It goes without saying that this is a controversial topic, which is truly why it should be talked about. As a Christian and a tattooer, I feel like I walk between two worlds on a weekly basis, and I love it. I spend so much time listening to stories from every walk of life and it's by far the most interesting aspect of my job. The vacations, the jobs, the cross-country moves, coming out, incarcerations, getting married; everyone has their own novel and it's almost always a delight to hear a part of it while we're working. The thing that I don't enjoy is hearing about, though, are the instances of discrimination that clients have to endure simply because they are tattooed. What makes it worse, is when the hatred comes from a community that I'm a part of.
Before I get too far into this, I want to say that this isn't an article just for Christians. I hope that tattooed people of any religion, or none at all, can benefit from this information. The more we understand about each other, the better our chances of co-existing in a civil manner. What Does The Bible Say? Ah, Leviticus 19:28, I know you well. Now, depending on the translation you're reading, Leviticus 19:28 says "You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord." Seems pretty clear right? Well, if taken out of context, then, yes, it does. What's happening before and after this verse is very important to understand. In Leviticus, Moses is leading the people of Israel into a new land and he's giving instructions on how they will conduct themselves in their new surroundings. They'll be exposed to a lot of new customs and ways, including other pagan religions which practiced body modification as a form of worship. Some of this ritualistic marking is referenced in 1 Kings 18:28 as the Canaanites make a plea to Baal. If you take even just a few moments to browse over Leviticus, there are a lot of other rules that God passed to Moses, such as not trimming your beard, not eating flesh with blood in it and not wearing garments made of more than one material. It's also important to note that even though the English Standard Version (ESV translation) uses the word "tattoo," don't let this throw you off. The English language did not adopt the word "tattoo" until the end of the 1700s. The King James translation, nearly 1,000 years earlier is likely more accurate when it reads "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you." It's entirely possible that this could have non-permanent markings like paints and dyes. As with anything, I urge you to read for yourself. In my study of the text, when taken in context, I do not believe that God is forbidding tattoos. So, I'm not going to Hell for my tattoos? Oh, friend, have you been misled! I'm sad to hear depictions of Jesus as an angry and wrathful God, especially when it's geared towards people who don't know the difference. I'm not a teacher or a scholar, but any of us can pick up the text and read about how he treated people. Here are a few examples of how Jesus engaged with people that society looked down on:
I hope this has been helpful to you whether you believe or not, or whether your faith is huge or the size of a mustard seed. "And on his thigh, he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords." Revelation 19:16
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AuthorSummer Hamrick at Now or Never Gallery |