Posted on 10/03/2007 1:52:26 PM PDT by Daffynition
CBNNews.com - A fresh wave of ink is hitting the U.S. right now: tattoo ink.
Almost half of all Americans under 30 have one, and 40 percent of adults 26 to 40 have a tattoo.
It's big business for enterprising tattoo artists like Chris Bowman who sees a variety of clients.
"You get all the way from the stay-at-home mom who just wants a little tattoo on her ankle, to the businessman, to the biker," he said.
The Appeal of Tattoos
A 2004 Harris Poll shows a third of tattooed Americans say tattoos make them feel sexier.
"It's like people who work out, you want to look good," explained Vaughn Jackson, as a tattoo artist finished work on his fifth tattoo.
A quarter of Americans say tattoos make them feel more rebellious, and a fifth say they feel more spiritual.
Spiritual?
Bowman says many of his customers want to express their faith.
"We do a lot of religious tattoos, a lot of crosses, a lot of virgin mary's" he explained.
Churches across the country are finding more and more people in their congregations have tattoos.
We visited Crossroads Community Church in Kokomo, Ind. -- very much the heartland of the country with cornfields, car plants and conservative values. It's also a church with a number of members and visitors who have tattoos.
"If where they are is with a tattoo, we try to meet them there," Pastor Kevin Smith explained. "Our job is not to condemn or judge them but to welcome them."
Tattoos as Witnessing Tools?
One young father told us after the service about his tattoos. Matt York said his two crosses "are kind of a statement - a witnessing piece, a testimony."
Mike Lupoi says his Christian tattoos keep him accountable.
"I love Christ," he said. "That is what has changed my life. It's given us a good foundation in our home to raise our children, but it also is obvious in front of everyone because there's no hiding it. That's what it's there for."
And it's not just Christian men who've bought in. Amber Lupoi at Crossroads told us that a lot of women in the church have tattoos. You wouldn't know it because they're more discreet about it.
Regret?
But in the bigger picture, a recent Harris Poll shows 17 percent regret their tattoos.
For example, Beth Elser is spending several thousand dollars to get her seemingly non-offensive bit of ankle artwork removed. Her young daughters are the reason.
"When our first daughter was about three and we would try to tell her that you write on paper and not furniture and not on yourself," Elser said. "Then she started to say 'but mommy you drew on your ankle.'"
Dr. David McDaniel uses laser therapy to remove tattoos. It's often painful and requires multiple treatments. But McDaniel says many of his patients feel trapped by their permanent artwork.
"You have a tattoo of a name of a boyfriend, girlfriend or ex-spouse and it's a daily reminder of a mistake or pain from the past," he said.
American Churches' Stance on Tattoos
Not long ago, most American churches frowned on tattoos, but modern times have softened the stance. As church leaders begin to re-think the issue they're drawn to Paul's passages on freedom in Christ and loving our neighbor.
And just how relevant is Leviticus 19:28, which says "You shall not make...any tattoo marks on yourselves," today?
Presbyterian Pastor Joe Mullen says we can't ignore Leviticus.
"I think we need to ask ourselves whether we're trying to create a special identity that marks us -- and really, in Jesus, we have our special identity," Mullen said.
Other Christian leaders worry about tattoos' pagan origins and links with witchcraft.
But Jayme Whitaker sees no problem with his identity in Christ and love of tattoos. As head of the Christian Tattoo Association he works to build bridges between the tattooed and the non-tattooed.
For Whitaker, tattoos are possible because of our Christian liberty. He says he's excited about using them to lead others to Christ. He recently designed tattoos representing the Holy Spirit for new believers Brent and Melissa Cohick.
"What Christ has done to me in my life, it was such a dramatic change, that I I wanted to have a visual expression of him in my life," Brent said.
Ultimately, Whitaker says he wants the Church to reach out to those with tattoos.
"We're called to love above all things, and I think that's what we'd really like to see people get -- where we can get to the point where we can embrace, where heavily tattooed people can walk into a church and feel like everyone just loves them," Whitaker said.
For many Christians, loving those with tattoos is the easy part. But what remains as an issue for some is whether a practice that has offensive pagan roots -- is one that should be encouraged.
If it makes folks happy, I’m all for it. But not my cup of coffee.
I guess some people find people who look trashy sexy.
But many people don't.
How pitiful.
I had relatives who were given tatoos for free.
At Buchenwald.
I see no reason to emulate them.
“Nothing says ‘slut’, like a tattoo on the butt.”
LOL good one!
“Harris Poll shows a third of tattooed Americans say tattoos make them feel sexier.” ........... Different strokes for different folks. Never had one, don’t desire one, and they turn me off not on. They also look like Sh*t when you get old and wrinkled.
I see a tattoo or a piercing on a woman and the word "diseased" pops into my head.
A bit narrowed minded?
I have no tats and only earrings.
To call someone that has other interest than you diseased?
My step daughter has a few tats....great girl.....Your remark was very rude.
What if one of yours decided to get one? Would you call them diseased?
I never said that women who deface their bodies with tattoos or mutilate themselves with piercings are diseased; that’s just the impression they express about themselves.
If one of my daughters chose to descend into the lower depths of popular culture in such a way, I would still love her in spite of the negative message about herself that she would be projecting.
BTW, by piercings I mean other than a discrete, utilitarian ear piecing. And for the record, in the interest of logic and clarity, self-mutilation is more than an “interest”, it is an action.
IBTS comments!
oops.. i missed it.
LOL!
that’s my goal I guess....If yer gonna get old, do it in an interesting fashion ;)
Thank you very much! I’m quite healthy, and I got both of mine to celebrate turning 50 and I plan on getting more as the years pass.
It’s now a tradtition for a milestone with us-— either turning 18, 45 or even 65....
Tat’s and piercings, even yer granny has’em ;)
Frankly, I'm not thrilled with those, either, but a single ear piercings have been practiced by women of all socio-economic levels for so long that they are not associated with druggies, carnies, prostitutes, etc. like lip piercings, nose piercings, etc.. Therfore they don't signal "I don't respect my body" to the world.
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