians 6:19 which prohibits tattoos for Christians.
The second passage most people quote is a bit more technical and difficult to deal with. It is found in Leviticus 19:28. The text reads, “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead, or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.” Now how can I read this text and justify that tattoo running down my arm? The text seems clear: don’t tattoo yourselves, says the Lord.
It’s important, however, to pay careful attention to the nature of the text. This particular command has two important features that we must consider. The first has to do with context. In the context of this passage God is commanding Israel not to associate themselves with the practices of pagan nations who do such things as “mark their bodies for the dead” and tattoo themselves as part of their pagan religion. God is warning Israel not to associate themselves with pagan religious practices but to remain pure and true to the only living God. Now if tattooing was commonly done today as a symbol of devotion to pagan religions then this argument could stand. And while certainly there are still many who do associate tattooing with pagan religions, the connection is no longer pure.
The second feature of this passage that we must consider is that the command falls under what Old Testament theologians identify as Israelite civil law. There is a major difference between Israelite civil law and moral law. The civil law was given to Israel specifically as a theocracy to keep them pure and to govern their life. The moral law was given to Israel and to all Christians as a means of governing their lives and spiritual health. The moral laws are such things as the Ten Commandments, which Jesus reiterates in the New Testament. The civil law includes such things as food laws. It is among the latter that this command falls. We can see that if we look at the surrounding verses as well. Verse 27 states that men should not trim their sideburns or beards. Why is it that my critics are quick to cite verse 28, but do not themselves see a problem with breaking verse 27? We can both trim our facial hair and tattoo our bodies because these commands are part of Jewish civil law and therefore do not apply to Christians.
That there is nothing wrong with getting at tattoo is well and good, but one might also wonder what is the benefit of getting a tattoo. Just because something is allowable does not necessarily make it a great idea. You can sprint across the freeway during rush hour, but why would you want to (and don’t say, “To get to the other side)?
I do think, however, that there are some helpful things that tattoos can do for Christians. In my own life my tattoos have already opened up several opportunities to share the gospel, not the least of which was with my tattoo artist. Particular tattoos create curious questions and comments each of which can open the door to gospel conversations. There is no doubt that there are other ways to start and initiate these conversations, but there were some very natural conversations that developed from my tattoos.
There is a great deal that each individual needs to consider before he or she gets a tattoo. Important questions like: who will this affect? Will this dishonor or disobey my parents? Will this make my employment more difficult? And other such questions. But in the end there is nothing unbiblical about tattoos, and one might be able to argue for some gospel potential from them. So tattoo your body with caution, and for the sake of the gospel!
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i wrote a similar article here. http://gospelcenteredmusings.com/2006/12/15/tattoos-and-the-bible/
michael dewalts last blog post..biblical theological method in Ruth
David,
Great points, and almost thought for thought the reasoning that led me to the place where I know have two tattoos. I think you need to be smart about it (your face might be a bad move for example) and safe about who does it, and have the right motives, but if all those things are in line then I’m all for it.
For me personally tats have become markers for some of major events in my life.
Masons last blog post..Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision
David,
Thanks for this post. I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to get a tattoo myself. I’m still struggling to find something worth putting on my body permanently. There’s a part of me that would love the Rebel symbol (from Star Wars) on my shoulder, but the wiser part of me retorts that I’ll regret it later. Can I ask what your tattoos are? And have you had any problems working as a pastor or teacher because of them? And where do you have them (if you can say)?
-Alan
Good points! I go to bible school and MANY of the students have tattoos. I don’t see a problem with it…
I Want to get a tattoo but my parents would KILL me. In this case I find it would be rebellion to get a tattoo even though I am an adult.
Alan,
The tattoo is of three stars, decreasing in size (l, m, sm), running down the inside of my right arm. I think you can see a picture on my facebook page. The church I work at now is really culturally diverse and they are open to just about anything (as long as the gospel continues to be preached). So we have other staff members who have tattoos and such. There are Christians from other churches who are appalled by it, and some of the older folks in the non-Christian community are against it. But in terms of non-Christians that make contact with they find it interesting that a pastor would have a tattoo and this has made them more willing to engage with me in conversations.
