Tattoos/Piercing

Mark423

Does anybody know where in the bible I could locate verses that provide some insight on this matter? I am pretty sure that they are frowned upon since it is mutilation of the body that was given to us as a gift from god.

marmoora-barboora

hey mark, i dont kno of any verses, but i'm pretty sure they're in there. i'll ask someone. but i have a tattoo of a cross on my right wrist. altho this is not wrong in the coptic community, my parents do not kno and will guarantee my death if they do kno. it's not ur traditional orthodox cross. it's a simple "block" cross about 2 inches in length and about 1 inch across, and it is bright blue with a dark blue outline. i got it when i was 17, last january, and altho only 3 months have passed, i have grown to realize that i was really stupid when i was 17. only one word of advice to ya'll: DO NOT GET ANY KIND OF PERMANANT BODY ART UNLESS U R ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE THAT U WANNA LIVE W/ IT THE REST OF UR LIFE! just this past weekend, i was researching ways of tattoo removal. there are several methods, the most common being laser removal. it costs 7000 bucks, and is about 15 PAINFUL sessions over a period of 2 years. if you ask me, i being a student, do not have that kind of money, and being marina, i do not have that kind of patience or pain tolerance. if u wanna get a piercing, go ahead, it's a lot better than a tattoo, beacause once u take it out the hole closes up. but becareful because just like tattoo's, piercings can get infected. my tattoo was swollen and scabby for about 2 months. it was itchy as heck, and i would put lots of lubriderm on it to keep it from itching. when i did that, the scab got soggy and it would open up and infect. then i decided that i would just peel the scab and get it over with. now i have a somewhat shiny turquoise cross on my arm. to hide it from my parents, i wear basketball sweatbands or long sleeves. yesterday it was 102 degrees outside, and i couldn't find my sweatband, so i wore a sweatshirt. i was BAKING. so take my advice and dont do anything dumb unless u kno FO SHO that u want to live w/ it for the rest of ur life. (think of it as a wife or husband. u get to kno each other first, and then decide wether to get married. same w/ a tattoo. research this, weigh the pros and cons, get a fake tattoo for a while to see what it's like. and if u like it and wanna live w/ it FOREVER, then go ahead and do it! but remember, divoring it isnt as easy as that.) ok, yalla, beace!

Mark423

oof, where do I begin

marmoora-barboora

LOL! I'm sorry, but like I said, I was really REALLY dumb when I was 17, so I believe I've learned my lesson. Yalla, beace!

petergergis

Hey Marmoora,
Im sure your parents wouldn't be too upset if you told them about it, plus its a cross. But, I could be wrong. Yeah, tattoos arent the best idea...

fhhanna

Our bodies are temples of God. We destroy the temple by sinning not necessarily by tattoo's or piercings.

If you're intentions are purely spiritual in motive, you probably wouldn't get a tattoo.

I have 2 tattooes of crosses, I was young when I got them. I don't think (from all my many sins) that the tattoo is what I'll be judged on.

marmoora-barboora

hey guys, i kno it's just a tat, but trust me on dis one, my parents would flat out have my head for dis one. but i AM plannin on tellin em in da near future cuz really, u cant keep somethin like dis on da DL for ever, u kno? well, i gotta bounce, thx for da advice, yalla, beace!

petergergis

Sounds Good!

marmoora-barboora

yeah, i'm sure it sounds good 2 u peter. it dont sound good 2 me tho considerin i mite not b alive after tellin em! lol. yalla, beace!

Abanoub88

LOL, good luck Marina :)

GoDiSiNmYhEaRt

You won't be judged on how you look like or on how clean you are or whats on you, but you will be judged by the inside, mind, and heart... so if you had a pure heart and had a tattoo on that doesnt mean you are going to go to hell.

Mark423

These are all excellent views, opinions, and uhh, anecdotes. But does anybody have anything from the bible to post? I’m dying for some verses!

