“Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:28)In my opinion, they CAN, but SHOULD they? Attitudes are changing, but does the potential witness of a "Christian tattoo", or what you are trying to express by means of a tattoo outweigh the probable negative responses? Do you want to have to devote time and energy to defending your tattoo, or your right to have a tattoo, etc, etc.? Will you really be rendered less effective by not having a tattoo (or more effective by having one) in witnessing to certain segments of society? To what extent does one risk offending a weaker brother? If you consider these questions and have a clear conscience and get a tattoo, you won't get any flak from me.
God said don't cut your bodies. You don't have to agree with the verse if you don't want to. A tattoo is a cut into the skin. Also the thought of tattoos give my conscience a bad feeling. So if my conscience gets effected the way it does then to me it's wrong. You can believe what you wish. I just stated a verse. You can't argue with my conscience. You can feel free to disagree with me though but that's you and this is me.Please understand the context of the verses that you rely on, and what these laws were for. In the same exact context, the people of Israel were given commands regarding not wearing clothes with two types of cloth, getting slaves pregnant (and the cases in which it was acceptable), cutting beards, and even planting fruit trees. If you can take this translation of the verse so literally, then you MUST also not shave your beard, nor can you have a weekly paycheck since you must be paid daily.
That isn't to say that tatoos are acceptable, but quoting a verse out of context is not useful. The tattoos being referred to in this verse also has very little connection to the type of tattoos that exist today under most circumstances. They were dealing with pagan cultures who marked their bodies in unusual ways. Those "writings and cross-marks" (as it is in the original text) were for ceremonial purposes to worship pagan gods and for spells and witchcraft.
Yes, I have tattoos. I don't particularly regret them, but I wouldn't do it again if I had the choice, and I definitively don't recommend them for anyone.
In my opinion, they CAN, but SHOULD they? Attitudes are changing, but does the potential witness of a "Christian tattoo", or what you are trying to express by means of a tattoo outweigh the probable negative responses? Do you want to have to devote time and energy to defending your tattoo, or your right to have a tattoo, etc, etc.? Will you really be rendered less effective by not having a tattoo (or more effective by having one) in witnessing to certain segments of society? To what extent does one risk offending a weaker brother? If you consider these questions and have a clear conscience and get a tattoo, you won't get any flak from me.