What does the bible say about tattoos? Is it a sin? What about the part that says, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord"? To most people, that sounds pretty cut and dry. Mary Fairchild, About.com's guide to Christianity, looks deeper into this topic and explains that the answer is actually not cut and dry at all.
Is it OK For a Christian to Get a Tattoo?
From Karen L. Hudson, About.com Guide April 16, 2006
Related Articles
- Christian Teens and Tattoos - Should Christian Teens Have Tattoos
- Christian Tattoos - To Ink or Not To Ink
- Trying to Find Meaning in Someone Else's Tattoo - What the Symbols Mean
- Miami Ink Synopsis - May 2, 2006 - Best Tatts: The Garver Special
- Mingling With the Modified - Dos and Don'ts of Meeting People With Tatt...
Related Searches tattoo
Explore Tattoos / Body Piercings
Must Reads
- Beginner's Guide To Tattoos
- Beginner's Guide to Piercings
- Tattoo & Piercing Galleries
- How To Become a Tattoo Artist
- Convention & Expo Calendar
Most Popular
By Category
©2012 About.com. All rights reserved.
A part of The New York Times Company.
Comments
Hi! Do you know anything about State Bill 806 in Oklahoma yet? I heard on the news a couple of days ago that it was still alive and kicking, but nothing since.
no the bible doesnt say anything that its a sin getting a tattoo. cos it wasnt normal at that time having it. especially in that part of the world. as i see it its not a sin getting a tattoo.. just be sure what kinda tattoo you choose and be sure you wont get tired of it.
What the bible says about tattoos is written in the holy book of the jews -the so called “old testament”-
Neither does Jesus nor any of his disciples say anything bad about tattoos
The contrary is correct: Paul says, I´m wearing the marks of the Lord….
im sorry but i dont recal ever seeing that in the bible, whatever bible your reading from cant be the right one and besides the point you should keep your nose out of others business, if they want to mark themselves thats their problem and not yours.
There is no passage in the bible that says tattos are a sin. You go for what you know when it comes to that. I have two myself and even though I come from a God fearing family I still got them. My family told me to go with what I know so I did. That’s something that NOBODY can control.
I am the wife of an minister and a praise and worship leader. I have 8 tattoos and my nose and tongue pierced. My husband has many tattoos. On his right arm he almost has a full sleeve. We will both be getting more work done. Five of my tattoos are so called Christian tattoos. I got my first tattoo before I was saved and the rest since I accepted the Lord as my personal Saviour. Your body is the temple of God and I do believe that you should take care of it. I prayed many days about getting a tattoo. Not once did I feel convicted about my decisions. My tattoos are not offensive by any means neither are my husbands. I am not ashamed of the art work on my body and have had many many comments about them, all of which I might add were never negative. I have some beautiful art work that I am very proud of.
My advise to you if you want a tattoo and you are a christian is this….pray about it like I did. And don’t let anyone tell you that you will go to hell if you have one. Thanks be to Jesus that we have been set free from the law.
I think that it is fine for a christrian to get a tattoo.
i know i want to.
=]
I don’t think there is anything wrong with it and although I certainly havent seen any “definite” answers about tattoos within the bible there are several passages throughout that talk about marking, cutting, or etching your skin. Now I am covered in tattoos, so I love’em… but I provide these passages for you to ponder. =P
Leviticus 19:28
And you shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead; and you shall not put on yourself any etched mark; I am Jehovah.
Leviticus 21:5
they shall not make their heads bald, and they shall not shave the corner of their beard; and they shall not make a cutting in their flesh;
Well ya know its the heart, love, and exceptence that goes to the Lord not your flesh in the end. Christian for life 4 tats at the moment and planning more.
I am getting 5 tattoo.
i have 2 “christian” tattoos so far and both have caused people to ask me about my faith, or why i did get them. it has given me the chance to tell them about what i do believe and if nothing else i planted a seed. : )
I think it is fine for a Christian to get a tattoo, as long as the tattoo is something that glorifies God. You body is a temple and I know I don’t want to mark my temple up with something that doesn’t please Him!
I love the lord, and have been a christian for over a year now. I led a very sinfull life and continue to do so (although im trying to stop due to giving my soul to god) I don’t want sin in my life at all and have asked for forgivness all too often…. I have two tatoos right now and im very displeased with my decison that i made before i was saved. HOWEVER i do want more and im really wondering if its ok… I do not wish to sin but i feel like if the next one i get is non-offensive or even glorifying to god it might be ok… someone please help cause they look really sweet… (wouldnt god want beautiful artwork on his temple?)
Jesus said “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5: 17,18)N.I.V.
So that passage from Leviticus forbidding tattoos is still in force.
to Justin : you are telling me “you should keep your nose out of others business”
can you tell me why all christians put their noses all day long into the old testament which is the holy book of the jews? Is it their business to follow the rules of another religion ?
