This from JESUS
IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD website
Should a
Christian be tattooed or pierced? (Part I)
This
paper is mainly addressed to the person who professes to be a Christian. If you
are unsaved, these verses may not speak to your heart.
If
you are a Christian who is considering getting a tattoo or a piercing, I hope
that you will read this in its entirety. If you are someone who already has a
tattoo or a piercing, you too will find food for thought.
In
going through the bible, I found many, many verses that speak volumes about how
believers should live, look, and carry themselves. So many verses, in fact,
that I have divided this paper into sections that I believe will address
questions or thoughts that one may have had on this topic. Here are the topics
and sections that the paper is divided into:
(1)
Tattoos around the world.
(2)
Can the Lord be glorified by something once only thought of as a pagan
practice?
(3)
Yes, many pagan groups and cultures embrace piercings and tattoos, but what if
my motive is to symbolize who my Savior is to me?
(4)
My tattoo (or piercing) is to remind me of the sacrifice Jesus made.
(5)
Tattoos as a witnessing tool.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(1) TATTOOS AROUND THE WORLD
Let's
start with a quick overview of what tattoos have meant to different cultures
and people around the world. You will find many different reasons why people
have gotten tattooed. Here are just a few reasons. Some say that in Borneo
tattoos were used to ward off harm and disease. In the Polynesian culture, some
say tattoos are a right of passage into manhood. Some American Indians believed
that "war paint" protected them in battle. Some say that there are
those in Burma today who believe that a tattoo over the heart can stop bullets.
I've read that to some Samoans the tattoo is a show of respect for the god-quality
within themselves or evidence that you can bear pain. Some cultures believed
that tattoos would give them magical power. Other cultures even believed that
tattoos would help them gain admittance into the afterworld. And then, of
course, in the bible there are instances of people who were tattooed to worship
their false gods or to honor the dead.
And
what about right here in America? Well, some merchant sailors in times past
wore tattoos as a "good luck charm" against the possibility of
drowning at sea. And we have all seen traditional American tattoos. These
tattoos were and still are often a sign of rebellion: tattoos of skulls,
flames, lewd women, snakes. Then there have always been the tattoos that pay
homage to dead loved ones, or tattoos that show one's gang affiliation.
Yes,
tattoos mean and have meant a lot of things to a lot of different people.
Superstition. Pagan worship or beliefs. Power. Strength. Rebelliousness. Love.
Tattoos have become so common that many folks say, "What's the big deal?
It is just an outward expression of an inner feeling, desire, belief, or
mood."
Then
the next issue becomes, should a Christian (who also has a desire to
"express" himself or herself) be tattooed? Let's look at this from
several different angles from the Scriptures and see what the bible has to say.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(2) CAN THE LORD BE GLORIFIED BY
SOMETHING ONCE CONSIDERED A PAGAN PRACTICE?
I
believe that there are many sincere people who are excited about the Lord and
sincerely want to glorify Him by the outward expression of a tattoo. But I must
tell you that if you search the Scriptures, you will see that the Lord did not
and does not want us to use those things that the pagan people use to worship
their false gods to pay Him honor.
Throughout
the bible, the Lord condemned all heathen practices, and true followers of the
Lord hated the heathen practices. I REPEAT: THESE PRACTICES WERE HATED. THEY
WERE NOT ADOPTED.
Idolatrous
altars and groves were destroyed and cut down. They were not "revamped"
and put to Christian use. The ways of Egypt (the world) were and are an
abomination to God. Here are some verses to illustrate this point:
Exodus
23:24, "Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do
after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down
their images." Exodus 34:13, "But ye shall destroy their altars,
break their images, and cut down their groves: "
Deuteronomy
7:25, "The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt
not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou
be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God."
Numbers
16:26, "And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you,
from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye
be consumed in all their sins."
And
if those verses didn't make it plain enough, read this one (especially the last
part).
Deuteronomy
12:2-4, "Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations
which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the
hills, and under every green tree: and ye shall overthrow their altars, and
break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the
graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. Ye
shall not do so unto the Lord your God."
God
is saying in that verse to not only destroy these places, practices and
devices, but then emphasizes, basically, that ye shall not try to recycle these
things in ANY kind of worship to your God. Don't reuse the wood. Don't reuse
the silver or gold. Don't emulate or copy the heathens' style of worship. Touch
none of it! Why would you even want to offer to the Lord something that the
pagan nations offered to their false gods? God's word could not be any plainer
than that!
