I've actually have been wondering the same thing, but I have also considered at the same time to have the scripture that has impacted me the most along with it, I doubt anything satanic can come from having gods word tattooed on your skin in nice writing. Heck maybe at the swimming pool you'll help bring god into someone's life by sitting in the hot tub with your arm/back facing them with words of salvation on your skin :P

monkeydamyo,
That's an interesting thought.
But keep in mind that displaying religious names and symbols might offend some people and some of the are violent or will sue.
Those kinds of people offend me.
Peace and kindness,
Fred

Galatians 5:3-6
"3.Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
4.You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
5.But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.
6.For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

My father-in-law is a Baptist minister and he will tell you than any tattoo is a sin.

Imagine his surprise when he noticed mine for the first time during our wedding ceremony, which he performed... but that's besides the point. ;)

There's more to it than that - in my belief.

We're born sinners and will make mistakes. Ideally, those mistakes are not intentional, however. I suggest praying about this to make your decision. God will guide you in your decision.

kindj,
Thanks for that info passage.
Fred

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LearningAsIGo

My father-in-law is a Baptist minister and he will tell you than any tattoo is a sin.

Imagine his surprise when he noticed mine for the first time during our wedding ceremony, which he performed.... but that's besides the point. ;)

There's more to it than that - in my belief.

We're born sinners and will make mistakes. Ideally, those mistakes are not intentional, however. I suggest praying about this to make your decision. God will guide you in your decision.

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I agree, man, there is more to it than that... at the same time, I don't think God is going to guide you about a tattoo. I mean, what's he going to do, part the clouds and tell you not to do it? No disrespect, I'm just saying, how is God going to guide that kind of decision?

There are so many greater things at stake in this life than whether we get a tattoo or not. Will I ever see my need for God's forgiveness? Will I make it through this life with my faith intact? Will I love my neighbor as myself? Will I humble myself to another person when I have wronged him and ask for forgiveness? Will I extend mercy to others when they have wronged me? I honestly think that the greatest plague of humanity is religion which concerns itself which trivial crap like tattoos instead of the life or death issues like eternal life and mercy from God.

Just thinking out loud.

jakester,
You thought out loud well for that.
AND made the point quite well.
Peace and kindness,
Fred

To answer the Leviticus Verse "issue" - I found a great article that articulates the answer:
"Bible says in Leviticus 19:28, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord." (NLT) How much clearer can that be?
It's important, however, to look at the verse in context. This passage in Leviticus, including the surrounding text, is specifically dealing with the pagan religious rituals of the people living around the Israelites. God's desire is to set his people apart from other cultures. The focus here is prohibiting worldly, heathen worship and witchcraft. God forbids his holy people to engage in idolatrous, pagan worship and sorcery which imitates the heathens. He does this out of protection, because he knows this will lead them away from the one true God."

So - a Christian in today's society & time - getting a tattoo as a symbol of faith or your love for Jesus is NOT the same as the Levitical Law.

To comment on "sndbay's" comment or suggestion of a person getting a tattoo of their own free will (of a cross, scripture or ANY tattoo for that matter!)as being potentially the mark of the beast (at least that's what I understood your response to suggest) - That is simply NOT at all the case. That's not how that will play out... lots and lots of research on that if you do a little digging.
Check out this article regarding tattoos for Christians - it's really great:
http://christianity.about.com/od/faqhelpdesk/f/tattoochristian.htm

To answer the Leviticus 19:28 verse "issue" - I found a great article that articulates the answer:
"Bible says in Leviticus 19:28, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord." (NLT) How much clearer can that be?
It's important, however, to look at the verse in context. This passage in Leviticus, including the surrounding text, is specifically dealing with the pagan religious rituals of the people living around the Israelites. God’s desire is to set his people apart from other cultures. The focus here is prohibiting worldly, heathen worship and witchcraft. God forbids his holy people to engage in idolatrous, pagan worship and sorcery which imitates the heathens. He does this out of protection, because he knows this will lead them away from the one true God."

So - a Christian in today's society & time - getting a tattoo as a symbol of faith or your love for Jesus is NOT the same as the Levitical Law.

To comment on "sndbay's" comment or suggestion of a person getting a tattoo of their own free will (of a cross, scripture or ANY tattoo for that matter!) as being potentially the mark of the beast (at least that's what I understood your response to suggest) - That is simply not at all the case. That's not how that will play out... there is lots and lots of information & teaching on that if you do a little digging.
Check out this article regarding tattoos for Christians - it's really great:
Tattoos and Christians - Should Christians Have Tattoos?

My advice - first thing to do before getting a tattoo... pray and ask the Lord for direction & guidance & have the faith to believe He will answer!
:)

The way I'm thinking is, I don't regret getting my Cross Tattoo, at the same time I do. I do like showing that I'm a believer and that I can look down always, no matter where I am, see my tattoo on my forearm and it calms me to know that Jesus and God are watching me, and I need to think like them more. It's sort of my sinful reminder, were it considered a sin. However, with that, comes flaunting. If I'm not mistaken, you should be humble about yourself, religion etc. Don't get me wrong, I love my cross as I said because it reminds me everyday of what Jesus did for me, but I do hope if it is a sin God can forgive me for being foolish. I should've known that I don't need a mark to remind me, I just need his guidance and love. My advice, would be not to get one.

I have a tattoo of a cross that says Jesus in you I live and I want the world to see it. In order to reach people they should be able to relate to us and so I believe tattoos are a great way to outreach

It is NOT a sin to get a tattoo. My biggest problem with it is what it represents to the world. It is a "worldly" thing to do. But there is no list of do's and don't's in Christianity. We are to be lead by peace. If you don't have peace about it... don't do it. Paul said in Romans that whatever is done without faith is sin. I guess I would use that as my standard when there is a gray area.