Rolf Schneider, Christians put their noses all day long into the Old Testament because Jesus came to us, as a Jew, to fulfill Jewish prophecies and to comply with the requirements of Jewish Law regarding payment for the sins of the people (all found in the Old Testament). And this was then extended to us Gentiles.
Of course it is mentioned in the bible that we shouldn’t get a tattoo but sometimes stuff in the bible are not relevant in this century. Remember the passage in the old testament that says we shouldn’t cut our hair or shave our beard and stuff? how come in the new testament Jesus said that it is ok for men to do so because that was the old law. So think about it. In the old times tattoos were used by pagans to worship thier idols. Now if we get a tatto today, are we going to knock on satan’s door and worship him just because we got a new tattoo? In this century, tattoos are seen as a form of art. I beleive that getting a tattoo is not going to change my relationship with God or harm anyone
Jesus said “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5: 17,18 – N.I.V.) About tattoos, the Bible teaches us “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:28 – N.I.V.)
Now, a lot of people will tell you that many Old Testament rules do not apply to Christians today: rules governing the way you cut your hair and rules obliging you to put adulterers to death and rules concerning tattoos and over 600 rules altogether…
But Jesus said they do still apply to us. All of them. So, the “no tattoos” law is still in force whatever you might think the reason for it originally was. God’s original reason for forbidding tattoos is not for us to question.
So, when people say that a Christian has been “freed” from the Law, it simply means that one cannot be punished twice for the same transgressions and Jesus has already been punished on behalf of those He saved, by being judged, condemned and put to death on the cross. It does not mean people are now free to do exactly as they please…
About those He saved, Jesus also said ”Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5: 19 – N.I.V.). He was referring to all of the Law and the Prophets, as above.
Leviticuc 19:28
You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD.
this really does still cound for christians today, it really does, stop justifying sin
ok.. so if we are not to cut our bodies and get tattoos, then what about ear piercing? Is that a sin. And if it is a sin to get a tattoo then cutting you hair must be sin too.. right?
I personally think this is a cultural thing.. tattoos were used back in the days for worshipping something other than God.
But i have one question: What would Jesus do? Would Jesus get a tattoo? Would he be against it today?
to Frank Mitchell : I am talking as a scientist who can read the vulgata in latin, you are talking as missionaries. Keep away from converting everyone. The pentateuch is not a christian book, and if it was a christian book i am free to throw it away and follow other beliefs. I am also free to bow to a golden calf if i want to and to tattoo it on my body, and you will have to shut up.
Rolf Schneider: The Pentateuch is one of the bases of Christian faith. For example, it contains the Ten Commandments, followed by all Christians for circa two thousand years. If you read it in English instead of in Latin you just might understand it better. Yes, you are free to throw it away and to tattoo a whole herd of cows on yourself, if you really want to. But you are not free to censor other people’s opinions in a blog in which others are free (yes FREE!) to express their own views.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
What is the difference in having your ears pierced, its a cut and if it heals it a scar, so is having your ears pierced pretty much the same as getting a tattoo or is it different because tattoos arent accepted very well in our culture???
actually ear piercings do cause not always scar over.I’ve not worn earrings in over 5 years but still have holes that if i wanted i could still put earrings in. Tattoos are very socially acceptable now. You can’t go anywhere without seeing someone with a tattoo. Yes I see many many many people at my church with tattoos. so in my eyes they are acceptable.
So, what if the tattoo I’d think about getting would be of Jesus himself? Let’s say the crucified Jesus on my whole front left side, or my whole back right side. It is of Christ, and I’m honoring him. Criticize this comment please!
i am consitering getting a tatto, and my friends are telling me that in the origenal bible befor it was translated into a bunch of languages used to say that a tattoo was ok if it was not a simbol of evil…i dont no if thats true or not but can any body tell me what they know about the origenal bibles meanings on tattoos?. we all want to please either god or ourselfs, but god is more important so i think we should strive to find the answears befor we haul off an do somthing that we find was misleading and regretable. i want to do right by god but im a curiuse about what the real word was. HELP PLEASE, I WANA KNOW!!!.
First of all, please do not take any scripture out of context and apply ONLY the ones you want to stand up for.
Secondly, this Law was being given to the “entire community of Israel”.
Thirdly, if we live by the Law, we must follow ALL the Law, so with this being said, do you follow ALL of Leviticus 19?
http://niv.scripturetext.com/leviticus/19.htm
Gigi, obviously, you have to do your best to keep as much of the Law as you can. Obviously, nobody manages to keep all of the Law (the Bible acknowledges this.) But, obviously, a person who gets tattooed ISN’T EVEN TRYING!!!