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.
How can it be interpreted any different? As I understand it for all of the last 2000 years Christians have rejected tattoos. Has scripture changed its meaning in the last few years?
Looks like she might be applying for a job with a sideshow.
Are all tattoo parlours reliable? They don’t strike me as being strong on hygiene. Is there a problem with infection with piercings like navel rings. Also mouth studs are know to cause considerable damage to teeth. I just don’t see the point in any of it. Perhaps infection can be controlled if you are careful but my main objection is Christian, God forbids it so that is that.
I’m not Christian, but in my life, I’ve known many who have and continue to get tattoos & piercings. So ‘all Christians’ is a broad brush and 2000 years, do you know for sure EVERYONE has rejected it?
Maybe it’s following the New Testament and reading the Old Testament in context. Maybe it’s just different understandings of the text.
Personally, I don’t think God minds tats and piercings one bit.
Here is an article from a Zambian web site warning of the spiritual dangers of tattoos/piercing. It is not Christian.
http://www.frontline.org.za/articles/bodypiercing.htm
The salon I go to is clean, very clean, and well lit. There is an RN as the manager, they have very good universal precautions and you watch them unwrap the needles in front of you. Same with the piercing shop— excellent hygiene and precautions.
As for navel rings, I’ve got one as well as 11 of my students/friends and other than the occaisional owie (as in eyelet trimmed sheets can snag!) none of us have had a moment’s trouble.
I’m not saying infections can’t happen, just that I’m at greater risk in my RL job being exposed to MRSA, VRE, Hep C and HIV than I am with tats and piercings.
Or getting Aspergillis from my chickens (which if they don’t stop hiding their eggs, will find their butts parked next to dumplings).
OK, but I’m not Zambian either.
Thank you though. :)
where have you been? there’s been a bunch of comments lately with guys saying “women shouldn’t vote” and pushing the whole “barefoot, preggers and in the kitchen” opions.
read the rest of the chapter and tell me how much of that you abide by.
incidently, its probably closer to 6000 years.
Why should I? "When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself." Your opinion is just that, your opinion. And your opinions are like some passengers who believe that if you'll just "talk enough," the bus will finally go where YOU want it to. No dice. I just called out "my stop." ;-D
Scars are tattoos with better story lines.
LOL what is the tat/pit correlation?
I wonder if that could be the origin of the term, “Navel Gunfire.”
All the moral law is still in force, this is part of that law.
1Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Nasty! LOL!
ummm... “incidental” its closer to 2000 years, my reference was to Christians. I was not speaking on behalf of the Jewish people.
What the risk be if you got a tatto that said, “Please don not bight me?”
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