Tattoos and Piercings

[Karin]

I want mine triple pierced but I have really tiny earlobes and there isn’t any more room, lol. My aunt, who passed away in 1984 at age 54, had hers either triple or quadruple pierced.

You know that you can pierce other parts of your ears…nto just the lobes…

 

[ElizabethPH]

I have that Examination of Conscience book as well and it list’s excessive tattoo’s and piercings as mortal sin. Excessive is excessive…that means a lot. Why folks want to go through all that pain for “art” and to put holes in oneself is beyond me. I’ve had a couple of tattoo’s, it’s painful, and not worth it. MHO

 

[Karin]

I have that Examination of Conscience book as well and it list’s excessive tattoo’s and piercings as mortal sin. Excessive is excessive…that means a lot. Why folks want to go through all that pain for “art” and to put holes in oneself is beyond me. I’ve had a couple of tattoo’s it’s painful, and not worth it. MHO

See to you the tats where painful to me the hurt no more than a skinned knee…at to excessive…do they supply a number?
If not your excessive may not be what my excessive is.

 

[Faith1960]

You know that you can pierce other parts of your ears…nto just the lobes…

I thought about having my cartilage pierced but changed my mind. I want to stick to my earlobes.

 

[Myangel]

See to you the tats where painful to me the hurt no more than a skinned knee…at to excessive…do they supply a number?
If not your excessive may not be what my excessive is.

This was my thought too, my tatoo didnt hurt and its on my back bone! As to the excessive, they do not supply a number. Thats why I asked in my post

Originally Posted by Myangel
I have an examination of conscience which states "excessive tatoos as a mortal sin, nothing about 1 or 2 tatoos. But then again what is excessive?

Everyone has a different opinion of what excessive is!

 

[Faith1960]

See to you the tats where painful to me the hurt no more than a skinned knee…at to excessive…do they supply a number?
If not your excessive may not be what my excessive is.

Very true. At one time double pierced ears were thought to be excessive and my mom had no idea why I’d want to do that. She used to ask what I’d do if I changed my mind after having the second piercing and didn’t want extra holes in my ears. Uh, well, the piercings aren’t enormous so I’d just stop wearing the second pair if I didn’t like them.

 

[Karin]

Everyone has a different opinion of what excessive is!

EXACTLY!

 

[ElizabethPH]

I have my ears double pierced.

This was my thought too, my tatoo didnt hurt and its on my back bone! As to the excessive, they do not supply a number. Thats why I asked in my post

Everyone has a different opinion of what excessive is!

If one has a full body tatt and doesn’t think it’s excessive then he doesn’t think he/she is committing a mortal sin. They know excessive tattoo’s is a sin though. So where does one draw the line…a lot of tatoo’s is either a mortal sin or it’s not. An individual surely should be able to know what excessive means…and not by ones own opinion. A sin is a sin.

 

[Karin]

If one has a full body tatt and doesn’t think it’s excessive then he doesn’t think he/she is committing a mortal sin. They know excessive tattoo’s is a sin though. So where does one draw the line…a lot of tatoo’s is either a mortal sin or it’s not. An individual surely should be able to know what excessive means…and not by ones own opinion. A sin is a sin.

Well I have several moer than two tattoos…and several piercings…no me they are not excessive…but b your definition that would be .
Also let me state once again…that my Priest has no issue with the number of tats or piercings that I have…and he has seen them all…

 

[ElizabethPH]

Well I have several moer than two tattoos…and several piercings…no me they are not excessive…but b your definition that would be .
Also let me state once again…that my Priest has no issue with the number of tats or piercings that I have…and he has seen them all…

Nothing untowards you Karin, I’m just giving my own opinion. I don’t mean to judge anyone here. Like I’ve said I’ve got them as well. But in examining MY conscience I’m aware of what excessive is …whether my priest does or not.

 

[Karin]

Nothing untowards you Karin, I’m just giving my own opinion. I don’t mean to judge anyone here. Like I’ve said I’ve got them as well. But in examining MY conscience I’m aware of what excessive is …whether my priest does or not.

I am also aware of what “excessive” is…as is my Priest.
But once again your idea of excessive may differ from mine…so I guess it is up to each indivual to determine if they have excess tattoos and piercings.

 

[Traditional_Ang]

Some Protestant authors have argued that the Bible forbids tattoos and body piercing. They typically cite the following verse: “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh on account of the dead or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:28).
References to this verse are not present in important magisterial documents and in the principal writings of the Fathers of the Church. It is the consensus of Catholic biblical commentators that this prohibition is not part of the unchanging moral law, but part of the ritual law specific to the Old Testament. Many commentators believe that this prohibition was intended to separate Israel from its Canaanite neighbors; some believe that the cuttings in the flesh and tattoo marks to which the verse refers were part of idolatrous Canaanite worship.
The context of the verse favors this interpretation. The preceding verse reads, “You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard” (Lev. 19:27)—this prohibition is certainly not applied to members of the Church.
The Church does not teach that Sacred Scripture forbids tattooing and body piercing, but the Church does offer principles by which to discern whether, in particular situations, it is sinful to be tattooed or have one’s body pierced
cuf.org/faithfacts/details_view.asp?ffID=233

Karin:

I’ve only tried to share with you a grossly simplified summary of Rabbinical Teaching on this issue. I realize Jewish Rabbis and Sages aren’t part of the Catholic Magisterium, but they are part of the body God entrusted with preserving the Old Testament. Because of that, I tend listen to their interpretation of the Torah, or to at least not reject it out of hand.

As far as they were concerned, it was the act of tattooing, not what was tattooed, that declared ownership over the body the Lord provided us for his Glory.