Not
only does God tell us not to follow the heathens' practices; God doesn't want
us even inquiring about what they did or how they did it because He knows that
we would try to emulate them. Deuteronomy 12:29-30, "When the Lord thy God
shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them,
and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; take heed to thyself that
thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before
thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations
serve their gods? even so will I do likewise." We can't say, "Good
idea. I'm gonna do that too, but to honor my God."
These
verses sum it up best: 3 John:1:11, "Beloved, follow not that which is
evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth
evil hath not seen God." Proverbs 15:9, "The way of the wicked is an
abomination unto the Lord: but he loveth him that followeth after
righteousness."
What
was one of the ways heathens worshipped, paid homage to, and served their gods?
By getting tattoos. What does God's word tell us NOT to do? Serve or worship
Him by doing those things that the heathen people did or do. Again, God's word
could not be any plainer than that. And if you still didn't catch the point I'm
trying to make, here is one more verse before we move on: 1 Corinthians
10:20a-21, "I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye
cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers
of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(3) YES, MANY PAGAN GROUPS AND
CULTURES EMBRACE PIERCINGS AND TATTOOS, BUT WHAT IF MY MOTIVE IS TO SYMBOLIZE
WHO MY SAVIOR IS TO ME?
For
those who say, "But these crosses on my arms have spiritual
significance," I say God's word shows us that you cannot put "new
wine" into old bottles. You cannot take a practice that has been embraced
by heathens and condemned by God and turn it into something that is
"honoring" the Lord. If you take a pig and put him in a tuxedo, all
you have is a dressed-up pig!
And
you cannot say, "Well, I know that piercings carry a sexual connotation or
a heathen connotation, but that's not what I mean by it." Or "I know
that tattoos originated in pagan traditions and that a lot of satanic people
embrace them, but that's not what I mean by it." Friend, if that's what
it means to God, who cares what you mean by it? Is your opinion or impression
or intent greater or more important than God's? God's word has this to say
to you: Isaiah 5:20, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;
that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet,
and sweet for bitter!"
And
if you say, "But those pagans were worshipping false gods and idols
and images. My tattoos are a symbol of my faith in the Only True God,"
please read this part very carefully. The Lord does not want us to be into ANY
symbolism or effigies or images. Not even images that supposedly represent Him!
Whether
you have on your flesh the pagan triquetra to symbolize the Trinity or a dove
or the crown of thorns or a "face of Jesus" or a cross or whatever
else, YOU ARE DOING EXACTLY WHAT THE BIBLE TELLS US NOT TO DO! Read these
verses carefully:
Exodus
20:4, "Thou shalt not make unto thee ANY graven image, or ANY
likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:"
Deuteronomy
27:15: "Cursed be the man that maketh ANY graven or molten image,
an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and
putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say,
Amen."
Romans
1:23: "And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image
made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and
creeping things."
Friend,
what is a tattoo but an "engraving" on your flesh? The second
definition of the word "engrave" is: to picture or represent by
incisions. To imprint; to impress deeply; to infix. Whether an image is carved
in a tree or engraved on your arm, the Lord commands us not to turn His glory
into ANY symbolic images or engravings.
And
if you are still arguing, "But I'm not worshipping the image
engraved on my arm," you are still missing the point. Yes, the Lord does
not want us to worship images, but the Lord's word is clear that God also does
not want us reducing His glory to any kind of likeness. The Lord specifically
spoke to His people through burning bushes and in the fire, et cetera, because
He knew that sinful man would want to limit his glory to a "look."
The Lord has given us verse after verse telling us this ought not to be.
Here
is yet another verse AGAINST us using symbolism and images to represent God.
Please read it carefully: Deuteronomy 4:15-18, "Take ye therefore good
heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the
Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: lest ye corrupt
yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the
likeness of male or female, the likeness of any beast that is on the earth..."
And
here is a similar verse in the New Testament: Acts 17:29, "Forasmuch then
as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead [the
Trinity] is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's
device."
If
you believe that it is cool to "symbolize" who God is, you are in
direct rebellion against what God has declared! All of the above verses could
not be any plainer. The Old Testament and New Testament alike tell us not to
make ANY images symbolizing God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, or the Trinity.
(And
here is a side note specifically to people who have tattooed onto their bodies
the heathen triquetra to symbolize the Trinity. This symbol has always been and
presently is still associated with witchcraft, Satanism, and the occult. Click here if you don't believe me. Do you really
think the Lord wants you to have anything to do with this?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(4) MY TATTOO (OR PIERCING) IS TO
REMIND ME OF THE SACRIFICE THAT JESUS MADE.
