Can a Christian get a Tattoo?

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.
 
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.
“Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:28)
 
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.
 
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.
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.
 
I'm not disagreeing with you. In fact, I'm much more in line with agreement than disagreement. By saying that I don't agree with the verse you are indicating that you refused to read the majority of my post.

I'm only stating that if you are going to try to apply that verse, then you absolutely must apply the remainder of the commandments from that chapter (which as far as I know, only the strictest fundamentalist Jewish sects still follow), and even in applying that verse, a modern tattoo isn't applicable. I DO agree with the verse. I don't agree that it applies to the vast majority of tattoos. While a tattoo does "cut" the skin in a way, it does so less than that of the flu shot, and in even that stretched definition of a tattoo, it isn't "for the dead".

I have no desire to argue your conscience. I'm simply pointing out that you are taking a verse out of context and using it improperly. Atheists and secular philosophers absolutely beat the church up over issues like this because they knew we don't have much to stand on when we do not even take consistent stands on what Scripture means. Using that verse to support any stance against tattoos is already an extremely weak argument since there is no semblance between modern tattoos and the "marking" that the verse is referring to. Then, by not additionally enforcing the remainder of these commandments, we make ourselves hypocrites, and worse yet, create sins that God never intended.
 
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.

Good points :)
 
A lot of us wear clothing and brand names that are controversial but will quickly condemn a tattooed Bible verse on a believer. I'm thinking that it has a lot to do with the content of the tattoo. If it is a bible verse for the purpose of being a witness then I can't see a problem. If it is a symbol that stands for anything that could be considered pagan or evil then it is obviously not what God wants. There are also some good arguments about the Levitical law and tattoos on this link http://christian-tattoos.com/tattoo-blog.html
 
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