At the same time, we believe in the Resurrection of the Body, which means that whatever we do to our bodies will remain. God will heal us of our infirmaties and our injuries, but is he going to remove our Tattoos?

Are you sure that you’re ready for the entire Church to see whatever has been etched into your skin for all eternity?

I’d rather be more worried about what I did and didn’t do for our Lord Jesus and His Church?

I feel these issues need to be considered and they’re not adaquately considered considered in anything I’ve seen here.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

 

[Myangel]

At the same time, we believe in the Resurrection of the Body, which means that whatever we do to our bodies will remain. God will heal us of our infirmaties and our injuries, but is he going to remove our Tattoos?

Are you sure that you’re ready for the entire Church to see whatever has been etched into your skin for all eternity?

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

Michael, noone enters into heaven until they are made PERFECT! Therefor tatoos will be removed as will any physical disabilities. PURGATORY.

I have said this to you in another thread regarding tatoos, not only will the Church see what is etched on our SKIN but also what is etched on our SOUL which is what counts to God more than anything else. I hear the words “Temple of the Holy Spirit” over and over again, the Holy Spirit dwells within our soul, so we must endeavour to keep our souls as pure as possible for Him.

I have confessed my tatoo (not knowing whether it is a sin or not to get one), so does that mean that my body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, is doomed due to my tatoo??? And that the Holy Spirit cannot or will not dwell within me due to my tatoo even though I have repented of all mortal sins? I think not. My soul is the most important thing to the Holy Spirit not the tatoo on my body.

 

[Traditional_Ang]

Very true. At one time double pierced ears were thought to be excessive and my mom had no idea why I’d want to do that. She used to ask what I’d do if I changed my mind after having the second piercing and didn’t want extra holes in my ears. Uh, well, the piercings aren’t enormous so I’d just stop wearing the second pair if I didn’t like them.

Faith:

I agree with your mother. I think that two pair of earings should be plenty, and that anything else is overkill.

St. Paul talked about “Simple Adornments” and so did a lot of the Early Church Fathers. I think they knew what they were talking about, as when we are discussing adding a 3rd pair of earings, or having the ears pierced in the cartiledge, or doing so, we are diverting effort and money from preaching the Gospel in this country and elsewhere or taking care of the poor or any of a number of things the Church needs to do in order to have an affect on an increasingly evil world.

This may be hard, but I believe we have to decide when, and if, the Body Piercings, etc. get in the way of preaching the Gospel of Christ.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

 

[Hastrman]

I would say that tattoos, in general, are morally neutral.

Regarding the idea of our bodies not belonging entirely to us but to God: I am not certain this is exactly accurate. Our bodies are a gift from God, therefore creating an obligation in us not to misuse them. But they are ours more than anything else we have, unless you would contradict the teaching of the Church and say we have no right to private property? And if we can have dominion over things not a part of us, how much more do we own our bodies?

Besides which, in Aristotelian philosophy, even if there were no God, it is wrong to misuse anything. Owning it does not change that fact–ownership simply imparts, among other things, the right to use it at all.

Anyway, as to what tattoos are wrong and therefore constitute an abuse of the body: I would say that tattoos associated with gangs are wrong, especially those of gangs like MS13, the Aryan Brotherhood (now the Brand), or the Russian mafia. Even more so, the elaborate systems of tattoos used by Asian organized crime, like the Chinese Triads, the Japanese yakuza (full-body tattoos of mytholigical figures, often very beautiful) and the Korean kkangpae (designs incorporating roses).

Apart from crimes symbolized by the tattoos themselves, the tattoos mark one out as a criminal, separate from society, and implicitly swear allegiance to the way of life of the gangster. The yakuza code of jingi (benevolent justice), though not without a certain Stoic nobility, is entirely incompatible with Christianity.

 

[Karin]

Karin:

I’ve only tried to share with you a grossly simplified summary of Rabbinical Teaching on this issue. I realize Jewish Rabbis and Sages aren’t part of the Catholic Magisterium, but they are part of the body God entrusted with preserving the Old Testament. Because of that, I tend listen to their interpretation of the Torah, or to at least not reject it out of hand.

Thank you for sharing but I do not agree.

Are you sure that you’re ready for the entire Church to see whatever has been etched into your skin for all eternity?

most folks have seen all of my tattoos…I am not ashamed of them and I know that they do not go against the Church…so I am prepared for folks to see them for all eternity if need be

mt tattoos and piericings have never taken away from what I do for the Church or Christ…but thanks for your concern.

 

[The_Augustinian]

I think that tattooes aren’t intrinsically evil, but circumstances, as earlier stated, can affect the morality of getting tattooed or pierced. An article from the Latin Mass Magazine is very informative on this issue. One interesting fact I learned is that Ethiopian Christians apparently have the custom of tattooing a cross on their foreheads!

Although I condemn no one on this forum, it seems to me that the Zeitgeist approving of excessive tattooes and piercings is of the Devil. I feel kind of sorry for the people who got tattooed in their youth, only to regret their decision and pay even more money to have them removed in a rather uncomfortable procedure. Perhaps young people getting tattooed aren’t thinking of the future, when their tattooes will become faded and unpleasant to look at. Such short-sightedness is a turn-off for me, so I have a bias against young women with tattooes.

While tattooes in other cultures are connected with social ties (whether good or bad) tattooes in our modernist culture seem to be based purely on individual caprice, which is regrettable.

 

[happygal]

Tattoos, oh no, having to suffer those pain, having needles piecrings into the skin, what’s the purpose?? I never like tattoos, however if those really can’t kick away those fancy marking on your body, then go for those temporary tattoos stickers, you don’t like it just wash away. But is best not to have any marking on the body…