Why Shouldn't I Have Tattoos?

To me, this is a rather absurd debate.  Why shouldn't I have tattoos?  Well, a few would say that as a Christian it's wrong for me to have them.  Those are also the same Bible-thumping judgemental bigots who try to condemn me to Hell for being a homosexual (GASP!!).  So why should I care what they think?  In all honesty, I don't.  But it also sparked me to want to dig a bit deeper on why people think Christians shouldn't have tattoos.

Tattooing dates back to almost the dawn of time.  Archaeologists have discovered tattooed mummies dating back to circa 3300 BC.  In Borneo, tattoos were believed to ward off harm and disease.  In Polynesian culture, tattoos are a right of passage into manhood.  All of us are familiar with the war paint of the Native Americans, right?  Well they believed that their war paint would protect them from harm in battle.  There have been historical reports from civilizations all over the world stating that people believed tattoos were everything from a protective force in battle to something that would give them magical powers to something that they couldn't gain admittance into the after-life without.  So why are they such a big deal?  Because they began as a Pagan practice.

As my personal opinion i think it's stupid and narrow-minded to look down on a Christian for having tattoos just because they began as a Pagan practice.  They date back to 3300 BC for goodness sakes!  And correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't BC stand for Before Christ?  What else were people supposed to worship before Christianity?  Were they just supposed to be psychic and know the Truth?  Of course not.  But, we know better, so we shouldn't mar the bodies God gave us that way.  At least that's what I've been told.  But answer me this...  Where in the Bible does it say "Thou shalt not have tattoos."?  If you can point me to that verse, I'll gladly go get my tattoo lasered off.  Until then, it stays where it is and the list of 6 other tattoos I plan on getting is still considered a "To Do" list.

I understand that tattoos began as a "heathen" practice.  I also understand the the Bible tells us that the Lord condemned all heathen practices.  But what about the people who have tattoos expressing their Christianity?  What is so wrong with that?  Or the tattoos people get in remembrance of a loved one who passed?  Or a daughter who gets a pink ribbon tattoo in support of her mother who is fighting breast cancer?  Yes I know that for every beautiful tattoo that has a wonderful meaning to it's owner, there are an equal number of people covered in racist and gang related tattoos.  But aren't we as Christians supposed to look for the good in others?  To look past some one's history and what they look like, to the heart and soul of the person?  But, let's get real here.  Most of us don't.  Christians are some of the most judgemental people I've met.  They go around thinking they're better than everyone else because they believe in God.  But let me force the reality pill down your throat for a second.... Satan himself also believes in God.  Just marinate on that for a second...

I'm gonna go back to "not marring the body God gave you" thing for a second...  We are told to treat our bodies like temples, right?  Well temples are FULL of artwork and engravings and other decorative things.  What more is a tattoo than an engraved piece of artwork (or decoration) on your skin??  In a sense, we ARE treating our bodies like temples!  Also, a tattoo could open a conversation about the Lord with a stranger who would have otherwise remained lost.  In short, I just don't see the big deal about a Christian having tattoos.

I have my own personal reason for this blog, as I do any other one I'll type.  My personal reason is this:

I was in Walgreen's the other day picking up some face wash and Kleenex.  There was an old woman and her granddaughter in line behind me.  Now, the tattoo I have is small and on the inside of my wrist, so the only way this woman could have seen it is if she was looking at my wrist when i reached up to brush my hair out of my face.  ::Side note - My hair is also partially purple, which may have added some fuel to this woman's fire::  She went off and proceeded to tell me that I was going to Hell for "destroying the temple God gave you" in such a "vulgar and tasteless manner."  Until then I was completely unaware that the word "Love" was vulgar and tasteless.  That's still news to me!  I could have said a lot of things to this woman, including telling her that I'm a lesbian and would do VERY dirty things to her extremely sexy and clearly lesbian granddaughter.  But I smiled at her.  and I said "God bless you, ma'am."  Then I collected my things and left the store. 

Now answer me this... Was it "Christian" for that woman to judge me based on what I look like?  Was it "Christian" of her to condemn me to Hell?  I don't think it was, but maybe I expect different behavior from fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  Oh, well.  I guess that's what I get for having high expectaions of others, isn't it?

I'd love to hear the opinions of others on this topic.  Should Christians have tattoos or not?  Let me know what you think!

Scooter Out.