The tatoo in Christianity?

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GotJesus

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I was asked a question the other day referring to the Holy Bible and the Church’s stance on tatoo’s?

I have a tatoo of a Cross with ‘Jesus’ through it a sign of my faith, in which i am very proud, is this a sin?

And, i would like to have many more “religious” tatoo’s but i came across some sore points, i was wondering what people would think if a person had any of the following tatoo’s:-

A picture of Jesus Christ, a picture of the Virgin Mary or certain passages out of the Bible, which show the persons belief and commitment to Jesus, the Church, the faith, etc

Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut

God Bless
 
GotJesus?:
I was asked a question the other day referring to the Holy Bible and the Church’s stance on tatoo’s?

I have a tatoo of a Cross with ‘Jesus’ through it a sign of my faith, in which i am very proud, is this a sin?

And, i would like to have many more “religious” tatoo’s but i came across some sore points, i was wondering what people would think if a person had any of the following tatoo’s:-

A picture of Jesus Christ, a picture of the Virgin Mary or certain passages out of the Bible, which show the persons belief and commitment to Jesus, the Church, the faith, etc

Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut

God Bless
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i suppose it could depend on what’s in your heart… tatoo’s IMO are no more than grafitti on God’s work of art… but, if someone wants to poke holes in themselves or paint them selves up permanently, hey, who am I to judge… :cool:

as to the question of sin… not sure… :confused:
 
GotJesus?:
I was asked a question the other day referring to the Holy Bible and the Church’s stance on tatoo’s?

I have a tatoo of a Cross with ‘Jesus’ through it a sign of my faith, in which i am very proud, is this a sin?

And, i would like to have many more “religious” tatoo’s but i came across some sore points, i was wondering what people would think if a person had any of the following tatoo’s:-

A picture of Jesus Christ, a picture of the Virgin Mary or certain passages out of the Bible, which show the persons belief and commitment to Jesus, the Church, the faith, etc

Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut

God Bless
Click to expand...
There is an OT passage that forbad the Jews from “painting” themselves…bvut I suspect that it had to do w/ pagan rites as opposed to anything else.

This is probably a good question to post on the AAA forum.

I agree that it has more to do w/your heart.

( HEY GHOST!)
 
My answer always is “Can you imagine Our Lord or the Blessed Virgin with a tattoo?”
 
Many of us Catholics, including priests, have religious tattoos. It is your own choice! 🙂
 
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Fidelis:
My answer always is “Can you imagine Our Lord or the Blessed Virgin with a tattoo?”
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Tattoos are ancient, and many originated in Egypt. The only reason Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin were not tattooed is because they were Jews, and tattoos were forbidden to Jews.
 
As long as it’s not excessive or become mutilation tatoos are okay
 
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Brown10985:
As long as it’s not excessive or become mutilation tatoos are okay
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yikes. what’s “excessive”? when would a tattoo become “mutilation”?
 
Church Militant:
There is an OT passage that forbad the Jews from “painting” themselves…bvut I suspect that it had to do w/ pagan rites as opposed to anything else.

This is probably a good question to post on the AAA forum.

I agree that it has more to do w/your heart.

( HEY GHOST!)
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you rang? 😃
 
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NightRider:
Tattoos are ancient, and many originated in Egypt. The **only ** reason Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin were not tattooed is because they were Jews, and tattoos were forbidden to Jews.
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The ONLY reason? That would be pretty hard to prove, as it it always impossible to guess another’s motivation for doing something. Is it even possible that, in addition to just simple observance of the law, or even crass legalism if you prefer, they did something out of a purer motivation? The Law was given to the Jews, not just so they wouldn’t do what the pagans did for the sake of just not doing it, but because of deeper reasons connected by the practice. If, as was proposed, the Jews were prohibited from tattoing because of it’s pagan connotations, would a Jew having a tattoo of the Ark of the Covenant or the Temple have been OK? I think not, because this prescription, like other elements of the Law of Moses, had a deeper implications connected to personal holiness and having a humble relationship to God.
 
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NightRider:
Tattoos are ancient, and many originated in Egypt. The **only ** reason Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin were not tattooed is because they were Jews, and tattoos were forbidden to Jews.
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The ONLY reason? That would be pretty hard to prove, as it it always impossible to guess another’s motivation for doing something. Is it even possible that, in addition to just simple observance of the law, or even crass legalism if you prefer, they did something out of a purer motivation? The Law was given to the Jews, not just so they wouldn’t do what the pagans did for the sake of just not doing it, but because of deeper reasons connected by the practice. If, as was proposed, the Jews were prohibited from tattoing because of it’s pagan connotations, would a Jew having a tattoo of the Ark of the Covenant or the Temple have been OK? I think not, because this prescription, like other elements of the Law of Moses, had a deeper implications connected to personal holiness and having a humble relationship to God.
 
There is nohing intrinsically evil about tattoos. The monastic Christian Fathers of Egypt and Ethiopia were known to wear Christian tattoos (like a cross, or some other symbol), and this is still practiced among many Christians of those areas (Catholic and Oriental Orthodox).
 
