tattoos of Catholic images: sin?

[harrisunt]

I didn’t feel like reading an entire new tattoo thread but I will say this…

Jesus loves me…

I love Jesus…

Jesus loves my tattoo…

Not because of the colors or where it is or the size…

But because every day I’m reminded in my own way of why I was born and what my purpose in life is.

(I have a old school styled bald eagle holding the laurels of peace and arrows of war (see the national seal) on my chest.)

 

[surfinpure]

“Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves.” (Leviticus 19:28)

Apparently you haven’t read any of the lengthy, explanatory, apologist-written and apologist-supported texts we’ve posted. I see no point in continuing to try to persuade you, since you keep chanting this line like a mantra and you will not answer the facts and the arguments we’ve gone to the trouble of presenting.

Fine, then. You obey that law to your heart’s content, and I will stick to listening to the Church. But if She does not condemn me, then you cannot either.

 

[Neil_Anthony]

I myself have an Armenian Cross tattooed on my back/neck, and you can see it in my profile. I think well-done tattoos sacred are quite beautiful and tasteful, and not at all distasteful.

That’s got to be the coolest tattoo on Earth!

 

[catholic2]

Jimmy Akin, Michelle Arnold, Fr. Serpa – also with solid backgrounds and dedication to the truth. Would you disagree, and if so, on what grounds, exactly?

"

Hey! Father Serpa is in my corner. Which leaves you w/o a priest.

     **"Latin Prayer Question

Question from on 05-22-2007:**
I am looking to get a religous tattoo,and im looking to get a latin saying as part of it
“In nomine patrie, et fili et spiritu sancti.”
now…that is supposed to say "In the name of the Father,the Son,and the Holy Spirit.
now im just wanting to make 100% sure before i get that on tattoo’d on me that it is right…like,if there are any different letters,or if its spelt different,or little marks above the letters…thank you in advance
justin
Answer by Catholic Answers on 05-22-2007:
Hi Justin,
Forget about abusing your body in such a way. You reflect God’s glory far more by praying from your heart with a body that looks the way He created it!
Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P. "

Also you can add in Matthew Brunson, David Gregson as well as the others I had mentioned before; Father Echert, Colin Donavan and Father Levis as well as Father Vincent Serpa.

 

[Harmony1988]

Hey! Father Serpa is in my corner. Which leaves you w/o a priest.

     **"Latin Prayer Question

Question from on 05-22-2007:**
I am looking to get a religous tattoo,and im looking to get a latin saying as part of it
“In nomine patrie, et fili et spiritu sancti.”
now…that is supposed to say "In the name of the Father,the Son,and the Holy Spirit.
now im just wanting to make 100% sure before i get that on tattoo’d on me that it is right…like,if there are any different letters,or if its spelt different,or little marks above the letters…thank you in advance
justin
Answer by Catholic Answers on 05-22-2007:
Hi Justin,
Forget about abusing your body in such a way. You reflect God’s glory far more by praying from your heart with a body that looks the way He created it!
Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P. "

Also you can add in Matthew Brunson, David Gregson as well as the others I had mentioned before; Father Echert, Colin Donavan and Father Levis as well as Father Vincent Serpa.

I’d hardly believe you on your other sources, you mentioned Father Echert and I posted Father Echert’s opinion, why? Because he said it was DEPENDENT on the image.

Also Father Serpa has no argument, what he portrays is an opinion, where as Jimmy Akin gave a historical and biblical interpretation of the text. Be careful, you are using an opinion with no biblical backing as an argument, just like holdencaufield.

There are cases where even the Pope gives an opinion. Such as his dislike for rock music, does this mean we all stop listening to rock? No. Learn to discern between opinions and scriptural arguments.

So much for that. Game Over.

 

[catholic2]

I’d hardly believe you on your other sources, you mentioned Father Echert and I posted Father Echert’s opinion, why? Because he said it was DEPENDENT on the image.

Please read it carefully and cool down. I can see the steam coming right out of your ears, and your shouting does not help. I will not talk to you again.

Tattoo
Question from on 04-09-2005: Is getting a tattoo against church teaching? (i chose this forum cause the others were full.) Answer by Fr. John Echert on 04-28-2005: It can be, depending upon it content, location and the intention of the person receiving it. But anything intended to be sexually provocative, contrary to religion, **or excessive **could very well be a mortal sin. Be careful…
Thanks, James
Father Echert
Tattoos
Question from on 07-01-2004: Is there a scriptural reference to avoid getting a tattoo? Answer by Fr. John Echert on 07-04-2004: I would cite this text from Corinthians:
6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; 6:20 you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
A tattoo is an unnecessary, permanent modification of the body given to us by God, which has been sanctified to be made a Temple of the Holy Spirit, through baptism. That, in itself, would argue against tattoos, not to mention the fact that many are contrary to Christianity and nature itself, and many are immodest, in form and location.
Thanks, Robin
Father Echert

 

[surfinpure]

Tattoo
Question from on 04-09-2005: Is getting a tattoo against church teaching? (i chose this forum cause the others were full.) Answer by Fr. John Echert on 04-28-2005: It can be, depending upon it content, location and the intention of the person receiving it. But anything intended to be sexually provocative, contrary to religion, **or excessive **could very well be a mortal sin. Be careful…
Thanks, James
Father Echert

The fact that he used the words “It can be, depending…” begins his answer indicates that he does not believe all tattoos are sinful absolutely. “Be careful…” seems to indicate (though I cannot read his mind) that he is cautioning the person who wants to get a tattoo not to do it for the wrong reason, or to use the wrong subject matter, or to do it to excess. If he believed getting a tattoo was a sin regardless, the wording ought to have been quite different.

