Tattoos

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Augustine3 said:
What does the Church say about Tattoos?
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I don’t know…there seems to be nothing specific.

Let me share though that two weeks ago, I donated blood to a charity. The medical staff were rejecting those who had tattoos, I wonder why. Maybe it is bad for the blood? At any rate, if one would get a tattoo willingly knowing there are ill health effects, then that would constitute a sin.
 
I give blood now and then. If I recall correctly you can’t donate if you have had a tattoo in the last year.
 
My priest has a giant tattoo on his shoulder, lol. It depicts Michael the Archangel.

He said he does not believe that God minds as long as they are not offensive, obscene, or meant to be ‘shocking’, I.e. cause a scandal.
 
Aren’t tattoos forbidden under Mosaic law? Of course, so is pork…
 
Nicene Creed (Latin)
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Willy_Jose said:
I don’t know…there seems to be nothing specific.

Let me share though that two weeks ago, I donated blood to a charity. The medical staff were rejecting those who had tattoos, I wonder why. Maybe it is bad for the blood? At any rate, if one would get a tattoo willingly knowing there are ill health effects, then that would constitute a sin.
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It’s because of the possibility of transmitting disease if the needles aren’t sterile. I remember seeing a news report that said that 1 in 3 people with tattoos had Hep C. I imagine that’s what they’re worrying about.
 
Augustine3 said:
What does the Church say about Tattoos?

God bless,
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Instead of asking what the church says, you should ask what does the bible say. Here are a couple of scriptures.

Leviticus 19:28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

1 Corinthians 6:19 says “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

The bibles says not to do it and that is our guide.
 
LiftHimUp said:
Instead of asking what the church says, you should ask what does the bible say. Here are a couple of scriptures.

Leviticus 19:28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

1 Corinthians 6:19 says “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

The bibles says not to do it and that is our guide.
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Well, there is a point there…especially on the one about the temple of God. It is good to reflect on this passage when you do something to your body. The passage has deep nuances though, which I believe cannot be oversimplified and directly related to an outright prohibition on tattoos in general.

The first sentence though, implies a dichotomy between the [Catholic] church and the bible. There is none… but that should be another thread…
 
RedSoxWife said:
It’s because of the possibility of transmitting disease if the needles aren’t sterile. I remember seeing a news report that said that 1 in 3 people with tattoos had Hep C. I imagine that’s what they’re worrying about.
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Oh thanks. I wasn’t aware. In that case I wouldn’t ever consider getting a tattoo.
 
Willy_Jose said:
Well, there is a point there…especially on the one about the temple of God. It is good to reflect on this passage when you do something to your body. The passage has deep nuances though, which I believe cannot be oversimplified and directly related to an outright prohibition on tattoos in general.

The first sentence though, implies a dichotomy between the [Catholic] church and the bible. There is none… but that should be another thread…
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The scripture is apart of the word of God. It strictly forbids printing marks on your body. That comes first and foremost. Nothing is suppose to be over the word of God. That scripture is plain and simple. Let’s not complicate it.
 
LiftHimUp said:
The scripture is apart of the word of God. It strictly forbids printing marks on your body. That comes first and foremost. Nothing is suppose to be over the word of God. That scripture is plain and simple. Let’s not complicate it.
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As I understand the context of the Leviticus passage (as well as the verses around it), God was prohibiting certain acts which were obviously paganistic at that time. If you notice the verse immediately before 19:28, it forbids you to “clip your hair at the temples, nor trim the edges of your beard”. Do you have an untrimmed beard? 🙂

“Nothing is suppose to be over the word of God”

Sure enough. That is why the church supports Scriptures in the proper context. Catholics honor Scripture AND Tradition. Maybe you should start another thread on this.
 
LiftHimUp said:
Instead of asking what the church says, you should ask what does the bible say.
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I ask what the Church says because I seek her interpretation of the Bible rather than a private interpretation….no offence intended.

God bless,
 
LiftHimUp said:
Instead of asking what the church says, you should ask what does the bible say. Here are a couple of scriptures.

Leviticus 19:28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

The bibles says not to do it and that is our guide.
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No offense, but this is just ridiculous: the verse right before the one you quoted - that’s verse 27 - states, "Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard."

Have you ever shaved, LiftHimUp?

Christians aren’t bound by the non-universal/moral dictates of the Mosaic Law, as Acts and Romans make perfectly clear.

And no, I personally don’t have a tattoo or plans to get one.
 
I have tattoos. I do not believe and am not aware that they are sinful. One of them is actually a Roman cross. If you do some fact checking and get them done by a true professional, you cannot get hepatitis; all of the needles are new and the inks are as well. They come out of sterile packets. If you don’t see items come out of sterile packets, do NOT get a tattoo from the place!:eek:
 
LiftHimUp said:
Instead of asking what the church says, you should ask what does the bible say. Here are a couple of scriptures.

Leviticus 19:28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

1 Corinthians 6:19 says “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

The bibles says not to do it and that is our guide.
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🙂 The Old Testament also says not to mix cotton and polyester (not to mix different fabrics) - do you wear garments with different types of wool? We are free of the mosaic law and live under the law of Christ which is the moral law (10 commandments - captured most succinctly in the golden rule). The mosaic law prohibition on tatoos and eating unclean animals and other 613 (there were 613) commandments are fulfilled in Christ - though the moral law remains written in our hearts.

Blessings,

Brian
 
Themeginthemoon, you are correct in your statement, but… Epidemiologic studies show an increased risk regardless of how the tattooing was done. Tattoos are a surrogate marker for something else that is going on in the lives of people who are tattooed. Before we had tests for HIV infection, positive Hepatitis B tests were a sign of increased risk. As we developed tests, then we could be more specific about the actual risks. As it stands, since we do not know what the common factor is, it is still better to not be tattooed if you aren’t already. If you are going to do so anyway, then the route you describe is the best choice.
 
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