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1ke
Guest
Again: opinion, not Church teaching.
There are many cultures the world over, and their traditions and attitudes regarding tattoos and piercings vary greatly. This is a cultural, not a religious, norm.
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There are many cultures the world over, and their traditions and attitudes regarding tattoos and piercings vary greatly. This is a cultural, not a religious, norm.
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Anesti33
Guest
Yes, in Western hipster culture, piercings are often done to enhance sexual pleasure or appeal, or conform with the nonconformists. In customer service positions and other careers which deal with the public, it is often necessary to cover tattoos and remove piercings. Why is this? Because they are commonly considered (by those in Western civilization) to be shocking and offensive, to the point where someone with tattoos or piercings gives a bad name to the company they work for.
It is funny, only two times have I seen tattoos on the holy saints who we strive to imitate: Edith Stein and Maximilian Kolbe.
It is funny, only two times have I seen tattoos on the holy saints who we strive to imitate: Edith Stein and Maximilian Kolbe.
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Tis_Bearself
Patron
If there are as yet no saints with voluntary tattoos, then that opens a very wide field for many of us to become the first.
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Inbonum
Guest
This is correct partially. Some do it because of that and some not.
I don’t know where you live but in EU it is not often necessary. I have been told that you can tattoo your eyeballs in black, tattoo whole face, make holes in your cheeks and you cannot be fired because of that. It has something to do with law for discrimination suspression. Maybe someone knows better so correct me.
In my last job I worked in shop with many people, I have tattoo and ear plugs (that is only what left, not so much piercing but visible holes) and still I wasn’t shocking to others. I am female, that’s even “worse”. I am Catholic too. My boss gave me job because of my skills and I was never treated different because how I look like. None of customers ever asked me about it. I wasn’t repulsive. I know much “worse” cases who aren’t repulsive to others in their work place.
Today many things are almost completely opposite of what it was in past. Not a big deal.
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Inbonum
Guest
I think that nobody says it is okay as Catholic to tattoo something bad, immoral, against faith (naked body, blasphemy etc), but when someone does it in their past and changes, converts/reverts then it’s different thing.
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JayCL
Guest
I’m curious how exactly a tattoo that enhances sexuality for enjoyment exclusively between married people is sinful. If it’s for procreative sex between a married man and woman, why is enhancing their pleasure sinful?
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Anesti33
Guest
Let me see if I can remain PG-13
Some people are excited by pain, so in piercing their erogenous zones or wherever is a little sensitive, they can gain pleasure for themselves at a whim. It hardly requires another person to be involved.
Plus I would observe that a Venn diagram of the intersection of this type of person, and Christian married couples having exclusively procreative sex, is very narrow and empty.
I would like to see Christopher West’s opinion on BDSM and domination scenarios.
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Diaconia
Guest
Jesus loves you, He doesn’t love your tattoos.
I know plenty of people with tattoos of holy things, like the Cross, Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Rosary. (Yes, I know that these kinds of tattoos often have hidden gang or criminal meanings)
I also know people that have tattoos of naked women, racial epithets, swastikas, and all kinds of curse words. Neither kind of tattoo makes God love you less.
However, a tattoo that insults, scandalizes, or upsets people diminishes your ability to engage them (in evangelization) or other ways.
I, myself, prefer to stay an un-illustrated man,
Deacon Christopher
Having a tattoo doesn’t make God love you more, He couldn’t care less about them. Jewish people are not supposed to get tattooed; does God love them less because they don’t have tattoos?
I know plenty of people with tattoos of holy things, like the Cross, Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Rosary. (Yes, I know that these kinds of tattoos often have hidden gang or criminal meanings)
I also know people that have tattoos of naked women, racial epithets, swastikas, and all kinds of curse words. Neither kind of tattoo makes God love you less.
However, a tattoo that insults, scandalizes, or upsets people diminishes your ability to engage them (in evangelization) or other ways.
I, myself, prefer to stay an un-illustrated man,
Deacon Christopher
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JayCL
Guest
Apologies, I meant piercing, not tattoo.
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JayCL
Guest
That’s quite a bold, opinionated statement, Anesti… Do you have anything to back that up? Or that conjecture?
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Raxus
Guest
The sister I was closest to and grew up with died in April of this year. She was an amazing artist, and she left behind an unfinished canvas, with a few rough sketches of figures that were going to be on there.
I’m getting one of those figures as a memorial to her on my shoulder, and anyone that doesn’t like it, Catholic or otherwise, can kiss my grits. I’m going to wear it with love and wear it proudly, because I miss my sister very, very much.
