A lot of people told me that getting a permanent tattoo is considered a sin. But they never told me why! 
I don't think it should be a sin, but It's not the best choice to do it than not doing it.
So all I want y'all to do is tell me why it's bad.



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さようなら！

It's not a sin. I don't think there is any reference in the Bible of tattoos being a sin (Other than the old testament, but that is a cultural law and it is not part of the new covenant.)

I personally do not believe it to be a sin.
But, I've heard from my deeply catholic (best) friend a few reasons why it could be a sin.

1) Your body is a temple, certain tattoos such as swear words or nude pictures would be a sin, because, well, I shouldn't need to explain why if you're Christian.

2) The Temple that is your body is not yours, it belongs to God. Getting a tattoo isn't different than getting a permanent marker and writing on a church.

Well, those are the only two I can remember at this moment. I remember there being more, but I don't know what.
I'm not too Catholic, or Christian for that matter. Not that I don't believe in the Heavenly Father, I just don't believe the most priest. But, most of the priest I have met are lying scumbags who don't entirely deserve their position in the church.

Anyway, I don't like tattoos, but I don't think they're a sin. And like play4fun said, I don't think there are references to tattoos being a sin in the Bible other than old testaments.
This was a good question though.

I do not believe it is a sin, because what wrong getting one if you want one. I have to said that I will never get a perm tattoo, because it just plain bad and painful for your body in my opinion.

You are to treat the body like a temple.  You add lasting marks of graffiti to your body would show that you have not a care for your body.  Tattoos are also ugly once you get older.

I have to agree with Mr. Pace and mario's references on this one.  I was actually shocked to see so many people state that it WASN'T wrong.  I've always believed that any lack of care for our bodies is a sin.  Since your body is the temple of the most Holy of Holy, how can you NOT see to it that God gets the best?  If I can keep my weight down, but I choose to become unhealthily heavy....I believe it to be a sin.  If I fill my body with drugs, I believe it to be a sin.

If I deform my body....I too view this as a sin.  A tattoo is once such deformation.  For one, you are SCARRING your skin....damaging it for the sake of using your skin as a canvas for art.  And ink is toxic....I don't care WHAT the tattoo artists say...ink is toxic.

God made me...furthermore, He made me a beautiful and wondrous being.  If God can care so much about me that He knows the numbers of hair on my head.....something I couldn't even begin to fathom......what more can I do than make sure all those hairs are in top condition?  He gave me my body...I will keep it in it's beautiful, natural state.

It honors Him, it honors His creation (me), and it shows Him that I value His gift.  Without Him, I am nothing.  Without my body, I could not be here, witnessing His love, His miracles, and His mighty Hand.

I love Him.  Taking care of my temple is just one way I try and show Him that.

  "Graffiti", Mr. Pace, is nothing more than a reflection of bias on your part.

IF your body is a temple, why not adorn it with murals? No one says that tattoos have to be distasteful. Comparing it to drug use is nothing more than faulty reasoning.

"I don't care what tattoo artists say"... well, clearly you're an expert, to know more than the people who actually do the job. Why don't you show evidence to support your claim, instead of simply denying the claims of others?

The main rule against tattoos is from Leviticus, which is arguably one of the worst books in the bible. The vast majority of this book is disregarded (except when it's time to hate gays, then it's hailed). Historical evidence shows that part of the rule against tattoos stems from a desire for early religion to push tribal practices (involving tattoos) out -- so that religious views and practices could dominate without interference from tribal traditions.

If Tattoos are a sin, then so is cutting your hair -- since both are forbidden by the same book.

My advice, if you're young: wait. Wait until you're at least 25 to make the decision. If you're old enough, go to a clean place, and choose a design you'll be happy with when you're 50.

Astynax27 :  

First of all, there is no reason to come off as aggressive or condescending, which you have done, mister Astynax.  This is a place for posting opinions, not attacking them.  I did so, and I backed my beliefs up with....opinion.

