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

[Sgt. Pepper]

I considered getting a small tattoo myself once, but then I remembered I'm terrified of needles. So, there's no way I'm gonna get one.

 

[farouk]

I considered getting a small tattoo myself once, but then I remembered I'm terrified of needles. So, there's no way I'm gonna get one.

@Sgt. Pepper So, you did?

I guess in the end it depends a lot on the strength of the wish to have one (faith-based or not), and on the depth of the aversion to the inking process, right?

pinterest

 

[farouk]

Years ago I worked night shift at a convenient store and about 2 am a black man dressed in black leather with gold and silver chains hanging from his neck and he had tattoos ....

@Heart2Soul This was years ago, right? now apparently even more women than men get tattooed...so...not unusual now, maybe...

 

[farouk]

I considered getting a small tattoo myself once...

PS: @Sgt. Pepper All the young ppl tattooed with Bible verses with whom I have spoken seem anyway to have them done for witness reasons...

tattoo hyphen awe dot blogspot dot com

Years ago it had a rough, male, biker/sailor image, but now so many Christian young ppl - and older - regard it as radiating something wholesome: gently to be obtained for testimony enhancement (I expect you would at least in theory agree?).

 

[farouk]

back

Yes it is so wide spread now. I think I said it before but I like the art work that is done today...

@soul man

So do you think that the whole context of the sort of work that is now available - with increasing design and skill and ink quality - is expanding the whole range of possibilities for witness tattoos?

Like, not remotely a rough, outlaw image any more.

The sort of people who maybe years ago would not have had it done, now seem to do it boldly and confidently:

shnarkle said:
↑

One of the churches I go to has three quite elderly women, all widows, who recently went out and got themselves tattoos. .. There was no doubt they were all first tattoos. All three of them went out and got them together.

GodsGrace said: ↑

almost every young girl I know has some sort of tatoo.
Even those very conservative types. .. Before girls used to have little tattoos...now they're bigger AND they have quite a few

 

[Mantis]

@Mantis Okay.

Sounds like you yourself, however, have quite a bit of experience already so if you did start again you would fairly soon be able to charge more or less what you wanted, maybe?

I am too disabled to tattoo. I have severe back problems and you are constantly bending over to tattoo. It is not doable for me. I am trying to get disability social security benefits as I can not really work any more. I have some skills but it is very hard to make a living as an artist. Especially a disabled artist.

 

[farouk]

I am too disabled to tattoo. I have severe back problems and you are constantly bending over to tattoo. It is not doable for me. I am trying to get disability social security benefits as I can not really work any more. I have some skills but it is very hard to make a living as an artist. Especially a disabled artist.

@Mantis Sorry about your health difficulties; I hope you can get your benefits. Also, be daily strengthened by the Scriptures.

Do young ppl - or older - who know you were a tattoo artist ever ask you for informal advice about tattoo strategies that might be useful for them?

 

[farouk]

Idk, maybe if you're wearing a suit...

I don't need to be "cool" anymore. I would prefer to be humble and graceful.

@FluffyYellowDuck Well, I guess it's not so unusual if for example someone works in a corporate environment, he or she might wear long sleeves especially for meetings but at the end of the day some co workers might see tattooed arm or wrist, whether in faith based design or not.

I think there are a lot of genteel, modest people out there with long sleeves who have a bit of ink.

Yes, I take your point about humility and grace.

 

[marksman]

I didn't pay much attention to tattoos until I saw Justin Beiber nearly naked in a photo on a beach. I thought he looked totally gross and was glad we didn't go to the same church.

 

[soul man]

back @soul man

So do you think that the whole context of the sort of work that is now available - with increasing design and skill and ink quality - is expanding the whole range of possibilities for witness tattoos?

Like, not remotely a rough, outlaw image any more.

The sort of people who maybe years ago would not have had it done, now seem to do it boldly and confidently:

shnarkle said:
↑


GodsGrace said: ↑

Yes I do, seems like people look at it different today than they use to.