I’m getting one of those figures as a memorial to her on my shoulder, and anyone that doesn’t like it, Catholic or otherwise, can kiss my grits. I’m going to wear it with love and wear it proudly, because I miss my sister very, very much.
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DeniseNY
Guest
I’m sorry for your loss. May God grant her blessed repose and eternal memory
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Bithynian
Guest
There is a quite an ancient custom amongst several Eastern Christian communities (Copts, Ethiopian Orthodox, etc.) of receiving tattoos to mark pilgrimages to Jerusalem. There is still a tattoo parlour in the city catering to such pigrims. Crusaders were apparently interested in these practices and it was not uncommon for them to also be tattooed.
Prior to the 20th century, tattooing amongst Catholic Croatians - especially women - was also very common in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A Croatian friend informed me that tattooed 80 year old grandmothers are attempting to revive the traditional practice!
Prior to the 20th century, tattooing amongst Catholic Croatians - especially women - was also very common in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A Croatian friend informed me that tattooed 80 year old grandmothers are attempting to revive the traditional practice!
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Inbonum
Guest
Thank you for bringing this up!
My grandmothers didn’t do it but many other did. That was visible protection from Osmanlis and sign that they are Catholics! It was done in early age to girls even before they could possibly become Turkish wives. They wanted to be ready before danger comes.
They would tattoo crosses on forehead, on arms, chest, the more visible the better! Even when there was no danger of Osmanlis anymore they did it because it is tradition and sign of being Catholic, belonging to only true religion.
It is called “bocanje” /“sicanje”, means cutting/pricking. Petroleum ink or other soot was used as pigment.
Today, there are some tattoo artists, in Croatia - Zagreb especially, who are now making alive those old tattoos even if they themselves are not Catholics.
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Anesti33
Guest
Up close personal experience over my 40+ years on Earth.Anesti33:
That’s quite a bold, opinionated statement, Anesti… Do you have anything to back that up? Or that conjecture?
Say what you want about tattoos or piercings being acceptable in various cultures, but it seems to me that the need to do this comes from an innate feeling that the human body is inadequate. That we need to doodle on it to make it interesting or noticeable. That we need to mutilate it and stick shiny metals in, to have a feeling of worth. Bedouin women carry their riches on their person, including pierced ears with elaborate gold earrings. This is understandable, they are nomadic and so carrying everything makes sense to them. I can’t quite understand piercing vs. clips though.
As I have learned more and more about Catholic theology, the sacredness of the body, Pope St. JP the Great of blessed memory, I drift further and further from the culture of self-mutilation that I used to inhabit. The desire to hurt oneself, for pleasure or from shame, the vainglorious desire to adorn oneself and thereby attract others, the rebellious and Satanic compulsion to shock and scare others, are antithetical to the dignity of the human person and the equality of all Christians.
So it’s not the tattoos or piercings per se by themselves that are sinful. It is the underlying desires and impulses that are dangerous and must be well-understood before we undertake to mark ourselves in this manner. I would suggest to any Catholic receiving a tattoo or piercing that she discuss it with her pastor and/or spiritual director, as well as parents and other mentors, before a prudential decision is reached.
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CoffeeFanatic
Guest
Tattoos are a thing now and have acceptance by most people in society. I think 99.9% of them are hideously ugly, would never get one myself, but I don’t judge others overly much for having them and don’t see a point in people keeping them covered. Face and neck tattoos show deep underlying problems and those people have my pity and put me on my guard but- other than that- I don’t care if you want to mark up your body with things I don’t consider particularly attractive. I keep my opinions to myself and love and know plenty of people that have what I consider visibly bad decisions marring their skin. Piercings don’t even phase me compared to tattoos.
edit: Here’s the real question: Why do you care what people like me think about your tattoos and piercings?
edit: Here’s the real question: Why do you care what people like me think about your tattoos and piercings?
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Irishmom2
Guest
@JayCL, there are plenty of people working that do not cover their tattoos. I have seen doctors, lawyers, police, firefighters, military and business people with uncovered tattoos. Lucky for them, and for us, they don’t give a rat’s thought as to whether someone with any corporate worth would hire them or not. Money is not all there is to a profession.
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Anesti33
Guest
Oh, well, I would bet you that when it comes to the corporations that allow visible tattoos on people who deal with the public, they are counting on alternative customers who find it gnarly and cool and progressive and preferentially choose such a company the next time they have the option. So the calculus is still about profit, it’s just about gaining one demographic neglected and dissed by another.
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