Second of all, I did not compare getting a tattoo to drug use.  I merely detailed things which I view to be abuse of the temple God has given us.  I was demonstrating the idea that we should take care of our bodies, and giving examples of things which I believe to be sinful.  Never did I say taking drugs was like getting a tattoo, so there's no reason to say my comparison was 'faulty', as there was no such comparison made.

Thirdly, never did I claim to be an expert, or to know more than people who do the job.  You might want to go back and re-read my post.  ( I tease, clearly.)  However, it is quite fair for you to ask about my sources.  I have many of them (surpassing dozens), but I'm sure you don't want to read through every single one of them.  I think this would be one of the better links, describing which organizations have done research and what the results of that research was:

The Toxicity of Tattoo Ink

I do not know where the bible states anything against tattoo's, but I would never call a bible the 'worst' book in the bible either.  LOL  Doing such implies that you have no faith in the book, and I actually have complete faith in every word God inspired.  Here's the thing (or two):  The old testament was the law concerning believers before Christ was in the picture.  In the same way that we no longer need to make animal sacrifices for our sins to be forgiven, we are also not required to follow old testament law.

The thing that you are not considering, is context and syntax.  The new testament may not mention tattoo's specifically (I don't know if it does or not), but it DOES lay down the expectation that you are to take care of your body.  There are literally dozens of references to this, maybe the best being 1 Corinthians 3:17 - If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

(This states that if a man defiles a temple of God, God will destroy him because the temple of God is holy, and you are that temple.)

Here are even more biblical references, thought not from the KJV:
Taking Care of Your Body

In my opinion, putting toxins into your skin is indeed defiling your body, and therefore getting a tattoo would be a sin.

I do agree with your advice about tattoos though.  If you don't have faith in God, and you feel like you MUST get a tattoo, wait until you've matured past the teenage years.

https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=31072
thread already
Anyway, if i was christian, id say yes.
The old testament clearly states it, and almost all Christians pick pieces from the old testament, its all or nothing as far as im concerned.
i found this in Google too, so that's worth thinking about.
http://www.av1611.org/tattoos/bible.html

thenumberone : I haven't had a time to read completely through that link since I'm at work, but I briefly skimmed through it and it looks absolutely fantastic!  I can't wait to read it...thank you!

You know, you're right. I was more snippy than needed. Sorry.

Thanks for provided sources, I'll read it later.

It occurs to me, as a non-Christian, that I have no need to care about Christian views on tattoos. Doesn't affect me. I don't like it when the religious try to correct me, so I'm withdrawing my comments -- accept for our point of agreement about maturity. Of course, if Christians start telling non-Christians that THEY (non-Christians) shouldn't get tattoos... that's a different story... but that's not happening here.

That having been said, I will say this: It would be WONDERFUL if Christians would make up their minds OFFICIALLY about the Old Testament.

Keep it and believe it, or toss it out. The cherry-picking makes it impossible for me to have a decent conversation about belief with people.

im not sure about this well there is one thing i can say if you know someone or are a relitive of someone who has a tatoo you can still be there friend and you shouldent think less of them my sister (i have 2) who goes to art school has tatoos and i still love her with my whole heart they could have bin younger and didnt know what they were thinking (hey everones a teen at some point right?) anyways just because they have one dont think any less of em you can still love?be there friend if they have a tatoo(since you and me are about the same age i dont have any friends with tatoo's and supect you dont ethier)

Astynax27 :
I was really impressed by your ability to step back and re-assess the way you responded to this thread. However, I'd like to encourage you NOT to withdraw your comments.  You have your own beliefs and it's far more admirable to know where you stand and TAKE that stand....than to abandon your beliefs the moment things might get tough.

I'm not saying that things are tough and you're chickening out.....please do not think this is my claim.  Instead, I think we can all learn from each other, and if you pull from the conversation just because people disagree with you, no progress will ever be made on either side.

Nobody was trying to correct you here.  Each person was merely stating their own opinions and then backing those opinions up as you requested.