My personal rule for tattoo getting has been that I have to want the same exact design for two years straight before I’ll get one. So, of course, I’m still tattoo free.
The Danes last blog post..20081119.ChurchLies
Great rule Dane…I’ve wanted my particular design for 8 or 9 years.
Interesting thoughts my brother. I realize your focus of this post is mainly to debunk the force of the two passages you quoted, but it should be noted that there are more whollistic arguments against tattoos that are not quite as simple as “The Bible never says I can’t” (my quote, not yours). Of course, the issue here is that the Bible is not just a “rule book”, rather it is The “Life Book” revealing to us the Life-Giver in Jesus Christ, giving us all we need for life and godliness. That being understood, we need to realize that the Bible probably has much more to say about tattoos than we’d like to admit; or more aptly stated, it has much more to say about the heart of tattoos than mere “prohibitive silence.”
If you are attempting to prove the morality of tattoos, it seems like you should be looking for more of a positive ethical force in Scripture to accept tattoos, rather than attempting to highlight the absense of their prohibition. Look at the themes of self-denial, radical discipleship, holiness, temporality, eternality, and others — and then try to “make” a case for tattoos, rather than being content to dismantle the more shallow of your opponents’ cases. It is vain, arrogant, and foolish to ever do something merely because “we can,” and if one is a Christian, it is often ungodly. Behind every action, there is a heart (which is what Christ highlighted often in his ministry). Because of that, our question here must be: What Scriptural force is impacting the heart of those seeking tattoos? What epistles of Paul, or what random Levitical law is encouraging tattoos? And if we find none, then what biblical themes lend support to their presence on our bodies?
If these proofs are not present, then before you go under the needle, you should go back to the Book.
Brother Hanks last blog post..The Christian and Sexual Gluttony
[...] to the Tatts: The Elephant in the Tattoo Debate Room Jump to Comments Posts like this, defending the Christian use of tattoos, flood the blogosphere. Most are written by those who have [...]
Ultimately, it’s the motive for adorning oneself that needs to be brought under scrutiny. The appropriateness of getting a tattoo in the first place isn’t a question for scripture, but for the individual. If a person has what you might call “godly” motives for getting some in put under their skin, there is truly nothing wrong with it. Conversely, if someone has self-serving or crass motives for getting their ink, then everything is wrong with it, regardless of the subject matter.
Motives matter supremely.
Hank,
I think that’s a pretty poor argument that sets a dangerous precedent for Christian living.
For instance, as my family grows, so does our need for a minivan. Now, a car like that is more expensive, less fuel efficient, and more luxurious than, say, a station wagon. Am I prevented from spending more money on it because I can’t find a positive reason for taking the more comfortable choice?
My wife has pierced ears. It’s nice when I can give her a gift of earrings to express love, and when she wears them she looks nice. Should she stop, because Scripture allows it but doesn’t present a positive case FOR it?
Southern Seminary has beautiful grounds, and they are kept beautiful (and even improved upon) by means of lots of money. Where in Scripture do you find a positive case for the aesthetic improvement of a training ground for pastors? And please don’t tell me the temple- that’s very different territory.
I’m told that some people like to wear cowboy hats. Let me help you out… you really don’t need one. It’s merely an aesthetic choice that expresses something you like about the life and situation God has given you, even at risk of communicating certain things to other people. However, Scripture decidedly does not actively promote the wearing of cowboy hats.
Each Christian is called to live out faithfulness as best they can. But within that structure, there are millions of little decisions that help us understand ourselves in relation to God, and to understand and express the individuality he has given us. Our clothing, interior decoration, and computer screen wallpaper all are attempts to explore and express that gift in the world.
When a person takes a tatoo, sure, they should be careful. It’s the same as any other decision that affects things in the long term, and should be handled carefully and wisely, with close watch on motivations and purposes.
But to argue that a tattoo gets its own category apart from thousands of other aesthetic decisions (especially in a culture where tattoos are not feared as they once were) and therefore demands special warrant from Scripture is simply incorrect.
So before you criticize someone for going under the needle, go back to The Book.
Ben Bartletts last blog post..A Song and a Blessing
Thanks for responding to that comment Ben. I seemed to have missed that critique which was quick to accuse me of being “vain, arrogant, foolish…and…ungodly.” You are absolutely right in your response, however, that Brother Hank’s hermeneutic is poor here.
