Poll: Tattoo art - Christian perspectives: Fight it? Ignore it? appreciate/embrace it?

[farouk]

Back:

It is becoming a tool people are using to let others identify their faith.

@Heart2Soul

Yes, going ahead and doing it has become widely regarded as something that can be seen as very gracious, modest and gently enhancing and with testimony value. (This also reminds me of the Proverbs thread.)

pinterest

As GodsGrace said: ↑

almost every young girl I know has some sort of tatoo.
Even those very conservative types.

, and because it can be gracious, modest, enhancing and with testimony value, it seems thoroughly to have become something that very conservative ones will just go ahead and have done.

 

[farouk]

My oldest daughter has multiple tattoos. My wife has a butterfly on the top of her foot...they had their tattoos before I ever got mine.

Yes, typically in a family the women will go ahead and have it done before the men; and so often among Christians the ink will be faith based; and it's likely than even more would go ahead and have it done if they realized just how widely and well established it already was in the 19th century:

"Surprisingly, one of the major resurgences of interest in tattoos in Europe occurred among 19th century high society Victorian women (as well as men), after British explorers .. brought back the practice to Britain. .. The tattoo craze grew during the 19th century, and even Winston Churchill’s mother had a tattoo .. on her wrist. Queen Victoria was also believed to have had a tattoo of a Bengal tiger.. . From Victorian Europe, the craze spread to America. In 1897, (art critic, Margot) Miffin says that an estimated 75% of American society women were tattooed.."

(Black Fire: Women, Tattoos, and the Transformative Power of Body Art )

 

[farouk]

I think people should do what they feel in their conscience would please the Lord as long as its biblical.

@Wynona Well, exactly...

 

[farouk]

Mark 7:15 says that nothing I put in my body makes me unclean. This, I believe, opens the way to using tats as a way of connecting with them so they may be saved.

@Truman the Levite Interesting point... Some - maybe even all - of the young ppl that I have talked to with Bible verses tattooed have evidently wanted to use them evangelistically...

 

[farouk]

@Truman the Levite Interesting point... Some - maybe even all - of the young ppl that I have talked to with Bible verses tattooed have evidently wanted to use them evangelistically...

Hi @runningwings I know you're not so keen on tattoos, but what do you make of the clear motives of those described in my post to Truman, above?

Just last week I talked to a young man with a Bible verse tattooed and he thanked me for the encouragement.

 

[farouk]

Yes, my sister has a cross, I think.

@Naomi25 ... Because you haven't seen it yet, have you?

 

[Naomi25]

@Naomi25 ... Because you haven't seen it yet, have you?

Nope.

 

[farouk]

@Mayflower Following on from your Proverbs thread, I liked this design concept and thought I would copy it to you, putting it on this thread rather than 'spoil' your thread...

pinterest

 

[farouk]

Back

My oldest said she wanted them because it was to-quote her "to mark myself with things that are special to me." Youngest " because it was cool. " ...

@soul man So, any more interesting / significant tattoo news?

 

[farouk]

I'm not saying this describes everyone. I've known plenty of people who were just fine with their tattoos.

Hi @marks I know you have reservations, which is fine; it's worth mentioning that all the young people with whom I have talked who have gotten Bible verses tattooed seem to have had them done for evangelistic reasons.

I talked to a young man with one as recently as last week, and there is a sense in which if one speaks positively about the Bible verse itself, his original choice in getting it done in that way is a separate thing; I'm not going to shrink from having an encouraging conversation about a Bible verse on the grounds that some Christians would not do exactly the same, if you see what I mean.

 

[marks]

I'm not going to shrink from having an encouraging conversation about a Bible verse

And nor should we!!

Much love!

 

[farouk]

Back: Angelina said: ↑

I'm not sure how I personally feel about tats. I have a couple of pre-believer tats but since becoming a believer, I have not had the inclination to add more....even those that may give God the glory.

If a believer hesitates to get tattooed at all or get more ink, then this is really fine for him or her.

Sometimes a believer is in a particular situation, which might not match that of another believer. For example, in a different situation from that of Angelina, if a woman has the tattoo of the name of an ex-bf, e.g., 'Bill' and is truly converted, she may not want to wear that tattoo for the rest of her life. Although some legalists in a local church might try to compel her to be resigned always to bearing a tattoo (with its possible fornicating or other bad memories) because she supposedly must not receive any more, modifying ink, yet not a few Christians in such a situation might think it perfectly reasonable to have such a 'Bill' tattoo modified by an artist to say something like 'Bible', instead, as being more God-glorifying.