DominvsVobiscvm said:
There is nohing intrinsically evil about tattoos. The monastic Christian Fathers of Egypt and Ethiopia were known to wear Christian tattoos (like a cross, or some other symbol), and this is still practiced among many Christians of those areas (Catholic and Oriental Orthodox).
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I agree. The question is not if they are evil, but whether, depending on the motivation, reflect a sense of modesty.
 
Remember your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

What are you trying to project with a tatoo? Do you have low self esteem and believe a tatoo will improve it? Is it all about body image? Should body image be a primary concern?
 
What is in our hearts is not always good, even if we think it is. Such subjective reasoning is what leads us to err. Our bodies are temples and should not be desecrated as it says in the Scriptures. If that’s not enough, though it should be, another point to consider is that of stewardship. God judges us on our use of time, talents, and treasure. This money could be used for the poor rather than for decorating ourselves and our time used for serving, in prayer, or in study. If you wish to show your love for God it can be done in significantly better ways.

God’s grace and peace be with you.
 
It is prophesied that when Jesus comes back, riding his white horse in front of the celestial armies, he will have “King of Kings,” and “Alpha and Omega” inscribed upon his legs. To a man of John’s time, that is essentially the description of a tatoo. Furthermore, we can consult Augustine’s “City of God,” in which he states “Therefore, if the body be defiled, but the soul remain pure, there is no danger.” However, it is perhaps also significant to note that when St. Augustine said that, he was particularly referring to women who had been raped durring the sack of Rome by the Mongols. None the less, if taken slightly out of context it becomes an interesting notion.

The reason for tatooing being against the Bible truthfully has little to do with the physical engraving in the sense of a corporeal fashion. I could carve a line down my arm, and The Lord would not damn me. Therefore, neither would a series of curves and lines which make up a figure be damning. Far more important, I believe, is the thing which the symbol in question represents. For fathom this: There are many symbols that men and women have tatooed upon them which are taken from various religions. Of importance is any spirit of demon attached intellectually or celestially to that symbol, whether the individual in question know it or not. Of more significance even is the fact that in the process of drawing the tatoo, blood is drawn, and therein is the most damning thing of getting a tatoo: That in the process, you make a blood pact with the tatoo artist and any spirit associated to that tatoo. Being as a blood pact already binds us to Jesus, I do not believe a tatoo of The Cross would be too bad, assuming particularly that you did the tatoo yourself. However, a tatoo of any symbol attached to another entity other than Christ is a divergence from Jesus’ blood pact with us, and therein a violation of The New Law.

Note: I do not personally have any tatoos, in case it appeared as if I were defending myself.
 
i know several very good and holy priests who have tattoos. the only reason i don’t have one is because i plan to get married (maybe) one day, and i have always said what whoever i marry should have some say in what i put on my body in a permanent way.

but tattoos, like anything with which we adorn ourselves, can be good or bad. they can communicate faith and devotion in an unsual and thought provoking way, they can alternatively cause problems if we put something derogatory or offensive permanently on ourselves.

personally, i CAN imagine both Jesus and Mary having tattoos. they would be tasteful, very meaningful, and probably involve the name of a loved one.
 
Hi, this is my first post,
I am planning on entering the Priesthood, and when I am ordained, I plan to have Hebrews 5:6 tattooed on my right forearm. That is the “You are a Priest forever. . . ”
Also I plan to have a small cross tattooed on each palm.
Just thought I should add my :twocents:

God Bless
Thursday
 
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Thursday1:
Hi, this is my first post,
I am planning on entering the Priesthood, and when I am ordained, I plan to have Hebrews 5:6 tattooed on my right forearm. That is the “You are a Priest forever. . . ”
Also I plan to have a small cross tattooed on each palm.
Just thought I should add my :twocents:

God Bless
Thursday
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Welcome to the forum. 👋
I’m neutral about the bible verse but I really don’t like the idea of tatoos in your palms if you are considering being a priest. Your hands will anointed and will not need anything else to make them holy. Also, please consider those with more sensitive consciences who might be disturbed by seeing those tatoos.

When Saint (Padre) Pio had the stigmata he would hide his hands under his chasuble. Out of humility. I think there is a correlation.:hmmm:
 
I have Fr. Robert Altier’s little booklet (meant to be a preparation for the Sacrament of Penance) entitled, “An Examination of Conscience”. Under the fith commandment, he has “excessive tattoos” under the “mortal sins” category. I like Fr. Altier, and though obviously the term “excessive” is open to interpretation, I get the point. To me, lots of tattoos show an absorption in one’s self, and with one’s body. I think that a few are OK, but I associate lots and lots of tattoos with primitive societies. It’s probably no coincidence that as our society becomes more and more pagan (and our “fine arts” more corrupt and evil), that tattoos are more common. However, I think that military tattoos show a pride in one’s military service—since the pride is collective, and honorable, I don’t find them offensive.

I wouldn’t trust a priest with tattoos in his palms. I think I’d go elsewhere, to a priest who would be less concerned about his own appearance and/or psychologically suspect need to stand out in this rather unusual way. “Look at me” is not the message I expect from a good priest.
 
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