Hot Topics  »   Tattoos and Piercings - Right or Wrong

This discussion is purely opinion and personal conviction driven. Any comments or information given is not necessarily the opinion of this site but is a way for one to develop their own thoughts and convictions based on the advice and information given by others. Remember as alway be polite and no profane speech or you will be banned.


According to Leviticus 19 in the Old testament God speaks to the children of Israel and begins to lay down rules and laws for them to live by. He is speaking to them about the people in the land which they are going to claim and that they are not to practice the same rituals as these people. One topic in general I wanted to discuss because it is an ongoing debate on 'if it is right or wrong' is Tattoos and Piercings.

In verse 28 of Leviticus 19 it says " 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD."

This is the verse which most churches use to persuade the people that getting tattoos or piercings is wrong because they say it is clear and precise on what God is saying. My question is, "Is it really?"

What we have to remember is when you interpret the Bible it is impossible to do so if you are not reading it in the Spirit. Reading it in the flesh will only bring carnal understanding and earthly common sense to it. Only through the Spirit of God can we truly know what God is trying to say.

So saying that, never take one verse in the bible and say this is what God is saying, it is like coming into a conversation already in progress and you have no idea what was said prior to what you just heard. In order to give your best opinion and understanding you need to know what was said before, and also listen to what is being said next.

The same goes for the Bible, you need to read the verses before and after the verse which is supposedly the command of God.

In this chapter God is speaking to them about Witchcraft, Making idols, how to treat your neighbor. More specifically in the few verses prior to the one stating 'not to make marks for the dead or any type of tattoo' it also clearly says in verse 19
" 'Keep my decrees.
" 'Do not mate different kinds of animals.
" 'Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.
" 'Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material."
and also in verses 26-27
" 'Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it.
" 'Do not practice divination or sorcery.
27 " 'Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard."

At the end of the chapter god says in verse 37 " 'Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the LORD.' "

To read the entire chapter go to this link http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+19&version=NIV

So if we were to take verse 19 purely as the command of God for this generation then we would have to also listen to verse 27 in which we would all be at fault and in sin (The men that is, unless you ladies are growing beards. :-))

The discussion is Does God look at the heart when we do things? He was telling the people not to cut themselves for the dead or mark themselves with tattoos for them as well. Is that what this culture and generation is doing?

Or are we simply expressing ourselves as individuals with no intent on doing it to defile ourselves for the purpose of idol worship or witchcraft. We are simply deciding to where earrings or get a tattoos similar to the way we choose to wear a Boston Red Sox hat at a Pittsburgh Pirate game because we love the Red Sox even if no one else does.

Give me your thoughts and opinions, Is God judging you buy your outside appearance or is he looking at the attitude of the heart when you perform the act. Remember our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit once we give our lives over to Jesus Christ.

Is it Wrong or Right? You decide.