There is a sense in which every tattooed Christian man or woman is in his or her unique situation.

 

[farouk]

If it's tasteful and discreet, and that's what they want to do, and the tat has no occultic meaning, if that's what they want to do, who am I to say otherwise. I know all different types of people, mainly through my son...I've known church mice and I've known outlaw bikers. I seem to get along with both.

@Truman the Levite I like your expression there from back a bit... :)

 

[farouk]

FYI, @Mayflower, as discussed, the writer you mention who I see discussed her plans for getting a tattoo:

Lynn Cowell: "I walked in a studio several years ago, considering getting a tattoo to express my faith and just couldn’t bring myself to do it! I hate pain way too much!"

Source:

In The Know - Something Permanent: Why the Tattoo Rage - Lynn Cowell

In other words, she certainly doesn't dislike - or moralize against - faith tattoos, but chickened out because of the pain! :)

(Had you seen this, her article?)

 

[Mayflower]

FYI, @Mayflower, as discussed, the writer you mention who I see discussed her plans for getting a tattoo:

Lynn Cowell: "I walked in a studio several years ago, considering getting a tattoo to express my faith and just couldn’t bring myself to do it! I hate pain way too much!"

Source:

In The Know - Something Permanent: Why the Tattoo Rage - Lynn Cowell

In other words, she certainly doesn't dislike - or moralize against - faith tattoos, but chickened out because of the pain! :)

(Had you seen this, her article?)

No. I just read the devoes on Talk Jesus. I never really have looked into the people.

 

[Mayflower]

FYI, @Mayflower, as discussed, the writer you mention who I see discussed her plans for getting a tattoo:

Lynn Cowell: "I walked in a studio several years ago, considering getting a tattoo to express my faith and just couldn’t bring myself to do it! I hate pain way too much!"

Source:

In The Know - Something Permanent: Why the Tattoo Rage - Lynn Cowell

In other words, she certainly doesn't dislike - or moralize against - faith tattoos, but chickened out because of the pain! :)

(Had you seen this, her article?)

Idk farouk. Seems like she isn't too fond of them. But I found the part about the tattoo barbie being one of the hottest toys interesting.

 

[farouk]

Idk farouk. Seems like she isn't too fond of them. But I found the part about the tattoo barbie being one of the hottest toys interesting.

@Mayflower I'm not surprised about the Barbie tattoo because they are just so widespread now.

Lynn Cowell - and thanks for drawing attention to her writings - seems to look at the subject from various analytical angles, but does seem to end up being willing to be supportive:

"...we can encourage them to seek out clean studios where the risk of infection is low. .. Some of the people I love and respect the most have tattoos. (I walked in a studio several years ago, considering getting a tattoo to express my faith and just couldn’t bring myself to do it! I hate pain way too much!) As parents, no matter what they choose or where they choose to put it, we must not let their decision be a thing that brings a breach in our relationship."

(All sensible advice, of course.)

What she says supportively about encouraging the patronage of clean tattoo studios is good. Wouldn't it be good if more sensible and supportive Christians worked as tattoo artists, don't you think?

 

[farouk]

@PastorSteven FYI....another thread I started...

 

[farouk]

Hi @David in NJ
I know you have reservations, which is fine; it's worth mentioning that all the young people with whom I have talked who have gotten Bible verses tattooed seem to have had them done for evangelistic reasons.

I talked to a young man with one as recently as last week, and there is a sense in which if one speaks positively about the Bible verse itself, his original choice in getting it done in that way is a separate thing; I'm not going to shrink from having an encouraging conversation about a Bible verse on the grounds that some Christians would not do exactly the same, if you see what I mean.

 

[David in NJ]

Hi @David in NJ
I know you have reservations, which is fine; it's worth mentioning that all the young people with whom I have talked who have gotten Bible verses tattooed seem to have had them done for evangelistic reasons.

I talked to a young man with one as recently as last week, and there is a sense in which if one speaks positively about the Bible verse itself, his original choice in getting it done in that way is a separate thing; I'm not going to shrink from having an encouraging conversation about a Bible verse on the grounds that some Christians would not do exactly the same, if you see what I mean.

I LOVE everyone in Christ, tattoos or not. Tattoos never bothered me, even to this day. Many of my friends are tattered up. I talk with everyone and many times have complemented on peoples tats.

Forgive me if i came off wrong ( i grew up with hockey skates on my feet and a hockey stick in my hand).
My pet peave is when people 'add to or take away' from scripture. I am a work in progress and God is simmering me down to His Perfection in Christ - just like He is for all of us.
Love You and THANK YOU for your Love and Fellowship