How A Former Abortion Doctor Became Pro
As an abortion doctor at Planned Parenthood, Dr. Patti Giebink believed she was helping women. Later, she began reading scripture and God gradually changed her heart on the abortion issue. Patti tells the story of her long journey from abortion doctor to pro-life and encourages listeners to share the message of life with compassion.
Is Getting A Tattoo A Sin
Some Christians believe that since the only possible mention of tattoos was written in the Old Testament the law no longer applies to Christians. There is no mention of body modifications or tattoos written in the New Testament at all. Since there is not an explicit command against the modern-day concept of tattoos, it would mean that it is not a sin to get one.
Dr Tim And Mrs Noreen Muehlhoff
Dr. Tim Muehlhoff is a professor of communication at Biola University in La Mirada, California where he teaches classes in family communication, interpersonal communication, apologetics, gender, and conflict resolution. Tim and his wife, Noreen, are both on staff with Biolas Center for Marriage and Relationships where he is a co-host of The Art of Relationship podcast.
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The Principle Of Stewardship
The two points to think about under this principle are the stewardship of our bodies and the stewardship of our money. Before you reject the stewardship argument as weak, think about the risks and consider the stewardship of your body. The Mayo Clinic website states, Tattoo inks are classified as cosmetics, so they arent regulated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration . The pigments and dyes used in tattoo inks arent approved for injection under the skin. Long-term effects of these are unknown. The site also lists some of the specific risks associated withgetting a tattoo. First there are the blood-borne diseases, including:
- Hepatitis C
- HIV
What Does The Bible Say About Tattoos & Piercings
The Truth About Tattoos and Piercings covers the controversial topic of modern tattoos and piercings. How should Christians view tattoos and piercings?
Its nearly impossible to go out in public these days without seeing someone with a tattoo or body piercing. The movie stars have them. The sports figures have them. In fact, a news story dated April 30, 2009 says that Barbie now has them. In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Barbie doll, Mattel has created a new Barbie, complete with tattoos and a toy tattoo gun so children can stamp themselves with washable tattoos. The American Academy of Dermatology website says that 24 percent of people 18 to 50 reported having a tattoo. A Harris Poll dated February 12, 2008, stated that 32 percent of those aged 25 to 29 had a tattoo, and 25 percent of people 30 to 39 had them. Because tattoos and piercings are so popular, its a topic young people have to deal with and about which they naturally have many questions. Is it right for a Christian to get a tattoo? Is it right to have multiple piercings in your ears? What about a ring in your nose? Parents dont always know how best to answer these questions.
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A Very Important Moral Law
As already stated, Christians are under the moral Law for Christian living. This means that youth are subject to the Law that requires they honor father and mother . This means that youth are under their parents authority and getting a tattoo without their parents permission is most definitely a sin. Jesus declared this Law of parental authority and Paul confirmed it:
Mark 10:19 You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother.
Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor yourfather and mother, which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.
Is It A Sin To Get A Tattoo What Does The Bible Say About Tattoos
The short answer is…nothing. At least nothing definitive. The Bible makes no specific reference to tattoos as we understand them in modern times. Some Christians condemn all tattooing as immoral because God clearly forbids them in Leviticus 19:28. Since the word tattoo does appear in this verse in some popular English translations, this argument seems straightforward. For example, the NIV reads, Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.
Other Christians say this passage no longer applies to us because it is Old Testament law, and not for Christians. If you go online to try to answer the tattoo question, youll see both approaches and contradictory conclusions. Both of these approaches, however, are misleading because, as we will see, the answer to the tattoo question is that the Bible has nothing clearly to say about the practice of injecting ink under the skin to form permanent pictures, patterns or messagesa.k.a. tattooing.
The background to this law was that Israel, after being rescued from slavery, was between Egypt and Canaan. Recent archeology indicates that, while Egypt did tattoo, it was limited to women. Evidence suggests that tattooing the body parts of women associated with fertility was believed to be a good luck charm to protect the birthing process. Women also frequently had imprints of the fertility goddess, Bes, which seems to support this theory.
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Are Your Motives For Getting A Tattoo Truly Pure
I talked to people who said they want a tattoo because it means something, they can use it to share their faith, etc. Im not denying that their motives are not genuine. However, I strongly believe that people will deceive themselves to cover up the real reason that they want a tattoo. The heart is deceitful. Ive talked to people who said that they want to get a name tattoo of their family member. I talked to them and we finally got to the root of the reason.