Now, I do feel as though I made a huge error in my wording, and it's something I need to correct in order to clear things up.  I never said toss the old testament out, nor did I say I don't believe it.  I do. However, there is a difference between old testament LAW, and old testament TRADITION.  Old testament law DOES still apply.  God set laws into place, for example, which instructed us not to kill, steal, marry our husband's brothers so long as our husband is alive, etc etc.  Those same laws were carried into the new testament.

The -traditions- are what do not apply anymore.  During the times of the old testament, sin was forgiven through ritual animal sacrifice.  God instructed His people to continue with those sacrifices until the -ultimate- sacrifice was made: that of His Son Jesus Christ.  We don't need to follow the tradition of animal sacrifice because Jesus paid the price to atone for our sins.

So no cherry picking here.....
Perhaps we can stick with the discussion on biblical views of tattoos?

The thing is, I don't care if Christians don't like tattoos or not. That was my main insight. Now, if Christians start going around trying to shut down tattoo parlors because the bible doesn't approve, that's a very different story. However, I'm not a Christian, so I don't care if you get tattoos or don't get them. Thus, I'm not really sure where else to go with this talk.

As I see it, you have two stances:

1) The Bible (which, no offense, I don't value) says not to get them.
2) Tattoo ink is toxic.

The first point rests on whether or not you care about the Bible. If you do, and you follow it, then tattoos are a sin -- though, again, Leviticus says shaving is a sin... so how do you draw the line?

The second point is medical, not religious. I've read some posts where it's shown that the ink is, in fact, toxic -- IF toxic ink is used. I'll try to locate and post the links that talk about mainstream American (I don't know where you live) parlors using newer, non-toxic inks.
*Edit: http://www.livestrong.com/article/180816-non-toxic-tattoo-ink-ingredients/

Astynax, may you provide me with the reference which says shaving is a sin?  That's one I've never heard anywhere before, and having recently read the book myself, I don't recall seeing that even once.  I'm wondering if perhaps that was a commandment meant for one of God's people specifically, or if it's something that's being taken out of context.

I suppose however, that such a reference and conversation would be completely off topic.  Could you send me a pm with the reference?

As for toxic inks verses non toxic inks, I'm of the opinion that all inks are toxic. I haven't looked into the recipes made into the ink, but I do believe that businesses and organizations will say anything to continue making profit.   The link I gave, by the way, talks about those supposedly non-toxic ink and explores the research which states otherwise.  In other words, the claim isn't 100% accurate, many organizations are proposing.

Really though, the accuracy is besides the point. I wouldn't want to even RISK the ink being toxic and putting those toxins into my body.

Astynax27 :
thenumberone :
Christians do know what to deal with the Old Testament. You need to understand the context of those laws. Long story short, the cultural, priestly, and ceremonial laws do not apply today because they are for those people at that time. Therefore, those laws don't apply to people now. The ones that remain true are the moral laws. It is not cherry picking. There are contextual reasons for them. So, like shaving, eating seafood, etc, all those are cultural laws that apply to those people at that time, but not now. That Christian view has been known for a while.

Now back to the topic at hand, Singelli has some good points. I think I am still in the stance on tattoos are not a sin because of the fact that tattoos are not done with the purpose of harming one's body. It is, essentially, an form of art. We need to remember that the reason that tattoos were not allowed to Israel because that is what the pagans do to their body when they are worshiping their gods. The purpose of prohibiting them is to prevent them to be like the pagans.

I also think that the reason you think it is sinful because of the fact that the ink is toxic and it is piercing your body. So are you saying that non-harmful "tattoos" (facepaint or sticker tattoos) are not considered sinful, since they are not using toxic ink into your body? I would appeal to other decorative items, like earrings, to also be included into this topic, because they also pierce the body, but they are for decorative artistic reasons and they are not sinful. In conclusion, I would stand that tattoos are not sin, but I would not consider doing them to be wise choices and I personally find them to be ugly.

