As the proud bearer of a well-considered (and, BTW, visible only when shirtless) tattoo administered gratis by a good bud of mine, I want to know, what exactly are these biblical mandates against tattoos? Where is it "spelled out very vividly in the Bible that tattooing is taboo"? (Bwaha-- ain't it also spelled out very vividly in the Bible that drinking alcohol is a mortal sin? /cheeked tongue)
I'd like to know too. Perhaps our Holier-than-thou freepers can let us know.
Being a former Fundamentalist, I did some research on this before I got my tattoo about 5 years ago. The only thing I could find in the Bible is an Old Testament passage about God's people being prohibited from "making marks on one's body in rememberance of the dead" (not exact wording, but as close as I recall). A few months later, I read that early (1st/2nd century) Christians tattooed Crosses on the insides of their forearms as a sign of Faith. Days later, I was in the chair, getting inked. It's a tribal style eagle with a "USA" tribal band that wraps half-way around my upper right arm.
My family and I are currently converting to the Catholic Faith and we're attending Catechism classes. As far as I know, the traditional Church takes no stand on this issue, but I will find out the specifics before I get inked again.
CWRWinger - I hope you're joking!