Thanks for the read. Perhaps the answer to this question is not as straightforward as we would like it to be. I will not get tattooed. The images should not be immoral, such as sexually explicit, Satanic, or in anyway opposed to the truths and teachings of Christianity. Here are two things you should keep in mind if you are considering a tattoo. These practices range from long-term fasting on bread and water, to wearing itchy hair shirts. But then there is all sorts of satanic and morose images too. God created our bodies in his image and, therefore our bodies from birth to death should remain without alteration from us. We can now prevent Hep B with vaccines, but Hepatitis C is forever til death, and can result from tatoos. For this sole reason I believe that, if the act isn’t part of a health treatment or hygiene, we’re forbidden to change everything in our bodies, moreover based only in vanity reasons. To properly address the question we need to understand and think about a few things. I don’t find them attractive, and they are far too permanent for my taste. we should be leaving comments of love and acceptance of one another, that is where true salvation and peace lie, not in any particular persons interpretation of scripture (not even mine), and while so many topics can be vigorously debated, I would hope no person on this thread would be so conflict bound as to actually say that Love wasn’t Jesus’ objective. I am at work right now and can’t pull up the sermons, although I will be giving them another listen. A tattoo is a form of art that happens to be done on a person’s body. They wore tattoos as an indication of their social status and achievements. It is a cool thing to do. Hopefully KMO responds because I would like to hear a more detailed and precise response. As a convert, I cannot believe some of the attitudes towards tattoos, considering the churches teachings. Some say that getting a tattoo is a sin, because in Leviticus the Bible forbids placing any type of mark on the body. It does not matter how “holy” the image is. it’s just what I do, I never really thought I was doing anything great, just trying to do my part.” If we read the annunciation story, we’ll find Mary as the perfect example of that sort of humility…. I am a Catholic and have two tattoos. Take extra time to examine your motives. In other words, don’t express your grief by getting tattoo tears! The King James version states “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.” And wasn’t the Old Testament specifically for the Jewish people? For the same cost with out the physical pain and other risks, one could have a Classical Drawn Portrait in a Traditional medium, that with time will transcend you and last through your family to be shared for many generations. After all, a tattoo is a permanent marking of the body—a serious issue to be sure. It’s interesting thar many Catholic Priests have molested innocent children and they were moved from parish to parish. Still, love them or hate them, I can find nothing that prohibits a Catholic from getting a tattoo, and we must be careful not to make this a moral issue when there is no clear magisterial teaching on it. One of the bests comments I’ve read. When reflecting on a way to demonstrate how mordant it has been, I decided to have the cross that represents our university parish tattooed on the back of my right calf with the dates 2004-2014. Tattooing one’s body is immoral because it is self-mutilation (scaring or wounding the body for no beneficial health reason) out of vanity (inordinate self worship). The word “Mutilation” carries a very bad preconceived connotation. If you choose to do it in another way that is fine, but our church has not said this is wrong in anyway and to treat someone otherwise is out of bounds with church teaching. To attribute so much importance to one’s body, i.e. I’m not certain that there is a spiritual equivalent to a physical tattoo, but I see presupposition in your argument that tattoos or embellishment is evil or perverse in some way. I think you did a nice job of raising some of the important issues, and some others have raised some other important issues. If money were no object, I would have a full set of sleeves depicting: • The Chi Rho built of bones wreathed in olive leaves on my left shoulder & The jerusalem cross (also built of bones) nearby – bones to remind me of my mortality. The only type of situation where it would be acceptable to get tattoo’ed is if you were serving in the military and it serves as an identification of sorts. It can and does happen. Adults tattoo their children, some of them when they are less than a year old. But, instead of his responder continuing the mature and productive dialogue that Father Matt had started, he retorted back in a way that read more like self-conscious and defensive attacks, probably in the belief that he was singled out and called a prude. I also have a budded cross, even more meaningful because my decision to become Christian was one that my family didn’t easily or quickly accept. It is NOT yours to do with as you wish! I mean, c’mon now, son! But we have been given the great chrism of the ability to rearrange cotton bolls into cloth, rock pigments into great paintings, marble into statuary. Thinking it may not be appropriate for Christians to get tattoos, she referenced Leviticus 19:28, which says: “You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the LORD.” Because Jews and Muslims consider tattoos and the tattooed unclean, they (the Muslims) wouldn’t kidnap girls with tattoos for the slave and sex trade. In a conversation about the morality of body art, these words are completely warranted, regardless of what anyone had already commented, and his words were meaningful and insightful. worship one’s body, is clearly a form of polytheism. Perhaps the answer to this question is not as straightforward as we would like it to be. Your conclusion would drive a person to believe that God instructed the Hebrews wrongly in embellishing His temple – and that the embellishments amounted to some form of tastelessness. Especially given the world-wide existence of the Catholic Church. I think you may not understand what mortification means, in the sense you are using. They are what they are and they are symbolic of the barbarism that is our society. PS. Lot’s of commonly made arguments, here. Just because someone’s way of life is different than yours does not mean they are “barbarians.” And it isn’t very Christ-like to view any of God’s creation as being “barbaric.”. To get a tattoo is in some ways saying “God you made a mistake, I’m not beautiful and I can make it better by decorating myself”. There are places where tattoos have always held an important social role, not only in identity, social interaction, art, and spirituality, but that have also held a deep emotional meaning for the wearers. I have commented about this very issue before. While I believe we are no longer bound by ceremonial law and tattoos are permissible, I strongly feel that subject matter is important. It was the contrary, a commitment to what I hold dear and true. it is obvious you want to…. Women had them primarily for aesthetic purposes. Because Saints went above and beyond. The Bible tells us our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. He’s the greatest. Some do things as young people they wouldn’t do as older people, where parents are supposed to guide their youth which issues existed long ago and they’ve gotten worse. I struggle to find a good objection to that reasoning…. • My family crest & My wife’s family crest on my right shoulder Matt. Using your God-given conscience, searching your soul, instead of blind faith… and looking for the wood in your own eye, instead of others. I have always thought that Catholics should not get tattoos but recently I have seen several people at mass with tattoos. A: A tattoo in and of itself is not a sin. Who would be a good enough artist for me to wear him around perpetually…advertising for him….displaying his art….? Now, I recently ate a medium rare steak, and I’m pretty confident I didn’t sin. You are simply justifying it by confusing degrees of acceptance. Arguments agains tattoos: I have removed it. You should be more concerned about your own lives instead of judging what you personally think is right and wrong. Someday each of us will face God, and we all have our sins and strengths. There are MANY reasons actually, but things like this, the church leaves so much in a gray area, like it’s too afraid to call sin by its right name because it would risk loosing members. Stronger self mortification is done especially when they are facing bigger battles–spiritual or inner. But I have nothing against people with beliefs, even though they may be falsely justified. People now are covered head to toe with tattoos like circus freaks and guess what they’ll look like in 50 years . The difference between a zealot and a believer is quite obvious to the observant. (Yes, there are people who do this on Good Fridays!) Leviticus 19:28 says, “Do not lacerate your bodies for the dead, and do not tattoo yourselves. Btw, tattoos are used today as a means of physical reconstruction to mask unsightly wounds from injury or illness. Girls getting their ears pierced is just as common and draws just as much, if not more, attention as someone getting an appropriate tattoo on an appropriate body part. Last but not least, many Orthodix pilgrims to the Holy Land get a tattoo to commemorate their pilgrimage. I think it’s going to be really hard to keep people out of the Catholic Church, It’s just like Catholics go out to eat and shopping on the Sabbath. Yes, its meant to be permanent. No. Michael, point taken about the final paragraph. If you don’t like images, tattoos, free man and woman go to another religion who doesn’t too and be sadder and grumpier, get out with your judgments on us. I was raised in the Catholic faith, and it makes me proud when my Church welcomes members without judgement, and with open minds. 4. Again the false doctrines being propagated are seemingly becoming more prevalent. (I’m so busy that finishing is proving a challenge, alas…) To anybody who is interested, what is finished is here: http://justhappenedtobethinking.blogspot.com/. It would, with certainty, be one person inflicting some sort of pain on another person. It’s not necessarily what you said, but how you said it. I have on my right arm, St. Joseph, Jesus the Divine Mercy, and the Immaculate Conception. yes Technically the first answer is right but only because in the bible is states that man should not mark his body, therefore for devout Christians or Catholics, ANY tattoo is considered a sin. To become so rampant. 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