What does the Bibles say about tattoos? Is it wrong to have a tattoo? What if I have one already, is God mad about that? Can I get one and be a Christian?
The short answer is that it depends on the motivation of the heart for getting one but first let's see what Bible says. In Leviticus 19:28 it says "You are not to make gashes on your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves; I am the LORD." So taking a very wooden and literal reading of the passage, it seems that tattoos are forbidden for the people of God but there is more to it than that. The book of Leviticus is a sermon that Moses gave the Hebrew people who were preparing to cross over from their wilderness wandering into their new land. In this message, God is instructing the people to not take on any of the pagan rituals and rites that their tribal neighbors had. In short, God was giving Israel a new way to relate to God, people, and the land that would set them apart from all the sinful ways of their neighbors. In those times, tattoos would have been outwards signs of allegiance to false gods and therefore God would not want Israel to associate with that practice.
In our modern age, tattoos rarely are associated with pagan religion or association with cultic practices rather they seem to be more personal artistic expressions or memorials. The issue at hand though is the motivation behind it since the art work is mostly permanent. The Christian should reflect on the "why" of the tattoo more than the "should I". I believe Christians have the freedom to get a tattoo but should think deeply about the choice to do so before make that commitment. I have a ChiRo tattoo on my left forearm which I discovered after the fact was the symbol that the Roman Emperor Constantine put on his army's shields believing God would give him victory over his enemies. Had I known that, I would have chosen something more peace-related.
The point is that Christians should take care to make sure that whatever they do in or on their bodies brings honor to Christ and reflects His goodness. If a tattoo will do that, go for it but just do some research on whatever you want to do, otherwise a coverup tattoo may be in order.
What Does the Bible Say About Tattoos?
What does the Bibles say about tattoos? Is it wrong to have a tattoo? What if I have one already, is God mad about that? Can I get one and be a Christian?
The short answer is that it depends on the motivation of the heart for getting one but first let's see what Bible says. In Leviticus 19:28 it says "You are not to make gashes on your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves; I am the LORD." So taking a very wooden and literal reading of the passage, it seems that tattoos are forbidden for the people of God but there is more to it than that. The book of Leviticus is a sermon that Moses gave the Hebrew people who were preparing to cross over from their wilderness wandering into their new land. In this message, God is instructing the people to not take on any of the pagan rituals and rites that their tribal neighbors had. In short, God was giving Israel a new way to relate to God, people, and the land that would set them apart from all the sinful ways of their neighbors. In those times, tattoos would have been outwards signs of allegiance to false gods and therefore God would not want Israel to associate with that practice.
In our modern age, tattoos rarely are associated with pagan religion or association with cultic practices rather they seem to be more personal artistic expressions or memorials. The issue at hand though is the motivation behind it since the art work is mostly permanent. The Christian should reflect on the "why" of the tattoo more than the "should I". I believe Christians have the freedom to get a tattoo but should think deeply about the choice to do so before make that commitment. I have a ChiRo tattoo on my left forearm which I discovered after the fact was the symbol that the Roman Emperor Constantine put on his army's shields believing God would give him victory over his enemies. Had I known that, I would have chosen something more peace-related.
The point is that Christians should take care to make sure that whatever they do in or on their bodies brings honor to Christ and reflects His goodness. If a tattoo will do that, go for it but just do some research on whatever you want to do, otherwise a coverup tattoo may be in order.