One subject on which the major Biblically-based religions agree is that
getting a tattoo is wrong. Fundamentalist Christians, Catholics, and Jews
all agree on this. They do, however, hold very different viewpoints on
why it is wrong. It is interesting to take a look at the beliefs and viewpoints
of these religions-- not only what each one believes, but what each one
bases that belief upon.
For Fundamentalist Christians, the generally-expressed opinion is that
people should not get tattoos because tattoos are "a pagan practice."
Fundamentalist leaders state that this is a good enough reason for not
getting tattoos, although they also add that there is nothing in the Bible
which states that a person should not. Potential confusion regarding this
standpoint is explained in terms of the Fundamentalist belief that the
whole of the Bible consists of the New Testament, and the New Testament
contains no references to tattooing, either positive or negative. Describing
the practice of tattooing as something that was, or is, done by pagans,
constitutes their main objection to the practice.
As Catholics believe that the Old Testament is as relevant as the New
Testament, the general Catholic negativity toward the subject is covered
by such Scripture passages as Leviticus 19:28, which reads "You shall
not make any cuts in your body for the dead, nor make any tattoo marks
on yourselves..." For most Catholics, though, it is still usually considered
to be more a matter of personal interpretation and personal choice. The
usual modern-day Catholic interpretation of the subject is that while
tattooing is indeed wrong by Biblical standards, it is not necessarily
sinful.
The Jewish faith takes the subject, and negativity about it, even further.
As the Books of the Old Testament are taken to be the word of God, and
commandments to be adhered to, in the Jewish faith tattoos are something
which is simply not done. This commandment against any desecration of
the body has been proported to be one of the main reasons tattooing was
done on observant Jews at the concentration camps during the Holocaust;
it was not merely a means of identification as many people assume. It
was an attempt to separate observant Jews from their God, albeit unwillingly.
In the Jewish faith, desecrating the body with tattoos is considered
to be such a violation of the commandments that a person who has tattoos
is sometimes denied burial in Jewish cemeteries. While this used to be
the standard practice, modern times reflecting fewer prohibitions has
resulted in this being less of a concern than in the past. Although today
few but the most orthodox consider it to be a serious issue, it is still
indeed an issue.
The general consensus amongst these three major Biblically-based faiths
is that it is wrong to get tattoos, although each one's reasons and points
of view certainly differ. Whatever one's personal faith may happen to
be, the two main factors involve both what one's religion teaches about
tattoos, and what their specific reason is for it. These are important
factors regardless of how observant an person is of his or her particular
religion; and makes it clear that one should consider both factors in
order to make an informed decision on whether or not to get a tattoo.
Tattoos: Not Just
For Bikers Anymore
The History Of Tattoos
What To Expect When
You Get Your Tattoo
Possible Side
Effects Of Getting A Tattoo
Problems Associated With
Tattoos
What Do The Religions
Say About Tattoos?
Tattoos Around The World
Tattoos VS. Other Body Art
Tattoo Designs
Why Do People Get Tattoos?
How To Find A Good Tattoo
Artist
Positive Attributes Of Tattoos
First
You Want It, Then You Don't - Tattoo Removal
Tattoos In History
Who Is Most Likely To
Get Tattoos?
Tattoo Cover Ups
Tattoo Removal
Are Tattoos An Addiction?
Celebrities And Their Tattoos
Celebrities Love Tattoos
How Tattoos Are Made
What Is Going On Today
With Tattoos
Why Get A Tattoo?
Variations In Tattoos
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