Do you know that more and more people in the world are getting tattoos nowadays. In fact, a
recent Harris Poll survey said one in every five US adults has gotten
himself or herself inked. That's 21 percent of the population, which is
up from the 16 percent and 14 percent who reported having a tattoo in
2003 and 2008, according to the survey.
Tattoos can be seen on the skin of many celebrities.
With the increasing popularity of tattoos, many
Christians might be wondering: Does the Bible prohibit this kind of body
drawing?
For religion professor Will Honeycutt of Liberty University in
Lynchburg, Virginia, the Holy Bible does not forbid Christians from
getting tattoos at all.
Honeycutt clarified that Leviticus 19:28—the Bible verse most quoted
by some Christians when discussing the alleged immorality of getting a
tattoo—should not be interpreted in this sense. The Bible's New
International Version translates this verse from the Old Testament as:
"Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I
am the Lord."
The religion professor said this verse does not prohibit tattoos, but the act of scarification, which is the act of cutting images or
words into the skin.
He also noted that the word "tattoo" only entered the English
language during the late 1700s—too distant from the Biblical times.
However, while the Bible does not prohibit tattoos, the
Scripture does not give a license for unrestrained tattooing either,
Honeycutt said.
He cited seven questions that Christians need to answer
satisfactorily to themselves first before they make a decision on having
a tattoo.
1. Modification – "Our body is not our own, but
rather God's temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)," Honeycutt said, noting
that the Bible views the body as God's handiwork, which is not to be
disfigured. "We must ask ourselves how much we can modify our bodies to
suit our desires while not disfiguring the beauty of the human form as
God made it," he said.
2. Motive – "Why get a tattoo? If it is in rebellion
to parents, it is clearly not acceptable (Ephesians 6:1-3)," Honeycutt
said, adding that "while artistic self-expression can be OK, our primary
motive for anything we do should be to glorify God (1 Corinthians
10:31)." He said "this means seeking to honour and draw attention to
him, not ourselves."
3. Modesty – Honeycutt said a person seeking to have
a tattoo should ask himself or herself: Am I seeking to direct people's
thoughts toward God or myself? "Tattoos often accentuate certain areas
of the body and get our thoughts on that body part. It is hard to
believe that anyone with a 'tramp stamp' (a tattoo on the lower back) is
really seeking to direct people's thoughts toward God," he said.
4. Marketability – Honeycutt said getting a tattoo
may not be a good idea if a person is seeking to apply for a job since
many companies forbid their employees from having visible tattoos on
their body
5. Message – Honeycutt said people need to be
mindful that tattoos are nearly permanent and will likely be with them
for life. Tattoos carry a message that a person wants to convey at one
point in his life. But as the person matures he may outgrow that message
and develop "tattoo regret," he said.
6. Money – Is having a tattoo just a waste of money?
Honeycutt said the basic price for a tattoo job, according to one
website, is $80 to $100 an hour. "We are responsible to God for how we
use our money. It's also important to keep in mind that the removal
technologies being developed are even more expensive than the cost of
getting a tattoo in the first place," he said.
7. Medical concerns – Honeycutt warns about the
health risks involved with tattoos. Some people who have been tattooed
developed severe allergic reactions, infections, unsightly scars, and
blood-borne diseases like Hepatitis B and C, he said. "Tattooing
deliberately opens skin and exposes your blood to unknown bacteria," he
said.
Hence, Honeycutt's final advice to anyone seeking to have a tattoo is: "Think before you ink."
I feel... It's not just good! Period!!!
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