We've all read Leviticus 19:28: " You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh on account of the dead or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord." So it seems that every anti-tattoo argument is based primarily on one thing... this single verse in Leviticus. Is it valid? I think we need to look at the context. I feel, as a heavily tattooed Christian, it is incumbent upon me to try to educate other Christians about the old law and the new Law established by Christ, and how it relates to us now.
Paul himself tells us that if we are to keep one law, we are to keep them all. We all know what the New Covenant represents. So why do we ( tattooed Christians) still get looked down upon?! Do people not read their Bible? I don't understand it. I bring this up because my gitlfriend got into a discussion with some "Christian" ladies at her work, who just couldn't believe that her boyfriend was in leadership at his church, and was covered in tattoos. My girlfriend, being the sweet, humble, pacifist she is, just killed them with kindness, and tried to make her point as best she could, through their barage of insults towards her being young, and misinformed.
This of course, hurt her feelings, but I told her not to worry. It's they who are misinformed. I gave her several verses that show the dynamic between levitical law, and Jesus,( the New Covenant ). Acts 10:43, Gal 5:4-6, Rom 7:6, Phil 3:8-9, 2 Cor 3:5-6, Acts 10:28, and so on. There are many more, and too many to write out. You can read for yourselves. So why, in our day and age, is this still such a "hot button" issue?
I'm completely aware of the social implications of tattoos, and the fact that there are a lot of thugs and criminals out there with some nasty ones. I arrest them every day. But I think it's pretty shallow, and, if I may say, ignorant, to lump every person you see with tattoos into the category of a thug or criminal. And how dare you if you doubt my salvation, or saving knowledge of Jesus Christ because of my tattoos!
Matt:22:37-40, tells us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. It says that on these two commandments depend all the laws and the prophets.
This verse inspired me to come up with a new slogan for our college group. " I am third." I put it on the back of our t-shirts, so when when people ask what it means, we can explain..It's God first, your neighbor second, and yourself third. It also inspired me to get my most recent tattoo a couple days ago. It's a cool looking " 3 ", on the inside of my wrist. A small reminder to myself of where I stand.
God bless
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Tattoos are permanent and used in life to identify you from others. You being a cop know this well – and that is why I have always told my kids to never put something on their bodies that they wouldn’t want to be identified with in life. They have told me, as you just implied, that once you get one you always want more. Why I don’t know, it just happens. They have several and that is both my daughter and Son and now I even think about getting one. Just a little pair of white doves on my lower back. (smiling) By the way, the kids have always put them in discreet places and that has never hindered them in jobs. That I believe is a good point to make regarding them.
I like the 3 idea, but if you are going by 1 = God and 2 = your neighbor - I will be you later in life that you change your 3 to a 5. I say that for this reason – Your wife will become #3 and your kids will become #4 and then you will be #5. As it says in Eph. 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” I will venture to say that she will become the #3 in your heart, the kids #4 and you #5. Just a thought – as that is how it seems to work with Love.
Thanx for the great insight! And I think you're right. I will be 5
ron