How many "Tats" and why?

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DMcFadden

DMcFadden

Puritanboard Commissioner
Mention in another thread about a prominent Christian minister with "tats" got me thinking. Checking him out on Google confirmed that he does indeed have a number of tattoos on his forearms and shoulders.

How many of you have tats and why did you get them? And, if you have them, are they covered or do they show in most public activities? I'm of an older generation (located in a niche somewhere between the WWII guys who got them in the war and the Millennials who get them all over their bodies today) and confess to being more than a little perplexed/amused by the phenomenon.
 
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Lol, I have "tats" my tattoos and I have a love hate relationship if you will, I have three tattoos my children's names and my name. I have a love hate relationship with my tattoos because I have had more children and now I want to put their names too but it will hurt really bad and I don't what them to be visible because I have a more professional life and job so yea. I want more but I don't lol

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk
 
Jake said:
I have none and am not convinced that they are lawful for Christians.
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Well then I'm in a heap of trouble. Photo below shows me doing one back maybe 10 years ago. I won't argue the point, but if you read Leviticus 19:28 go through the entire chapter, applying equal weight to all the admonitions found in it first, then we can discuss it.

Joan Baez, a folk singer well known in bygone days, was asked why she got a tattoo and replied, "How do you explain an impulse?" I got my first one at 14 and worked in street shops for years before I finally retired 8 months ago. I wanted one from the time I first noticed a tattoo on a man's forearm when I was a little kid.

Years later I'm convinced it is a tribal thing that is either in a person's DNA or not. It was known in ancient Egypt as well as other ancient cultures ;

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...os-Siberian-princess--little-changed-art.html



meTat2ing.jpg
 
Number of tats: 0

Reason for number: I'm a narcissist and I don't want anything to detract from my hard-earned scars.

Besides that, Dennis, I'm only slightly younger than you, have the same perplexity, and my Mom would disapprove.
 
JimmyH said:
Well then I'm in a heap of trouble.
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Tattoo's are not the context of Romans 14:14 but nevertheless I offer it."I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean." I think there may be something to glean from that in regard to tattoos, I may be wrong. And Jimmy makes a good point about Lev 19:28. Lev 19:27 reads "Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard." And I think it's hard to say what the term or practice actually refers. I am not convinced the more modern word "tattoo" is really a good translation choice. From looking at Strong's and the many varied renderings by different translations I'd say the word/ and or practice may be slightly ambiguous to us.- "print marks"(KJV);"etched mark"(Green's Literal Translation);"and a writing,a cross-mark, ye do not put on you"(YLT) Not sure what Young's is trying to say?

p.s- (no tats)
 
Are we starting another "tat" thread?

Maybe I can feel good about myself in that I've never had even a discreet tat, but maybe eating so much that I'm 2 stone overweight is a greater sin?

We sometimes have tat TV shows on from America these days, and I occasionally catch a bit of them.

The overwhelming feelings are of how ridiculous it is, and of sorrow for these stupid people who don't just get one or two discreet and "tasteful" tats, but cover their whole arm or body with them in an anti-aesthetic mess; and that tats don't improve what God has given you.

People should get tats, if they get them, that can be removed.
 
I was fascinated when earrings recently became acceptable for men. Some of the first guys I saw with them were older men - guys in their 50s and 60s. Were these guys thinking: "Dang, I want an earring, but it's the 1950s and I have to wait until the 1990s to get one? Bummer!" LOL
 
Peairtach said:
The overwhelming feelings are of how ridiculous it is, and of sorrow for these stupid people who don't just get one or two discreet and "tasteful" tats, but cover their whole arm or body with them in an anti-aesthetic mess; and that tats don't improve what God has given you.

People should get tats, if they get them, that can be removed.
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bookslover said:
JimmyH said:
bookslover said:
Being an adult, I have no tattoos.
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And you must be very proud of that.
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Actually, yes. It's nice to know that one is able to resist whatever the current fad is.
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Thank God you are not like 'that tax collector'.
 
I don't have any tattoos; I don't have the money for them nor the desire to be stuck with needles unnecessarily. However, one of my pastors has tattoos and I know a number of Christians who admire the artistry of well-done tattoos. I believe it's a matter of Christian liberty.
 
Word of (unsolicited) advice. If you elect to get foreign words for tattoos, PLEASE be sure that they are spelled correctly.

Several software programs reverse the letters in Hebrew, when doing a copy and paste, and I'm getting tired of having my eyes roll out of my skull every time I see one spelled backwards.
 
