Tatoos and piercings

[Guest]

I have a question about tatoos and body piercing. I have heard people say that Christians should not have these, because they represent an evil life. If the tatoo (or piercing) is not something that represents an evil thing (demon, skulls, bad words, etc), is this true? Thanks for your help.

[Mike Miller]

I can understand why some people might say that tattoos and piercings represent an evil life, since they might have known evil people in the past who had tattoos. However, we need to be very careful about making rules for Christians that do not come from Scripture. While Christians need to avoid the practices of cults or any kind of paganism, one would be hard-pressed to show that tattoos and piercings are exclusively linked to evil. To be sure, tattoos of pagan symbols, such as the ankh (which I see sometimes), should be avoided, but all tattoos and piercings in and of themselves are not inherently evil. In fact, I know Christians who use their tattoos to spark witnessing to unbelievers, and I hear of successes frequently.

We Christians need to be careful about what we do and why, and that applies to tattoos and piercings. Some principles to consider: We should not do anything ever to draw attention to ourselves. Everything we do should be to draw attention to Jesus. When I am encouraging people to focus on me, then I am asking them not to focus on Jesus. So, are your tattoos and piercings drawing people to you or to Jesus? Moreover, how are you treating your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit? Are you trashing it or abusing it or in some way placing yourself in danger? Some piercings have inherent health risks, so they should be avoided if we are to be good stewards of our bodies. Finally, is your tattooing or piercing an idol to you? Do you find some kind of identity or fulfillment from it? For example, a young lady once told me that she had to get pierced because she just couldn't be complete unless she did. If Jesus is not enough for you, then idolatry is a danger.

So, to recap, I do not see biblically where tattooing or piercing are inherently evil. As with everything in life, we must be wise and discerning. While some symbols are un-Christian in nature and should therefore be avoided, all other practices are a matter of the heart. Are you doing what you are doing for the glory of God? Then go right ahead. If, however, you are doing it for your own glory, then just don't do it.

[guest]

You make a good point about not drawing attention away from God, however this makes me ask if any style-related choices are good. I mean, the clothes we choose, hair style (and even color)...don't we choose these to "express ourselves"? If we only dressed and did things for God's glory - and never to bring attention to ourselves, we'd kind of have to live like the Amish, wouldn't we? Not that they're bad, but just kind of boring. Where's the line between wearing something because it looks cool and being wrong with God?

[Mike Miller]

Again, I see it as a heart issue. Am I dressing in a nice shirt and pants that will not be seen as immodest, outlandish, or unusual? Or am I hoping people will notice me and compliment me and focus on me? For example, when I go somewhere, maybe I wear a new shirt, but that shirt is in line with my wardrobe and what is acceptable to society. My goal was to buy a nice shirt because I also don't want to look bad so that people will wonder what rock I crawled out from under. But I also didn't buy a shirt that is inappropriate for where I am--such as wearing something really loud or really extravagant. Now, will people perhaps compliment me on my shirt? Maybe. But was my intention to be noticed or just to wear a decent article of clothing? In other words, is it ok to be complimented? Sure. But if I'm hoping to turn heads, then maybe that's a problem. In fact, if all Christians started dressing like the Amish, I think we would probably draw tremendous attention to ourselves. I've been to Amish country, and they are a tourist spectacle.

It's a heart issue, and we don't want to be legalistic/moralistic about it. We all need to walk with Jesus and make the best choices we can.

[gene]

Lev 19:28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

Mike, I considered being tattooed a few times, but I keep coming back to this passage in the LAW. Yet, Lev. 19:27 tells us not to mar the corners of our beards and a minority of the good Christians I meet even have beards and those that do keep them neatly trimmed, "marring the corners." Many generations have come and gone since the writing of the Torah and the Law as it was handed down to Moses and much of it has been lost to modern ways. Though I hold true to Lev. 19:28, I do not wear a beard, just as a personal example of this "modernization of society. I hope and pray that when we are Judged such changes in thought and adherence, or lack there of, to the Law will not d**n us all.

I must agree that no matter how we choose to adorn ourselves we should do so to the glory of God not for our own glory and vanity.

For now I wish you and all who visit here the LORD'S...

Peace,
Gene

[Mike Miller]

Gene, it's important to use a proper hermeneutic when interpreting the law. The general consensus is that the admonition against tattooing in verse 28 is akin to the admonition against wearing garments made of two kinds of materials in verse 19. Apparently, some of the holiness code prohibited certain practices unique to the Canaanites. Since they were preparing to go into the Canaan to take possession of it, they were to set themselves apart and not adopt the pagan practices. I would imagine that you do not have a problem with wearing a cotton/polyester blend, as that is not a particularly pagan practice. Similarly, tattoos today are not exclusively associated with any kind of pagan religious practices, so I think we would have a hard time applying the holiness code of the Old Testament to the contemporary practice.