Tattoos
Question from on 07-01-2004: Is there a scriptural reference to avoid getting a tattoo? Answer by Fr. John Echert on 07-04-2004: I would cite this text from Corinthians:
6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; 6:20 you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
A tattoo is an unnecessary, permanent modification of the body given to us by God, which has been sanctified to be made a Temple of the Holy Spirit, through baptism. That, in itself, would argue against tattoos, not to mention the fact that many are contrary to Christianity and nature itself, and many are immodest, in form and location.
Thanks, Robin
Father Echert

1. He was asked for an argument against tattoos, and he gave one. He never claimed that was the end of the story on tattoos, merely that one can make a rational and scriptural argument against them.

2)He is referring to “many” tattoos, not all. It logically follows then that some tattoos are not contrary to Christianity and nature itself, and some are not immodest in form or location. If he did not believe that some were not, he wouldn’t have used the word “many.”

 

[catholic2]

The fact that he used the words “It can be, depending…” begins his answer indicates that he does not believe all tattoos are sinful absolutely. “Be careful…” seems to indicate (though I cannot read his mind) that he is cautioning the person who wants to get a tattoo not to do it for the wrong reason, or to use the wrong subject matter, or to do it to excess. If he believed getting a tattoo was a sin regardless, the wording ought to have been quite different.

1. He was asked for an argument against tattoos, and he gave one. He never claimed that was the end of the story on tattoos, merely that one can make a rational and scriptural argument against them.

2)He is referring to “many” tattoos, not all. It logically follows then that some tattoos are not contrary to Christianity and nature itself, and some are not immodest in form or location. If he did not believe that some were not, he wouldn’t have used the word “many.”

Why don’t you ask him yourself, and let us see.
ewtn.com/vexperts/conference.htm

 

[catholic2]

The fact that he used the words “It can be, depending…” begins his answer indicates that he does not believe all tattoos are sinful absolutely. “Be careful…” seems to indicate (though I cannot read his mind) that he is cautioning the person who wants to get a tattoo not to do it for the wrong reason, or to use the wrong subject matter, or to do it to excess. If he believed getting a tattoo was a sin regardless, the wording ought to have been quite different.

1. He was asked for an argument against tattoos, and he gave one. He never claimed that was the end of the story on tattoos, merely that one can make a rational and scriptural argument against them.

2)He is referring to “many” tattoos, not all. It logically follows then that some tattoos are not contrary to Christianity and nature itself, and some are not immodest in form or location. If he did not believe that some were not, he wouldn’t have used the word “many.”

re your #2, you might also ask Fr Echert what kind of a tattoo he would recommend that would be ok.

 

[surfinpure]

Why don’t you ask him yourself, and let us see.
ewtn.com/vexperts/conference.htm

Would be more than happy to … were not all their “question bins” full. It seems many others have curiosities as well, and probably of much greater moral or theological import.

Nonetheless, here is what I would ask, if I were able: Has the Church issued a definitive teaching on the morality of tattoos (excepting those instances of excess, illicit content, or inappropriate location)?

That is, so far as I can tell, the single most important question, and I believe it is safe to conclude, based on previous evidence collected on either end of the argument, that the answer is “no.”

 

[surfinpure]

re your #2, you might also ask Fr Echert what kind of a tattoo he would recommend that would be ok.

You know as well as I do that Fr. Echert would probably not recommend a tattoo. You also must know that a lack of recommendation by Fr. Echert does not a sin make.

He is clearly speaking from his own judgment. If he had an official source to cite, don’t you think he would have cited it? Good heavens, man! Don’t you think somebody would have cited one by now if there were one???

 

[Harmony1988]

Please read it carefully and cool down. I can see the steam coming right out of your ears, and your shouting does not help. I will not talk to you again.

Tattoo
Question from on 04-09-2005: Is getting a tattoo against church teaching? (i chose this forum cause the others were full.) Answer by Fr. John Echert on 04-28-2005: It can be, depending upon it content, location and the intention of the person receiving it. But anything intended to be sexually provocative, contrary to religion, **or excessive **could very well be a mortal sin. Be careful…
Thanks, James
Father Echert

The fact that I caps locked the word brings attention to what father echert said. I wasn’t shouting, do not presume that i had ‘steam coming out of my ears’. If you have trouble defending your point, then say so, instead of claiming others are getting angry and hence ‘not talking to them’

And what did I say ?

DEPENDENT.

Thank you. Please read more carefully in the future.

 

[Harmony1988]

re your #2, you might also ask Fr Echert what kind of a tattoo he would recommend that would be ok.

I don’t need him to recommend a tattoo, that is completely irrelevant, we are asking whether tattooing is ok or not.

All you have done so far is get me different people’s opinions. I am well aware that Father Echert personally does not like tattoos. However he also stated, it becomes a sin, depending on the content, location and also whether it’s excessive.

Just because he doesn’t like it, it doesn’t make it a sin.

Pope Benedict doesn’t like rock music, and he is of supreme authority, so using your logic, rock music is a sin.

Please…just give up, you have gone from scriptural verses to people’s opinions. What next?

I can also see you failed to notice anything else I said earlier:

Also Father Serpa has no argument, what he portrays is an opinion, where as Jimmy Akin gave a historical and biblical interpretation of the text. Be careful, you are using an opinion with no biblical backing as an argument, just like holdencaufield.

Of course, you can blame this on the steam coming out of my ears

Similarly, this will be the last time I talk to you if you keep bringing up note carefully now:

1. Opinions (it needs strong historical or biblical basis), an opinion by itself doesn’t count as already demonstrated
2. Bring your own opinion
3. Quote father echert again

As all this has already been done.

 

[Julian_Peters]

Thank you to all who have participated. This thread is now closed.