GoDiSiNmYhEaRt

Leviticus 19:28
" 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

Mark423

WHOA!!! super high five for you! thank you verrrrrrry much :) :) :) :)

GoDiSiNmYhEaRt

[quote author=Mark423 link=board=1;threadid=202;start=0#msg1030 date=1083204916]
WHOA!!! super high five for you! thank you verrrrrrry much :) :) :) :)


high five back ;) and ur welcome anytime

Unknown

i'm not sure wut kind of piercing/tattooin ur talking about, but i think this verse applies in some way...
"[glow=red,2,300]Be decent and true in everything you do so that all can approve your behavior. [/glow] Don't spend your time in wild parties and getting drunk or in adultery and lust, or fighting, or jealousy." Romans 13:13
the be decent part sorta gave it away even though the rest of the verse has to do with partying and fighting...etc...

u know how they say "God created Adam and Eve, NOT Adam and Steve..." well i sorta feel dumb trying to make this into an analogy... but just like God created Adam and Eve pierceless and tattooless, so should u be.... i dont mean u shouldn't get a tattoo of a cross or if ur a grl, get ur ears pierced, just dont go overboard. i mean, a 2 inch by 1 inch cross isnt that bad a thing... to egy parents, thats a different story... but if ur getting a cross that takes up ur whole arm or leg.... something just mite be wrong with that...
as marina said, do u want to live the rst of ur life with a tattoo?... and depednding upon where ur piercings r gonna b... just think if ud let ur kids or if ud allow even ur siblings to get a tattoo or hole there... bye bye

Mark423

SMS I had absolutely no intentions of placing any holes or tattoos on my body. Whether it be a 2 in cross or a 2mm cross, it’s not for me. It just bothers me to see people in school with 10 holes in one ear, their eye brow, lip, and nose; then see them walk around with a cross on their chest and claim to be devout Christians; ummm, clearly not. The type of people who say “dudddddde, its my body mayn, I just wanna express myself” are the people who I wanted to find some verse to show that what they are doing is against Christian ways. Evidently getting a tattoo of a cross is acceptable in our society, and it has become a worldwide norm for girls to get their ears pierced. However, for people who get tattoos because it’s “cool” and because other people in church are doing it and because they’d like to be able to say “hey check out my tattoo” have bad intentions and are wrong. Males who pierce their ears are wrong. Girls who have transformed their bodies to Swiss cheese are wrong! I was almost definite that it was written in the bible but I wasn’t sure where to locate it.
Don’t be shy to say “god made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve”, no debate concerning homosexuality is complete without hearing that statement! I agree with you fully that just as god created us is how we should remain. We are in his image, and im sure god doesn’t have tattoos of his name or random objects; or holes in his body; so ideally we shouldn’t either.

Unknown

WELCOME TO 2004!!!
what more can i tell u?.... society is being more accustomed to accepting things that at one time were considered cursed and unlawful... and its a shame that ppl believe they own their bodies, i totally agree with u, the thought is irritating...

"When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his body like a leprous sore, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests.
The priest shall examine the sore on the skin of the body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous sore. Then the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him unclean. But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body, and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the sore seven days. .....
it is an old leprosy on the skin of his body. The priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not isolate him, for he is unclean. "
Leviticus 13... somewhere
"And Haggai said, "If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?" So the priests answered and said, "It shall be unclean." Hag 2:13
i'm not sure how these versus r relevant, but they feel as if they are..
like u said bout grls, and guys as well of course, making their bodies into swiss cheese, or making their bodies into a piece of colorful art... if they had lived in Aarons time... they'd be considered unclean and untouchables... kinda like how ppl treat them now... if these ppl that ur talking about cant realize that they do not own their bodies, and that it was God that really created them, not their parents... then maybe theyll come to self realization and look in the mirror and c wut they've made of themselves... maybe they wont
i faced a similar problem when my best friend wanted to get an eyebrow pierce.. i tried convincing her that her body really wasnt hers, and that even though she had the free will as to what to do with it, she should consider destroying this temple of hers... she eventually became convinced not to do it and she realized that she was God's daughter... not just her parents, and that she had toher ppl that looked up ot her such as her siblings... and that she came here for a reason, some mission, and this mission does not involve her jamming screw drivers into her skin (ugh!)
ill keep a look out for solide proof though... i dunno if wut i gave would help...