If
you are still protesting, "But my tattoo is for me. It is to remind me of
the sacrifice that Jesus made," I would ask, friend, why do you need to be
reminded of who Christ is or what He has done for you? Is the Lord's finished
work on the cross so trivial and meaningless that you need something to remind
you of it? I have to sometimes write a note to myself to remind me to pick up
toothpaste from Wal-Mart, but I never need to be reminded of who my Savior is
or what He did.
Then
I've also heard people who say, "Getting my tattoo (or piercing) was
painful, and it symbolizes for me the pain Christ endured." Listen, the
Lord endured the shame of the cross. He was falsely accused, mocked, scourged,
hated, crucified, and pierced. There was nothing hip, cool, trendy, or desirous
about it. Don't trivialize Christ's suffering and pain and crucifixion by
believing that your vainglorious piercing or "statement" cross tattoo
has anything to do with what Jesus endured for the sins of the world.
Then
there are some people who say, "My tattoo is because I want to be
identified as a Christian." To that I would say that you should not have
to go around announcing, "You know I'm a Christian, don't you? And
to prove it, here is my 'mark of Christ.'" No, instead, your life and your
witness should identify you as a Christian. People should SEE your love for
Christ in your walk, talk, and deeds. Remember the scribes? They wanted
everyone to "see" their holiness. They loved the long ornate robes
that "identified" them as religious folks. But this is what the bible
said of them: Matthew 23:5: But all their works they do for to be seen of
men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their
garments.." Friend, don't be showy like the Pharisees and Scribes,
desirous that man can see and identify that you are part of a religious sect.
(Refer also to Mark 12:38 and Luke 20:46).
(This
young man wants to be identified as a Christian: Click here really quick and tell me if you can see his
Christian light shining.)
As
Christians, we should not crave that man sees how committed we are
through our religious symbols, et cetera, adorned and tattooed on our arms or
necks. Yes, there are some ornaments that we should wear in our bodies,
but they have nothing to do with tattoos or piercings. What ornaments are
those? 1 Peter 3:4, "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that
which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which
is in the sight of God of great price." If the Lord wanted us to
physically wear something special to signify our allegiance to Him, don't you
think He would have told us that in His word?
So,
again, if you really, really want to be identified as a Christian and do
something for the Lord, why don't you routinely visit some shut-in elderly
folks. Start a bible study at a prison. Mentor an at-risk youth. Find a
meaningful way to let your Christian light shine and at the same time spread
the gospel to these people by sharing God's Holy Word. Then people will see how
important Christ is to you and how committed you are to Him and understand the sacrifice
that Jesus made. Doesn't just getting a tattoo or a piercing sound lame when
compared to that? (Refer to James 1:27, Matthew 25:35-40)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(5) BUT MY TATTOO IS A WITNESSING
TOOL.
Many
people will say that their tattoo opens doors with a certain crowd of people,
gives them cultural authenticity, or that it is helpful as a witnessing tool.
To that I would say that Christ's apostles and disciples "preached
Jesus" through their actions and words. They didn't need gimmicks or cool
fashions or fads of the day to relate to people and neither do we!
You
don't need physical piercings to relate to people. The Bible says in Hebrews
4:12, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and
spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart."
God's
Holy word is the only "piercing" thing that will save people! The
disciples preached God's word, lived by God's commands. People saw Jesus living
through them and learned what it meant to be saved by hearing them preaching
God's word and seeing the fruit of their lives. The disciples didn't try to be
fashionable like the world. They didn't seek to entertain the world.
Matthew
5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Your light, not your
tat)
Our
Christian light should shine. We should not be busy taking on the world's image.
We should not be concerned with looking such a way that is pleasing to men. Galatians
1:10, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for
if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Acts 5:29,
"We ought to obey God rather than men."
For
those who say, "But I am made all things to all men, that I might by all
means save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22), I say to you that God's word has
already shown us that we are NOT to be conformed to this wicked and adulteress
world. Do I have to smoke crack or marijuana so that I can relate to those who
are on drugs? Do I have to dress like a whore and hang out on the street
corners so that I can try to witness to my lost sisters who are prostitutes?
Should I join a gang and take on the trademarks of a certain "set" so
that I can speak to those young men who are obviously in need of a relationship
with our Savior? Of course not! This dark world needs the Light. It does not
need us to come down to its dark, fleshly level.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As
I said at the beginning of this paper, I am sure that many of you are sincere
in your love of the Lord. But I hope that you now see that if you love the
Lord, a tattoo or piercing is not the way to show it. God does not want us to
have "Christian tattoos," and He does not want us to be tattooed or
pierced just because we think it's a cool look. Don't just listen to your heart
or look to your friends for answers. God's word shows us how God wants us to
live. Obey the Lord above all else!
http://www.jesusisthelight.net/TATTOO.htm