They finally said it was because it looks cool. I believe for many believers the real reason is because it looks cool and everyone else has one and Im going to justify it by saying this. People say, I want a full sleeve to show off God, but instead they show off themselves. They go out of their way for you to see that they have a tattoo. Rarely do people even bring up the topic of faith with tattoos.
Do you desire to bring attention to yourself? Would that be something that you would admit? We can lie to ourselves when we really desire something. Deep down whats the real reason? Is it truly to bring glory to God or is it so you can show off, fit in, look cool, etc.
9. Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
10. 1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Do Not Be Conformed To This World
Even if the reference to tattoos in Leviticus 19:28 is directed solely to the way pagans mourned for the dead , the above-noted scriptures make it clear that avoiding tattoos is the preferable choice for Christians. In order to please God, we must walklive our livesin faith that we are following His commands because whatever is not from faith is sin .
Rather than following the customs and practices of the society around us, we are to be representatives of the coming Kingdom of Godand of Christ Himself. And do not be conformed to this world . Therefore Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you .
Based upon the evidence from Gods Word and these principles, we believe a Christian should not get a tattoo. If a Christian already has one, it is his or her decision whether to leave it alone, cover it up or have it removed.
About the Author
Paul Luecke
Paul Luecke and his wife, Ronda, have three married children and have served congregations in Arizona, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Dakota, South Dakota, Canada, Pennsylvania, Kansas and Oklahoma, currently pastoring congregations in Alabama and Georgia.
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Which Religion Cannot Cut Their Hair
A: Apostolic Pentecostals are the strictest of all the Pentecostal groups, according to Synan. Like most Pentecostals, they do not use alcohol or tobacco. They generally don’t watch TV or movies either. Women who are Apostolic Pentecostals also wear long dresses, and they don’t cut their hair or wear makeup.
Tattoos In The Bible: Honor God With Your Body
This is Gods body not ours. You are going to have to give it back. Dont think Hes going to be pleased with Bible verse tattoos. Imagine if I let you borrow my car and you brought it back with scratches all over it because you thought I would be OK with it. I will be angry.
Are we to alter Gods image? Some people are going to say, 1 Corinthians 6 was referring to sexual immorality, but the principal still applies. Glorify God with your body. Do not defile Gods temple with tattoos. The disciples and early Christians knew how to honor God. Never did we hear about one of them getting a tattoo.
2. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
3. Romans 12:1 Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual worship.
4. 1 Corinthians 3:16 Dont you know that you yourselves are Gods temple and that Gods Spirit dwells in your midst?
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Tattoos In Christianity And Bible
In this section, were going to look at the particular piece of information that hints that tattoos are against the rules of Christianity. As you may probably know, there are all sorts of people with different hobbies and practices who still worship Jesus and Christianity.
Some of those people may also have tattoos without thinking or believing that theyve committed a sin or anything of that sort in terms of Christianity.
That said, lets first look at Bible.
The Holy Bible has two testaments, the Old and the New. The Old Testament refers mainly to the tales and rules associated with Moses and Judaism, while the new testament sheds light on Christianity and the uprising of Jesus Christ.
If we look at the New Testament, no verse speaks badly of tattoos or forbids them in any sense. That said, theres nothing that could potentially indicate that tattoos are a sin in Christianity and that you shouldnt practice them.
However, the same cant be said for the Old Testament, but it surely depends on how you interpret what its saying inside of it.
The tattoo is mentioned only once in the Old Testament. However, even that one time could be enough to hint that they are forbidden and considered sinful.
Nevertheless, according to the Christian blog davidservant.com, the word tattoo is mentioned once only in the New American Standard Version of the bible. The older versions of it may not specify the so-called verse that forbids the use of ink for tattooing.
Does The Bible Say Anything About Cremation
The Bible neither favors nor forbids the process of cremation. Nevertheless, many Christians believe that their bodies would be ineligible for resurrection if they are cremated. This argument, though, is refuted by others on the basis of the fact that the body still decomposes over time after burial.