A tattoo is a sin in the first place. If you were to study the bible you would also know that the son of our father, the most high, did not die on a cross rather a tree or stake as noted in the bible over 50 times. Also ask yourself if someone you loved dearly was shot in the head and killed would it be wrong to tattoo the scene, gun, ext. of them being killed on your body? Id think not why glorify the way in which they were killed. Instead remember what the purpose of there death actually was not how it was done.

I'm on the fence about this one.
Where I live tattoos are looked down upon in a sort of way, and getting a cross usually represents something different, yet it is what you want it to be. The small things in life matter not, it's the legacy you leave behind, and the one you take into the afterlife that you will carry forever.

(Leviticus 19:28) 28 “'And YOU must not make cuts in YOUR flesh for a deceased soul, and YOU must not put tattoo marking upon yourselves. I am Jehovah.

(Deuteronomy 14:1-2) 14 “Sons YOU are of Jehovah YOUR God. YOU must not make cuttings upon yourselves or impose baldness on YOUR foreheads for a dead person. 2 For you are a holy people to Jehovah your God, and Jehovah has chosen you to become his people, a special property, out of all the peoples who are on the surface of the ground.


(Jeremiah 47:5) 5 Baldness must come to Ga′za. Ash′ke‧lon has been put to silence. O remnant of their low plain, how long will you keep making cuts upon yourself?


12 Consequently I entreat YOU by the compassions of God, brothers, to present YOUR bodies a sacrifice living, holy, acceptable to God, a sacred service with YOUR power of reason.


Any disfigurment you make upon your body, is wrong and is a sin. If you are a Christian, you would certainly not want to make markings on your body—even temporarily—that smack of paganism or false worship.

This command must also have encouraged the Israelites to manifest respect for their bodies as God's creations.—Psalm 100:3; 139:14; Job 10:8.

Why not put God's Laws in your heart and respect your body. If you love God, your speech and your conduct will let others know you are a lover of Christ and respect all God given laws. Even if you get a tattoo of a cross, that will not show anyone anything. However if you imatate Jesus in your conduct and speech in all things, that is what will set you apart from the world, as one of Jesus' foot step followers.

Peace,
Hope12

Hope12,
Those verses specifically say these acts are "for" a dead person. They refer to pagan practices that were done by the people of Canaan around the time the Israelites came along. That is something VERY different than what the OP is asking. Your skewed interpretation betrays a personal dislike for tattooing, as well as a high level of legalistic thinking that is not going to help the questioner.

So unless you consider getting a cross tattoo, specifically with Jesus in mind, to be getting it "for a dead person," your answer is not correct.

Snippy, there's nothing biblically wrong with this kind of testimony if it's something you really want to do to honor the Lord. If you later became convinced that getting it was a sin (please don't), yes, God can forgive anything. He looks at the heart, not the upper arm.

I'd say, if you really want to do it and you want to get it as a testimony that you're a Christian, go for it.

Dwasher,
These laws were not just for dead persons but alwso f\or the living. You so nicely prove this in your post -to me. I qoute you " They refer to pagan practices that were done by the people of Canaan around the time the Israelites came along. That is something VERY different than what the OP is asking."
Tattoos were a pracytice of pagans not of those who obey God's laws. Why would a "Christian" follow anything a pagan would do? Would Jesus get a tattoo? Something to think about, what of all the aids and other things passed on b tattoos?

Peace,
Hope12

Quote:

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These laws were not just for dead persons but alwso f\or the living. You so nicely prove this in your post -to me. I qoute you " They refer to pagan practices that were done by the people of Canaan around the time the Israelites came along. That is something VERY different than what the OP is asking."
Tattoos were a pracytice of pagans not of those who obey God's laws. Why would a "Christian" follow anything a pagan would do? Would Jesus get a tattoo? Something to think about, what of all the aids and other things passed on b tattoos?

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Since you used the comment option instead of the reply, I had to do that quote manually. I don't know if Jesus would get a tattoo or not; neither do you. I don't know where you live, but in the US tattoo artists and parlors are strictly licensed and the sanitizing requirements are very rigid, so the AIDS thing and all that is pretty much a red herring.

The Torah told the Israelites not to be like the people of the land they were going to be occupying. That included things like getting tattooed as a way to call the spirit of a deceased person. In other words, it was a form of occultism. Do you really think it's legitimate to extend that to the modern-day practice of body art? Get real. What you've done her is not that unusual: you find a common practice that you don't like, then go fishing for something in the Bible that you think will support your dislike. As a good American, I will support your right to be wrong. But don't be surprised if I go out of my way to correct your error when you try to foist it on someone else in public.

Once again, snippy, if your goal is to honor the Lord, go for it. My ex-wife and I are scuba divers, and she has an absolutely amazing tattoo on her right shoulder that includes a diver, an octopus, a crab, a starfish, and a critter called a wolf eel. It's quite the conversation starter. And there's absolutely nothing biblically wrong with it.

In LEVITICUS 19:28 the Lord said Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord. I Believe the Lord is saying Don't go off and get someone's name if there dead to keep remembrance of them because once the lord has taking him they no longer exists on earth... which means that you shouldn't try to keep there spirit around.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jayman123123

In LEVITICUS 19:28 the Lord said Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord. I Believe the Lord is saying Dont go off and get someones name if there dead to keep rememberance of them because once the lord has taking him they no longer exists on earth...which means that u shouldnt try to keep there spirit around.

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So if I was to get my dead sister's name tattooed on me as a memorial, that would mean I was trying to keep her spirit around? Get real. The Leviticus passage has to do with trying to practice magic spells and invoke the dead, that sort of thing. It has nothing to do with simply remembering someone.

And the question was specifically about a cross tattoo, so I'm not sure what this comment has to do with it anyway.