 

[Mantis]

I didn't pay much attention to tattoos until I saw Justin Beiber nearly naked in a photo on a beach. I thought he looked totally gross and was glad we didn't go to the same church.

Why are you glad you didn’t go to the same church? Kind of shallow no? Who cares how someone looks. I am so glad that we have homeless guys at our church. I think we need to look past what someone looks like, and I understand. Lots of tattoos can look trashy, dirty to some people.

 

[farouk]

Lots of tattoos can look trashy, dirty to some people.

@Mantis They can also look wholesome and good.

They are so widespread.

FHII said: ↑

Probably 75% of the congregation have tattoos, including myself and the Pastor ..I also agree that it makes a statement of freedom in Christ.

tattoo hyphen awe dot blogspot dot com

pinterest

It's so widespread for ppl to want to have it done and if ppl from a good, Bible believing church do eagerly desire to have ink pumped into their skin in witness-friendly designs, a good artist can still make it look really wholesome and gracious.

Having the strong desire to get inked up at a tattoo parlor need not bring a trashy result; I'm sure you would strongly agree.

 

[farouk]

I have severe back problems and you are constantly bending over to tattoo.

@Mantis You must indeed know great deal more than me about the limited options and possibilities and I can greatly sympathize. Yes I can see that bending forward is definitely not an option. I wondered; if instead of lying on a couch as is the custom, someone stood upright straight in front of you (maybe hanging onto a pole - of the variety used in pole dancing - I'm not into that at all! but maybe a pole could be borrowed, idk), then from an upright, seated position you could maybe tattoo someone's back, or at least, lower back, and the person would be like a still easel directly in front of you, with no need for bending.

But you would know a lot more than me about the feasibilities and limitations. I can greatly sympathize. I was just thinking of all the skill that you have and about any possibilities of using it within limited parameters, anyway.

 

[farouk]

I feel when people see it they identify me as a Christian, but if I could turn back time I wouldn't have gotten any of them

@JohnPaul It does indeed work that way when ppl see a Christian design, even though having your time again you wouldn't do it.

Does your fiancee in general like tattoos? ...or maybe you guys feel you have had more important things to discuss.

 

[farouk]

@Heart2Soul Just thought you might appreciate this:


ellidhcook dot com

Hosea 2.14: "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her."

 

[Heart2Soul]

@Heart2Soul Just thought you might appreciate this:


ellidhcook dot com

Hosea 2.14: "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her."

How fitting it is pertaining to the thread.

 

[farouk]

@pittsburghjoe FYI.....thread I started....(sorry the poll has already expired...)

 

[farouk]

back

once upon a time I was legalistic with tatoo's, piercing etc..... not anymore

@Christophany All the young Christians with Bible verses tattooed that I have talked to seem to have had them done for evangelistic reasons.

Christian young men and women widely seem to show a strong desire to use this means of witness and evidently find the tattoo parlor appointment for this purpose strongly compelling.

 

[farouk]

Re.

...was glad we didn't go to the same church.

Why are you glad you didn’t go to the same church? Kind of shallow no? ....

@Mantis I don't think the poster who said that realizes just how widespread and established it is, right?

FYI:

QueenCat said:

Around here (Bible Belt), it is common, especially among evangelical Christians, for the girls under about 40 to have religious tattoos. More do than don't, especially when you get to the under 30 crowd. I hardly know any female at church that is under 30 that does not have a tattoo.

forums dot thewelltrainedmind dot com

Indeed, it was apparently regarded among 19th century high society Victorian women as as a very classy thing to do:

...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. .. [It] 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)

So whatever ppl's individual preferences are, one would think that a local church, among maybe a cross-section of ppl, there would be those with tattoos, right?

 

[farouk]

...my concern is not over a "right/wrong" but one of harm.

Much love!

@marks Well, okay, so you do indeed have art flair yourself (as described on the other thread); I guess it's not the artwork itself that you object to....