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Does God Allow Tattoos If Our Heart And Motives Are Good
Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:28 NIV
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, not print any Marks upon you: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:28 KJV
Looking at these scriptures in the Bible, God could not make His stand on tattoos any clearer. Yes, God does look at our motives and our hearts but He also tells us the unsanctified heart is wicked and needs cleansing so we all can line up with His Word. Many times our outward appearance can reveal what is in our hearts.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9
With this in mind, we all do things that are sinful when we do not know God or when we are baby Christians who are ignorant of His Word. That is why we must study the Bible, as it is our standard for what God says is sin or is not sin. Certainly, when we are babes in the Lord and do not know the Word, we may be deceived and sin. Because God is very merciful and kind, He overlooks certain things, until we can come to the knowledge of truth about those things. However, if we are truly honest and want to put away our sin and we come to God with an open heart willing to change the areas in our lives that are sin, He will show us those things were we have been deceived.
In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25
Does The Bible Speak About Tattoos
If you take the Bible word for word, in Leviticus 19:28, its exact translation is: And a cutting for the dead you will not make in your flesh and writing marks you will not make on you I am the Lord. Some modern-day versions of the Bible do have the word tattoo written in the translation and then it reads: Do not
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What Is Your Purpose And Motivation In Getting A Tattoo
It is an important question to answer while getting tattooed. The purpose or motivation that provoked the idea of getting tattooed must be to please the Lord. There are sayings that de-motivate inking. But some say if the objective is to fight off the disorder or clarify, your fight with a disease is practically applicable and permissible. But if the purpose is wrong and goes against the following, like getting a tattoo because everyone else is also, it is disregarded.
Dealing With Debatable Matters
In the previous article we saw that God communicates to us progressively through the Bible. So Old Testament verses need to be understood in view of the additional knowledge we have in the New Testament . In doing this we can look for examples, warnings, encouragement and hope in the OT which are consistent with the messages given to churches in the NT. In the case of Leviticus 19:28, which prohibited the Jews having tattoos, the tests for a tattoo today could be: Is it consistent or inconsistent with being devoted to God? Is it linked to idolatry? Does it display the fruit of the Spirit or an act of the sinful nature? What is the motivation behind the tattoo?
As the word translated mark is a scratch or etching something engraved or stamped it looks like it could be a literal mark on the skin. However, this is only an inference. The word translated written usually refers to something written in a book, scroll, or on a board. However, it may be symbolic not literal, like the sword out of His mouth . Obviously, there can be various views on the mark and the writing.
Debatable Matters
Paul says that the weak believer, with a strict conscience, ate only vegetables whereas the strong believers faith allowed them to eat this meat because they understood that the idols to which the meat had been offered were not gods at all only pieces of wood, stone or metal. Therefore, as they ate the meat with that understanding, they were not participating in idolatry.
Gods Honor
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What Does The Bible Say About Tattoos And Body Piercings 2021
What Does The Bible Say About Tattoos And Body Piercings. 47 bible verses about body piercings and tattoos leviticus 19:28 esv / 84 helpful votes helpful not helpful you shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: 9 bible verses about tattoos body piercings leviticus 19:28 esv / 180 helpful votes helpful not helpful you shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves:
According to the bible, our body is a temple for gods holy spirit dwelling within us. An important scriptural principle on issues the bible does not specifically address is if there is room for doubt whether it pleases god, then it is best not to engage in that activity.
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The Principle Of Influence
Lets begin by examining a passage in 1 Corinthians 11. A rather unusual discussion takes place in this chapter concerning the wearing of veils. The apostle Paul writes, But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved . Verse 6 goes on to say, For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.
The department issued a new policy: officers could get tattoos only if they were hidden by their uniforms. The reason? Because of the message tattoos send. Numerous news stories on the internet discuss the problem of tattoos and body piercings in the workplace. One article from Fox News points out that some employers are having to write very specific dress codes to address the problem. Many employers are requiring that their staff dress in such a way as to hide their tattoos. The new tattoo Barbie doll was mentioned earlier. Here is an excerpt from an article discussing this new doll. Parents have already rallied up against Mattel, asking for the dolls to be pulled off the market. One parent asked, Whatever will they bring out next? Drug addict Barbie? Alcoholic Barbie? Why are parents rallying against Mattel? Because in our society tattoos have negative connotations.
- Sinful Inflictions
- Dark Images
- Red devil Tattoo and Piercing
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