I also read thenumberone's linked article, and I have to say that some of the points that the author wrote are rather poorly argued. The first 2 points are already pretty poor (the "bestiality" topic and "the verse after" topic.

Singelli : It's just that I would not go as far as to say that getting a tattoo BY ITSELF AS AN ART is a sin. I mean, calling it a sin is saying that those who live a lifestyle of putting on/applying tattoos are unrepentant sinners. With what I read from the Bible, I don't have the confidence in saying that getting a tattoo as an art would be a reason that someone is going to hell. I can't say that this is a black and white issue.

I most definitely agree that we should not say that something isn't sinful just because most people find it acceptable, which is why we look at the Bible and the Law instead of the majority to understand what is sinful: "...Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin..."(Romans 7:7)

I partially agree with your statement on eating meat when someone thinks eating meat is a sin. I believe you are quoting 1 Corinthians 8:13:

"Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."

I agree with the part that you said that one should not eat meat in front of someone if it causes someone to fall into sin. The thing that I disagree is that this verse does not say that eating meat IS a sin. It says that if it "makes my brother to stumble", so it is food-related sin, like gluttony or greed, but not the eating meat part as sin. For example, if someone is struggling with lust and a female believer is wearing something that is affecting that person from fighting lust, that believer should avoid wearing that to prevent the person from stumbling. However, wearing that outfit itself is not a sin (we can discuss specifics on where the line is on what outfit is considered sinful when wearing in public, but you get the idea I am trying to make here. Some people could stumble on even the most conservative outfits). So I don't think this would be enough to say that tattoos themselves are sinful.

I think the bigger question is "why do you want to get a tattoo?" Because even though getting a tattoo as an art ITSELF is not a sin, the reason that you are getting one can be sinful. There are young people who want to get a tattoo just because they want to rebel their parents. If that is their motive, then getting the tattoo IS sinful in that context because of being disobedient and dishonoring your parents. I think that would be the more important factor of whether getting a tattoo is a sin or not. There are certain tattoos or piercings at certain areas that I have seen that I would question the motive or the wisdom in getting them.

Like I said for myself, I personally would not get a tattoo or piercings because I don't find them attractive or cool. But I would not go so far as to call them sinful either.

"In fact, I think debating this has finally made me decide about earrings. I think I will let them close up. Even if it ISN'T sinful, since I'm not certain on the issue (and really can't think of reasons to say it isn't), I'd rather 'play it safe'. I'd hate to be doing something sinful just because I wasn't certain about it."

It would be up to you. However, I should warn you not to tell someone who is getting a tattoo or has a tattoo that they are sinning or that they are living in sin and are not a Christian. That is the only main thing that I would emphasize about this forum topic: That it is not a sin by itself as an art form and people can decide for themselves if they think it is wise or God-honoring for them to get a tattoo, but do not condemn others for getting a tattoo.

play4fun :  Well if we want to throw reasoning into this issue, we can then 'justify many sins, so I don't think reasoning has anything to do with it.  I mean, if someone said they aborted a baby, not to kill it, but so that they could afford a healthier lifestyle, it wouldn't make it okay.  (And yes, I realize that is an extreme example.  I'm not saying they are alike, but I'm struggling to find an example not so extreme right now, as I'm working on another religious topic right now and my focus is on that right now.)

As for the 'eating meat' thing, I agree with you completely.  I used poor wording and meant to correct it after I discussed it with my husband and realized how poorly I had worded it.  I simply forgot to go back and make those corrections.  You did a beautiful job of wording exactly what I was trying to say.

Even if you were getting tattoo as an art though, I'd STILL insist it's a sin because of how it mars and damages your temple.  That's kind of like saying you're going to eat a whole cake every day just because it TASTES so darn good.  The reason isn't bad, but it'd be sinful and gluttonous to eat a whole sugary cake every day.  That'd be damaging your temple as well.

However, I can certainly see the logic you are using.