David-
If you got a tattoo merely because you could, it was indeed a vain thing to do, etc. But that doesn’t seem to be your reasoning from your post, so the description doesn’t apply to you. :)
Ben-
Thanks for responding.
Besides wearing a cowboy hat (which cost something as well), all of your examples focus primarily on excusing an action because of the monetary issues involved. That wasn’t the focus of my post, but merely part of my response to the comment above. Either way, money is not the point. If you were able to get a tattoo for free, the theological and philosophical problems would still hold true.
Secondly, it is a mistake to defend tattoos as just another “aesthetic decision.” The color of my drapes does not imprint itself on my flesh — permanently. What kind of car I drive does not mutilate my body — be it a minivan or a PT Cruiser. My garden has nothing to do with my skin. But tattoos do. And the Bible cares about our bodies, whether our dualistic/Gnostic tendencies admit it or not. And because the Bible cares about our bodies, so should we. Job said he came into the world naked, and went out the same. Many of us will die old, but that is not our choice. The fact that many of us will die with self mutilated flesh is a choice that requires defending…much more than the kind of car we drove while we were alive.
Which brings me back to the main idea which you brought up in your last paragraph: What motives are right and what are wrong? And how do we gauge them? Can I force my 2 year old to get a tattoo of a fish on his arm to start evangelistic conversations with the baby sitter? Why not? He’s my flesh and blood, I can do with him as I please, right? Or can I just get a random tattoo of Ron Paul on my back? I own myself anyways, right?
Simply put, we are not free to do as we like, we are free to do as God wills. That means our actions must consist of more thought than merely, “This is permissible because it is not prohibited.” The Bible never prohibits cremation, so does that mean it can glorify God? Human cloning is never prohibited, so can the proper motive excuse it? Designer babies are never condemned in Scripture, so are we then free to express our God-given individuality in creating them?
The fact is, you know certain things are not just “open to discernment.” The fact that so many claim that tattoos are, is not proof of their neutrality, it’s just proof of their cultural acceptance (which should tell us something right there)…
Brother Hanks last blog post..Children: Striking Fear in the Hearts of Christians Everywhere
Well. I can hear why you don’t want a tattoo, and that’s fine. But I don’t hear you giving any arguments that support the notion that you can’t.
Obviously I’m not saying you have the right to put a tattoo on your 2 year old… he is not yours.
Also, I’m not sure where you come up with the “self-mutilation” language, but it sounds to me like you’re using wording that sounds especially terrible (mutilation! To yourself!) to support your point, when really it isn’t that at all.
And if you’re worried that Job’s poetic description of coming into and going out of the world without possessions constrains you not to have a tattoo, fine. But hermeneutically, that’s not a sustainable position. Saying the Bible, “cares about our bodies,” isn’t really an argument when getting a tattoo isn’t destructive or dangerous.
My examples were not all monetary. One was earrings… is it ok for a woman to have pierced ears? What about at the top of her ear lobe? What about a pierced nose?
I think you and I do agree that motives are important. But when your motives are right, none of the general concepts you cite (the bible cares about our bodies, naked we came and naked we shall go, etc.) are even remotely prohibitive.
At its core, the hard-line response to tattoos is basically legalism, where new rules are being created that violate the original spirit and intent of Scripture.
Ben Bartletts last blog post..A Song and a Blessing
Hi, Im struggling to make myself a tattoo on my arm. How if I tattoo a Jesus’ face on my arm. Does it mean unholy or misuse the name of the Lord? Or it means disrespect to the Lord? pls give me comment..thanks…
Adidas,
I think the first thing you should realize is that no one knows what Jesus looked like. There is no artistic representation that accurately depicts Jesus. Most Western representations reflect a white European man, which is ridiculous. In terms of whether or not it is okay to tattoo a representation of Jesus on your arm is really something you will need to prayerfully consider. There are lots of different views on images of God. Thanks for your question though.