DMcFadden said:
Word of (unsolicited) advice. If you elect to get foreign words for tattoos, PLEASE be sure that they are spelled correctly.

Several software programs reverse the letters in Hebrew, when doing a copy and paste, and I'm getting tired of having my eyes roll out of my skull every time I see one spelled backwards.
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Haha! I think it's funny when some goofy, white hipster in the States gets a tattoo of a Japanese or Chinese word, especially when it's as mundane as "water". It would similarly be funny to see an asian man who doesn't speak English have "WATER" down his skinny arm.
 
DMcFadden said:
Word of (unsolicited) advice. If you elect to get foreign words for tattoos, PLEASE be sure that they are spelled correctly.

Several software programs reverse the letters in Hebrew, when doing a copy and paste, and I'm getting tired of having my eyes roll out of my skull every time I see one spelled backwards.
Click to expand...

This was a major problem when I was stationed in Japan. Fellow Marines would go out in town and get tattoos with Japanese characters, that they thought said one thing, but usually mentioned something unflattering.
 
I have a tattoo. It is scripture (in English, which really sets it apart). I figured at the time that if it was going to be established forever in the heavens, it wouldn't be so bad on my leg for my 60 remaining years.

That said, although I don't spend a lot of time thinking about it, I don't know that I'd do it all over again if I could. And if I were to get into a ministry situation where it would be a stumbling block, then I'd certainly regret it. Though, if Timothy could go under the knife, then surely could go under the laser.
 
During the early nineties I had nose lip and ear piercings.
I wanted tattoos but could not afford them.
I believe my motivation to do this was to be seen as "different"

This rebelliousness may not be the reason everyone participates in body modification
but it certainly was mine at the time, and I'm glad I stopped when I did.

I had an MRI xray yesterday and was asked, Do you have any tattoos?
My personal answer is, But for the Grace of God, I don't.
Again, this may not be everyone's answer. :0
 
I've been wanting to get a tat of my dog on my foot (I had to put him down two years ago :( ) but haven't for three reasons....I hate pain, the money, and what if they did a really bad job and now it's permanent? If they could put lidocaine on my foot and if I knew someone who could do it that's really good and wouldn't charge tons of money I would get one. I'm not convinced that it's a sin. I think it's more of a "only those types of people have tats so stay away from tats because you don't want to be identified as being one of them" sort thing. :2cents:
 
We might approach this subject altogether differently, and a little more healthily (more light than heat, in giving offense, or taking offense), if we'd consider this from the understanding that our bodies are not our own. This, then, would give us all pause on purposeful and needless permanent damage/modification we suffer our bodies to go through. I say this as one who is trying to progress in the mortification of my fleshly over-indulgence in the arena of diet. The following sermons may be worth your time, even if you ultimately disagree:

1. Who Owns Our Bodies? - Modification, Tattoos, etc.
2. Who Owns our Bodies? (Concluded)
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I was going to add a link to these sermons. They were very helpful to me in thinking about the question.
 
No tats for me. ...'Cause ya don't slap a bumper sticker on a Rolls Royce!

Just kidding....I would only get a tattoo with the name of a lost child or if I was in an elite military unit. Otherwise, the reasons seem too trivial to put something long-term in my skin. I believe they are lawful but mostly unwise.

However, tattoos are certainly not the same as the "cuttings in the flesh for the dead"...mentioned in OT verse (for true cuttings in the flesh for the dead, see the Dani tribe who ritually cut off a finger at the knuckles when a relative dies...tattoos are not that, but merely attempts to beautify the body, a universal human trait).

The fact that God owns our bodies does not mean we cannot cut our hair, trim our nails, dye our hair, pierce our ears/noses, beautify ourselves, etc. Nose rings and jewelry are even mentioned in Scripture as gifts of the godly towards their beloved (even God giving such things on occasion).

p.s. when I was looking to marry, I would automatically disqualify young women with tattoos as dates as a mark of poor judgment or impulsiveness.....both being signs of a poor choice in a future spouse. Call me judgmental, but I think it probably weeded out a lot of chaff.
 
johnny said:
I wanted tattoos but could not afford them.
I believe my motivation to do this was to be seen as "different"
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It was long hair when I was young. "I want to be different just like everybody else".

Tattoos were reserved in those days for those in the lower socioeconomic strata. Carnies, perhaps, or sailors (but only enlisted men), etc.
 
I have zero tats. After being jabbed so many times for allergy testing back in the 60's, I don't desire any more needles.
 
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I don't have any, mainly because I am too self conscious and would be worried people thought I did it to be trendy. At 25 I feel like I missed the window to get inked as a millennial
 
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