To Tattoo or Not Tattoo?

Recently, I have been hearing a lot about tattoos. I saw a television show that was discussing how tattoos are not approved by Jews for example, and then also ended up in a conversation with friends on this topic just hours later.

One person seemed against them, although she wasn’t at all being judgmental. Another person was adamantly in favor of them. I decided I could probably make a good argument on either side of the debate so I mainly listened. Ok. Ok. I offered my two cents here and there.

The reason Christians and Jews are opposed to tattoos is because of this single verse in the Bible. Leviticus 19:28 says, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord."

On the surface it seems crystal clear, and certainly there is nothing wrong with abstaining from tattooing yourself based on this verse. However, this passage and the surrounding verses are all referencing the ways the pagan peoples around Israel worshipped. God does want us to choose to be set apart from the ways other people worship their “gods.”

Today, tattooing your body is not a pagan practice, so much. Surely some may still do this; however the vast majority of people are making an artistic statement.

Years ago, I got a tattoo at a particularly difficult time in my life. There was a lot of challenging things happening to me and around me. None of it was anything I could escape in the moment, but I just wanted an expression of freedom, of flying, even while I was taking life’s lessons with me. I chose a hummingbird. I love that little bird on my back and I am not at all convicted about having gotten it. Still I don’t believe I would ever get another now.

I don’t necessarily think that having a tattoo is any more evil than paying a worker tomorrow for their labor (Lev. 19:13), planting a small garden with more than one kind of seed (Lev. 19:19), or trimming your beard (Lev. 19:27). Some of Leviticus is still very applicable to us today, while other verses are applicable in context.

And yet, I say I don’t know that today I would fully support tattoos, nor would I consider getting another. Here’s why.

Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Now, if you believe this, if you believe that we are His creation, and that He created us exactly how He wanted us, then changing that creation is, well, pretty sacrilegious. If you have trouble getting on board with this, follow me for a minute.

You fall in love with a Rembrandt or a Van Gogh painting. You save for it your whole life. It’s very expensive to purchase one of these paintings, so you don’t take vacations, you work all the time, you don’t ever go to restaurants and you live in a little shack just so you can someday buy this painting. You’ve given up everything for this painting. Finally you buy it and when you bring it home, your kids decide to pull out their permanent markers and add to this beautiful painting. Maybe they draw something kind of cool on it, but how would you feel?

God created us, His priceless possession. He gave up everything for us, even paid for us with the life of His son, and we decide we know better and color on it. Now, for those of you who feel like this is taking it all too literally, I understand. This is my conviction, so I don’t extend that to anyone else, except as food for thought. And for those of you, who now feel you have another argument to use against your children, friends or other church-goers, first examine your own image. If you choose to partake this particular argument against tattoos, consider the other areas in life, where this may also apply: ear or body piercings, hair color, plastic surgery…. The list could go on and on, I am sure.

Now, once again, it’s possible to argue tattoos any way you want. I don’t believe anyone will go to hell for a tattoo, but I do think there is a best way to bring glory to our Creator. I also think it is your responsibility to prayerfully consider what that is. Don’t rely on what other people say. Don’t take scripture out of context. Do strive to bring glory to your God.