Unknown

"And you mourn at last, When your flesh and your body are consumed, And say: "How I have hated instruction, And my heart despised correction! I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me! I was on the verge of total ruin, In the midst of the assembly and congregation."
Proverbs 11-15

G.J.I

dudes how come its kool 4 chicks to get their ears pierced, not that i'm complainin that guys should, but if its pretty clear that we should how come they can...
Ps this is a great question, but thee still wasnt many bible refrences, can any body help out??
George

battata

a monk once told me tha an earin (4 a girl) symbolizes God's Word pierced in one ear, and our parents in the other...so tha we dont forget....well im not exatly sure if this is tru or not but this is wut he told us...it was a while bak so i kinda forgot wut else he said but i kin ask..

G.J.I

thnx battata
thas an interestin perspective but again y is that ok 4 girls an not for guys..??
george

peet

[quote author=G.J.I link=board=1;threadid=202;start=15#msg1171 date=1083494748]
thnx battata
thas an interestin perspective but again y is that ok 4 girls an not for guys..??
george


I agree with GJI,
I also wanna add that this is not a "sin leading to death" or a big deal if it is a tattoo of a [glow=red,2,300]CROSS[/glow], but what is important is what that tattoo means to you, will it increase your faith, will it remind you of God every time you look at it, or will it be a sign to your friend that your cool???

Abanoub88

Battata,
Thats interesting. He might have just said it to make the girl feel ok about having one or something. As for guys, I personally don't think they should have earrings. I'm thinking about getting a small Coptic Cross on my right hand when I turn 18 so that I can look at my wrist every time I know I have sinned. I think it'll keep me out of trouble.

Unknown

battata, thats a really nice way of thinking of it...
i know, im a lil late, but peet u did a good job too

battata

yea, he was actually tellin us about why we wear earings, rings, etc. it was actually an interestin lesson because i never really thought bout it from tha point of view...he mentioned y guys cant wear earings and stuff, but i cudnt really understand his arabic, sry guys...but if i find something ill be sure to share it with you all. oh and Banoub, i also want a small cross on my right wrist too, but my mom wont let me...she says the cross is in ur heart, not on ur hand, but i agree tha it is a good thing to look at everytime we sin..good luck wit tha

marys

quick verse..
"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. " 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

so if our body is the temple..the holy of holies.. why defile it?

Unknown

i have practically searched the whole bible for that verse!
ur amazing marys... i can now rest in peace lol
but ur absolutlye right!, our body was bought at a price... just like u would buy some dress or some basketball jersey, u would take care of it forever if u really loved it... so do the same with ur bodies
y lessen the value of something thats priceless?

marmoora-barboora

hey e'r'body! i havent posted up in a while on this topic, so here goes (mark, i'm sure u'r thrilled, huh? :P :P :P). actually there was an incident that happened in my church yesterday that i find pretty relevant to the whole guy piercing the ears thing. this one guy walked into church a few weeks ago w/ an earring and his baby, and stood in line for communion. those of u who don't kno already, my dad is a priest who is NOT very big on tat's and piercings. he see's this earring like a mile away, and when the guy goes up to take communion, my dad says, i'm sorry, i can't give communion to a man wearing an earring. the guy freaks out, but my dad gives his lil baby son communion, because he is an innocent child who didn't do anything. the guy doesnt show up for another couple of weeks, and turns up yesterday. he had the earring out, but when he went for communion, my dad asked him if he took it out just for communion, or if he took it out permanently. the man was honest and said i took it out just for communion, so my father again gave his lil son communion and didnt give the father. then the father and his cousin 3-wayed my pops yesterday after church, and started yellin at him and tellin him that he didnt deserve to be a priest, and that there was nothin wrong with a man piercing his ears, it was normal, this is the 21st century, welcome to america...yada yada yada...and a whole bunch of other crazy things. then my dad popped out w/ a verse from the bible that states, "and while a woman shall not don the appearance or attire of a man, a man shall not don the appearance or attire of a woman, wether it be clothing, piercings, or..." i'm not sure exactly where it's from, but my dad had a bible open and was reading out loud from it, and that verse caught my attention (it's word fo word, btw). i hope that helped a lil bit, i kno i ramble on and on. well, i gotta bounce, but i'll be back! yalla, beace!!!

Abanoub88

Wow Marina,
That verse is ridiculuously relevant. It pretty much solves the whole dicussion. Nice Job!! ;)

Unknown

that was a great verse marina
but i got one ?
since when did women start piercing their ears and y?
like what makes it a girl thing to do...?