What does the Bible say about tattoos

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I’ve been thinking about getting a tattoo, but I’m not sure what the Bible says about it. There are some verses that say stuff about not marking on your body, but some people say that was some pagan thing. The tattoo I was considering would be relating to a religious band that God showed me when I was in a really dark place in my life, I was actually considering suicide at the time. But I have no doubt God led me to this band and through them, turned my life around. I feel like God, in a way, speaks to me through their songs. So I was thinking of getting a lyric from them or something related to the band tattooed on me. It’s not to rebel or anything, the intent is just to show my appreciation for God that he led me to that band when I was in a really dark place. Opinions?
 
Is it? I thought otherwise since Leviticus certainly has a problem with it.

I feel there are other ways you can show your respect for the band, since personally I’d be wary of marking my body for life in commemoration of a group of musicians.

-Kindest regards, James.
 
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There’s a lot of Catholics with tattoos. A priest friend of mine has several. also. Many tattoos can be Catholic in nature. Rosaries etc…
 
Leviticus also has a problem with clothes made from two different types of cloth, to say nothing of shellfish. I don’t believe the Levitical laws are binding on us.
 
With all due respect all Catholics sin too, but that doesn’t mean that the church is okay with sin.

Now perhaps I’m biased as I personally do not like tattoos, however I never really heard it being okay by the Church.

However another poster mentioned that the two fabrics and all that, and that makes me remember many laws were directed specifically to the Jewish people and are not active for ourselves now (as it is not a moral law persay) so that can also potentially include getting a tattoo.

At the end of the day it’s your body, but I’d advise you think about it carefully regardless if your intent is good and if the church really is okay with it.

-Kindest regards, James.
 
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The only thing i can think of would be the sin of mutilating you body, but i would think you’d need a significant percentage of your body to be covered in tattoos and/or piercings for that to kick in. Just like ear and nose piercings are fine, a couple of tattoos are fine too.
 
thank yall for the responses. I will definitely think about it thoroughly and pray before if I ever do it. The last thing I want is to dishonor God, since the whole point of the tattoo is to show my appreciation for Him. ❤️
 
The Old Testament prohibition on marking one’s body does not apply to Christians. However, as someone pointed out, content matters. Be careful and thoughtful about tattooing.
 

The Pope is good with tattoos…from the article…
At a meeting with young people ahead of an upcoming Synod of Catholic bishops, Pope Francis told them “don’t be afraid of tattoos”.
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It also talks about the Bible’s mention of tattoos…
The Bible only includes one possible mention of tattoos, in the Old Testament book of Leviticus, which includes the command: “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you”. Some Christians have interpreted this as forbidding the use of modern tattoos, while others argue that the verse is not binding upon believers because it was only relevant to the cultural context of the day, and appears alongside other commands which are no longer followed, including for men not to shave the edges of their beards or cut the hair on the sides of their heads. The New Testament does not contain any explicit mention of tattoos,
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I personally find people who cover their bodies with tattoos a little strange, but I think one or two tattoos can look good if you have a good artist.
 
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That was a great article…thanks!..for example it says…
Moreover, there is some evidence that in certain areas before the rule of Constantine, Christians began to anticipate the “crime” of being a Christian by marking themselves as a Christian with tattoos themselves.
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Can I play devil’s advocate for a moment? My personal opinion, and I suspect that there are other people who feel this way, is that it is a “lower class” thing to get a tattoo. Sorry to say that, but some people may judge you for your tattoo. It may be a future employer. So if you must get one, you might consider making it somewhere where it won’t be seen easily.
 
definitely. no face tats. that would be weird. I would definitely get it on my arm or something, and a small one so it wouldn’t easily be seen.
 
You might find the official Catholic Answers apologist column on tattoos helpful here. It confirms the Church doesn’t have a problem with tattoos. (Provided, of course, that you do not tattoo anything blasphemous or pornographic onto your body, that you are not spending excessive money you don’t have on tattoos, that you are not becoming overly narcissistic or obsessed with them etc…similar to spending money on fashionable clothes. )


Tattoos even have a connection to Catholicism/ Christianity, in that back in Crusader times when people would be assigned a penance of going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, they would obtain a tattoo when they got there in order to prove they had fulfilled the penance. When they got back to their home area, they would show their pilgrimage tattoo to the priest or bishop to prove they had finished the required penance. The custom of “pilgrimage tattoos” is still observed by some of us who go to Jerusalem. I got a tattoo when I went. If I should go again I would like to get another.
 
b04b03 said:
the intent is just to show my appreciation for God that he led me to that band when I was in a really dark place. Opinions?
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So God saved your life, and in order to show your appreciation to God, you’re getting a tattoo that’s a tribute to a band?? I would rethink that one.

If you want a tattoo that reflects your appreciation to God, maybe something else would be better. I’d wait awhile and see if anything else comes to mind other than song lyrics from a favorite band.
 
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Loud-living-dogma said:
Can I play devil’s advocate for a moment? My personal opinion, and I suspect that there are other people who feel this way, is that it is a “lower class” thing to get a tattoo. Sorry to say that, but some people may judge you for your tattoo. It may be a future employer. So if you must get one, you might consider making it somewhere where it won’t be seen easily.
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I don’t like them because, as a woman of a certain age, I have noticed that as people age they look dirty. And I mean literally dirty, not morally dirty. The ink spreads and the skin sags. Not attractive.

But, to each his own. I don’t think less of anyone who has one or many tatoos.
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
The custom of “pilgrimage tattoos” is still observed by some of us who go to Jerusalem. I got a tattoo when I went.
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That’s pretty cool! I’ll think of you a little differently now Bear…with a tattoo 😎. How did you find the right tattoo artist in the Holy Land? Did the tour you were with have recommendations?
 
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God gave most of us a goodlooking, nice skin. So why to devastate that beauty with any silly picture, phrase, ornament or what have you.
I find any tattoo ugly, and so do my friends.
 
The artist is Razzouk and he’s been mentioned in Catholic media articles and travel blogs to the point where you need to book him in advance of your trip. His family has been doing this for hundreds of years.

razzouktattoo.com

Razzouk Tattoo Official Online Store

This is the official Razzouk Tattoo online store. Visit us for a more in-depth presentation of what we are about!
razzouktattoo.com

Some Holy Land tours include him in their itinerary. Mine didn’t so I just scheduled it on my own.
 
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