I loved this article and all the comments that followed. I too am a tatooed BA Christian. I just went to my local tatoo shop to have an old tattoed redone. When I was very young I walked into a tatoo shop and without any thought at all said “oh that is cute” pointing to a half moon and star! Thought “oh the back of the neck is cute” lol. Young and dumb I wound up putting what I found out later was a very close variation of the Islamic Symbol moon/star. Ugh!! I have disliked it every since. Now its going to be tastefully redone as the Chi-Rho and I am so excited! Underneath it will proclaim “I believe!”. My goodness what better way to spread the good news and what a commitment to have that inked forever. My daughter also has a beautiful cross with the word “Christ” in beautiful script underneath it on her back. You can’t believe the compliments that she gets on it. Even older, more conservative types remark on how beautiful and inspirational her ink is.
Anyway, its true, not inking your body, not marring your temple is OT. OT is an important part of our history as Christians and paves the way for the coming of our Savior as seen in the NT however I believe in the sanctity of my “temple” as far as not abusing it in much deeper ways. I don’t smoke, drink, I don’t give myself to men, I exercise and eat right. That is the way I care for my temple. I certainly do not think I am disrespecting my vessel by proclaiming my love for our Savior by inking it onto my body.
PS: Jesus would not and does not like those of us who love Him who happen to be tatooed being scrutinized and JUDGED by other so called Christians. What is more against NT law, inking the body or judging those who chose to do so?? Tisk tisk to all you judgy wudgy “Christians”.
I’m also a born again Christian, struggling with guilt, doubt and struggling to find my place in His house once again. I have a monster half sleeve tribal that I got a few years ago, and now coming back into Christ, I feel so ashamed for having it,I didn’t have the struggle of “What would God think” or any other rational thought behind getting it, I just got it cause it looked cool, and I guess a part of me wanted to fit in. Now I’m stuck between getting it removed (I can’t imagine how much this would cost), and redoing it to glorify Christ, and mark myself to remind myself of why I am who I am now. While thinking about it by myself, I decided to have a look at what others believe (others being people who have been Christians and followed for longer than I have, I still consider myself very uneducated in the ways of Christianity even though I’ve lived with knowledge (not understanding) of it for quite some time). I don’t want to be “Worldly” or use “gimmicks” to draw people to faith in Christ (NOT saying that is what some of you are doing, just some reasons I’ve read against having tattoos), But I do, very much so wish to honor Jesus in everything I do, including transforming my worldly creation to something that glorifies him, I just don’t want to do it in a way He see’s as sinful, unfit or despicable. Any input is appreciated.
Christians can find so many reasons to please the will of their own interest, no matter what the truth is, bending the truth is what makes people happier and feel good. This happened in cases such as adapting secular music into Christianity, all Babylonian method of worship into Christianity, believing that the High Priest our Lord Jesus Christ drank alcohol, etc. The answer for tattoo should be NO! Other than that is an abomination. Christians are busy looking for Bible verses saying ‘do not get tattoo’. On the other side, they will not get any verses saying ‘go get tattoo’. Besides, tattoo origin is paganism. Israel was forbidden to practice any of them. Tattoo is a contemporary fashion. Gospel need to be shared and preached and Christians method has to be clear. Daniel stands for what is godly! Jesus did not acted like a playboy when He approached the Samaritan woman. Did Peter and Paul keep changing their fashion in evangelism? The prophet and disciples preached the truth and gave examples to be followed. What makes the Gospel clear is that we stand to be an example to the society! Why do have to be confirmed to the world? How can we make a difference if we busy confirming ourself to the trend of this world? If tattoo’s origin is paganism then it should be NO tattoo for Christians. Imagery is forbidden by the ten commandments. They are so many examples in the Bible that forbid us or giving us the reason not to have tattoo. Syncrinism is an abomination. Truth is always painful for people who loves the things of this world. On the other side, truth brings joy to believers.
David,
Thanks for your comment. You wrote:
“They are so many examples in the Bible that forbid us or giving us the reason not to have tattoo.”
I’ll ignore your poor grammar and simply ask for some specifics.
Thanks,
Dave
I can’t remember where I read it so I have no source to quote, but I read once that the tattooing described in Leviticus was actually more of a branding and the pagans would then rub the ashes of their deceased loved ones into the freshly burned skin. It’s a different process certainly though I’m not trying to justify tattooing. I am inked. If I had the chance to do it again I’m not sure I would though. It’s more of a personal thing than anything else.
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