I must be honest, that question has never been much of a problem for me. The thought of having my skin stuck with all kinds of needles and coloured with ink has not been much of a temptation. I don’t like needles and my body, well..., let’s change the subject! However tattoos are increasingly a huge part of our culture and many Christians are left wondering whether the Scriptures have anything to say to the issue.  

Tattoos are big business and they often are at the centre of big conflicts. I recently came across these statistics (USA) that give us some indication of the enormity of this cultural fad. Though I could not find any stats on the Tattoo industry in South Africa, these probably are proportionately the same here at home; after all, an observant walk through a shopping mall will expose you to a lot of ink.

• $2.3 billion Annual revenue of the tattoo industry; 15,000 tattoo parlours in America; 21 Percent of Americans who have a tattoo; 23 Percent of women who have a tattoo; 19 Percent of men who have a tattoo
• 36 Percent of 18-to-25-year-olds who have a tattoo; 38 Percent of 30-to-39-year-olds who have a tattoo; 11 Percent of 50-to-64-year-olds who have a tattoo
• 50 Percent of people who think having a tattoo is rebellious 10-15 Sessions needed to remove a tattoo
• 32 Percentage increase in tattoo removals over the last year

But as indicated, tattoos are also often at the centre of big conflicts, particularly as Christians debate the rightness or wrongness of such an undertaking. I am sure that plenty of families have had to wrestle with a teenager imploring their less than enthusiastic parent for permission to ‘get a tattoo.’ So, should a Christian get one? Why or why not? Does Scripture give us any insight into this question?

Leviticus 19:28 prohibits God’s covenant people from making ‘cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you.’ The reason given was quite simple, ‘I am the Lord.’ But does this ancient text speak to us in 2013? What about we who have been saved and who live under the new covenant, ‘May we get one?’

The assumption is often made that since we live under the new covenant economy that this ancient text really says little to us. I would however argue that the age of the text is not the issue but rather the cultural context surrounding this verse is what we must consider when seeking an answer.

As we recently saw, the context of this prohibition against tattoos is that of Canaanite pagan practices, especially with reference to grieving over someone’s death.

Tattooing seems to have accompanied superstitious belief that such an act would have some spiritual significance for those who have been affected by the death of a loved one. Perhaps it was thought that such a tattoo would honour the ‘spirit’ of the dead as well as appeasing the ‘spirit being’ who was responsible for the one who had died. Regardless, all such superstitious nonsense was not to characterize God’s people. Therefore if in our day a Christian desires a tattoo for similar reasons then they are equally forbidden from doing so. That is, if you think that a tattoo will affect the wellbeing of your life then don’t get one!

Yet I think it is fair to say that for most, this is not what lies behind their quest for ‘inking the derma.’ So then should the debate be dropped and should we not simply leave such questions as a matter of indifference and hence ‘to each his/her own’? Not so fast.

Though I do not believe that the question of tattoos is one of ‘to sin or not to sin’ nevertheless there are at least three considerations that will help one to come to a wise decision when approaching the tattoo parlour. Once the Christian has worked through these issues then it is simply an individual matter of conscience; I would simply appeal to you to make sure that your conscience is suitably informed.

The first question to be considered is in the area of motivation: why do I want a tattoo?

If the desire is to draw attention to yourself then clearly you should run away from the needle. No doubt some have tattoos placed on particular parts of their body for the purpose of drawing attention to that ‘region.’ This can be motivated by sinful sensuality or by wicked pride. Regardless, such motivation is illegitimate, dishonouring to God, and is enough reason to refuse having a tattoo. There may be other sinful motivations that would tempt you and hence such would be sufficient to lead to a ‘No!’ decision regarding having a tattoo.

The second question is related to that of identification: with whom does this identify/associate me with in our culture?

This question perhaps does not receive enough consideration as it probably should. Historically tattoos have been associated with two dominant ‘sub-cultures’ in the wider social context.

First is the sub-culture of the military. Millions of men over the decades have gone to the army ‘unadorned’ who have returned with some women tattooed on his biceps, or, as someone recently commented, with the word ‘Mom’ accompanied with a sword through the word. Don’t ask, I have no idea the connection! And of course other macabre, even pornographic and evil designs have also been etched into their skin. At the same time no doubt many harmless designs have been tattooed and so content is the not the main issue here. What needs to be considered is how it came about. I would not want to generalize but it is safe to conclude that many a soldier has frequented a tattoo parlour during a night out with the boys with the result that they have behaved like naughty boys. And so either through intoxication or because of some macho response to an ‘I dare you’, one becomes, quite literally, marked for life. Neither of these is a Christian way to behave.

The second sub-culture is that of the rebellious and often ‘gothic.’ I don’t think it is a stretch that most fathers would not be too thrilled for our daughter to come home and inform us that she just met the most wonderful man who runs the local tattoo parlour!? Though I am not questioning the artistic abilities of many tattooists who ply their trade (some of it is excellent and portrays a real giftedness) nevertheless it must also be acknowledged that there is something unsettling about the sub-culture that is often associated with such. As Christians we are responsible for being separate from the world (a major meaning of the word ‘holy’) and therefore we will want to be careful of being identified as supportive of a ‘culture’ that is antagonistic if not openly hostile to God. This principle of course can be applied to many areas of conscience.

Finally, the question related to that of mutilation: what is a tattoo doing to my body?  

Though I am aware that in most cases having a tattoo is sanitary and safe what I am referring to here is the result of literally marking one’s body for life. Though through an extended, and painful process many tattoos can be removed, even then the evidence usually remains.

The apostle Paul argued that the body, for the Christian, is indeed important (1 Cor 6:13). He argued that how a Christian uses his/her body has moral implications (1 Cor 6:19, 20). We are to use our bodies to the glory of God. We in fact douse our bodies to make a statement as to whom it is that we are serving: either the Lord or ourselves or some other false god.

Therefore when contemplating whether to get a tattoo or what kind of tattoo, one should think through the implications of the long term affect. After all, a tattoo of a lion on a bicep at 25 may look good, but when it starts to sag at 55 then the esteemed member of the big 5 may look pathetic!

It seems that increasingly full body tattoos are becoming more and more popular. This concerns me for this probably not only violates the motivation question but also the mutilation issue as well. The body was never intended by God to be a canvass on which to display the works of men but rather the body is God’s through which He displays His gospel glory.

Obviously there is a lot more that can (and probably should) be said about this issue but suffice for now to chew upon these considerations if you are debating the question to tattoo or not tattoo. Make your decision ‘Coram Deo’ and be content with that. We have not right to sit in judgment upon one who has chosen a tattoo (within certain boundaries of course). All I am saying is think before you ink.