Poll: Tattoo art - Christian perspectives: Fight it? Ignore it? appreciate/embrace it?
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@GodsGrace I guess when you speak you don't yet have opportunity to talk about tattoo parlors in S. Carolina... :)
@soul man Like, if the believer feels s/he wants to get a faith based tattoo, go do it wholeheartedly. If s/he really hesitates to do it, then hesitate wholeheartedly!
Like you said: Tattooing in our day is big, if you need or want a tattoo, that is what you should have written in the biggest boldest lettering you can get. Stare at it daily, study it daily, it never gets old. It is the only message you need that flows from scripture in full depth of understanding for anyone that will pick it up and want to know something about it.
@Mayflower
Yes.
Very many Christian young people - from the time onward when Christian girls become women and Christian boys become men - seem to get faith based tattoos which prove very effective - as you have found - in facilitating witness discussions.
With little hesitation, very many will confidently and wholeheartedly use the parlor to get their faith theme inkings pumped in because - as you have found - having it done is so effective.
All the Christian young ppl with Scripture tattoos that I have talked to have seemingly had it done for evangelistic witness reasons.
They do also appreciate encouragement.
Recently I talked to a young guy with a tattoo quoting from Isaiah 41.10: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee".
He thanked me for encouraging him.
As mentioned not long ago, today's young men and women who follow the Lord are - as always - in such a hostile world. They do indeed need encouraging; and many of them do indeed choose confidently and wholeheartedly to get injected with Bible quotes that motivate them and with which they wish to challenge others.
Hi Farouk,
Here's the story with So. Carolina:
Tattooing was illegal till the 2,000's.
Now it's not illegal anymore, (they're making progress! LOL)
but it's considered offensive.
Interesting....
@FluffyYellowDuck
For example, if a woman that is soundly converted and walking with the Lord has a tattoo of the name of an ex-bf ("BILL", etc.), she would likely not want to spend the rest of her life looking at it; and so she might well want to go back to the tattoo parlor and have an artist change "BILL" into "BIBLE", etc., or whatever.....
What you said made me think of something: often any regret and the level of regret can revolve around what exactly the tattoo consisted of in the first place.
For example, if a woman that is soundly converted and walking with the Lord has a tattoo of the name of an ex-bf ("BILL", etc.), she would likely not want to spend the rest of her life looking at it; and so she might well want to go back to the tattoo parlor and have an artist change "BILL" into "BIBLE", etc., or whatever.....
@Abaxvahl Re. your interesting, recent comment about women Bosnia under the Ottomans, while today huge numbers of women get tattoos, some women who want to have it done may hesitate still because they think it's only a recent development. Whereas actually, historically, it was already well established in the 19th century; here is another quote:
'By the 1870s the tattoo trend had taken hold in mainstream society and even touched the upper class. .. Tattoo culture, boosted by naval experiences of working class and royal heirs alike, was popular in the United States starting in the 1850s and 1860s, in part because it served as a safeguard against anonymity during the Civil War. New York's first tattoo parlor is said to have opened in 1846 by Martin Hildebrandt. ... According to an 1893 article in the Sully County watchman, both women and men received tattoos... . [A]bout the ladies who visited for body art:
“I am an electrician by profession,” said the man, “and it was while serving in the English army that I learned tattooing. I used to do odd jobs among the soldiers. Then when I left the army some gentlemen came to me to have certain designs tattooed on them, and I consented. My work developed into a business, and I have been here these years just as busy as I can be.”
“You have ladies also who come to you for this purpose?”
“Yes. Their designs are simple, however. Usually flowers, insects, or birds. I have in mind at present a lady much famed at court...who has a bee tattooed on her shoulder to represent the initial of her christian name.” '
From 'Tattoo Culture in the Victorian Era'.
This is a contemporary quote from the Bible Belt:
QueenCat said:
forums dot thewelltrainedmind dot com
Some women may have genuine conscientious scruples about it. Others of a conservative disposition may want to do it but hesitate because they are under the mistake impression that it's a recent trend. But historically, there is nothing new about it, even if some ppl think it is.
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@Abaxvahl Re. your interesting, recent comment about women Bosnia under the Ottomans, while today huge numbers of women get tattoos, some women who want to have it done may hesitate still because they think it's only a recent development. Whereas actually, historically, it was already well established in the 19th century; here is another quote:
'By the 1870s the tattoo trend had taken hold in mainstream society and even touched the upper class. .. Tattoo culture, boosted by naval experiences of working class and royal heirs alike, was popular in the United States starting in the 1850s and 1860s, in part because it served as a safeguard against anonymity during the Civil War. New York's first tattoo parlor is said to have opened in 1846 by Martin Hildebrandt. ... According to an 1893 article in the Sully County watchman, both women and men received tattoos... . [A]bout the ladies who visited for body art:
“I am an electrician by profession,” said the man, “and it was while serving in the English army that I learned tattooing. I used to do odd jobs among the soldiers. Then when I left the army some gentlemen came to me to have certain designs tattooed on them, and I consented. My work developed into a business, and I have been here these years just as busy as I can be.”
“You have ladies also who come to you for this purpose?”
“Yes. Their designs are simple, however. Usually flowers, insects, or birds. I have in mind at present a lady much famed at court...who has a bee tattooed on her shoulder to represent the initial of her christian name.” '
From 'Tattoo Culture in the Victorian Era'.
This is a contemporary quote from the Bible Belt:
QueenCat said:
forums dot thewelltrainedmind dot com
Some women may have genuine conscientious scruples about it. Others of a conservative disposition may want to do it but hesitate because they are under the mistake impression that it's a recent trend. But historically, there is nothing new about it, even if some ppl think it is.
That fish tattoo is very cool. Honestly if it becomes generally normalized again and people cease thinking it's somehow "not a Christian thing to do" I'd like seeing stuff like that, and of course the examples you gave in the thread of Christian tats. I am still too personally indecisive for 'em though.
@Wynona All the young people tattooed with Bible verses with whom I have spoken have seemingly had it done for evangelistic reasons. There is a sense in which their wish to start conversation worked; and presumably has happened over and over, also.
A Christian woman with the tattoo of an ex-bf's name (e.g., "BILL") might be regretted, but she might well have it changed to "BIBLE", or something that she doesn't regret.
Ppl can move on from their tattoo regret.
JohnPaul
Soldier of Jehovah and Christ
I’m actually liking my Christ’s Head tattoo again, so I guess I’m not in complete regret.
PS: @MatthewG
Size-wise, compared with the semi-completed on you already have and showed, about this size, maybe? (on the top, rather than the underside).
"Where it could be seen."
With the growth of the tattoo parlor industry, and the seeming very widespread confidence with which so many people get tattooed, using a tattoo parlor to get something faith based seems to many people a sort of "golden opportunity" to have something that is proven effective in starting conversations with other ppl.
@soul man Like you say, I can see some Christians going confidently and even urgently to the tattoo parlor in order use this means to proclaim truth while the day of grace is still here.
Like, this probably drives some ppl's desire to get inked up, right?
back a bit @robert derrick Yes, well, today so many women wear pants and get tattooed (often they are faith- and family-themed), right? Hard for the legalists to impose their will...but some will sure try...
@runningwings Do you think this kind of strengthens the case for Christian-owned tattoo parlors and tattoo artists?
I saw this video:
Striking that the young woman describes wanted to get inked up with something from Romans 8, isn't it?
@JohnPaul You can maybe understand at least why the various young people with faith based tattoos with whom I have talked have seemingly wanted strongly to go to the parlor for Bible verse inkings that would be effective in starting conversations. (Even if you yourself wouldn't get any more ink.)
