I just read an article on tattoos posted on the Jehovah's Witness website watchtower.org. I have tattoos, my arms being the most visible of all of my work. As I read the article, I was surprised to see that the tone of th article isn't so much that tattoos are bad, they are just bad to Jehovah's Witnesses. A few claims are validated with some form of citation (i.e., it's common reference to Teen Magazine), but most, like the last comment, are not cited with any verifiable source: "In time, many regret getting a tattoo."
Now the questions:
1. Is there any shred of truth to this OUTSIDE of the apparently judgmental sect of Jehovah's Witnesses?
2. Other than controlling people, what good does demonizing tattoos or other forms of body modification lead to?
(Here is the URL of the article, for your review: http://watchtower.org/e/20030922a/article_01.htm)
2007-01-15 08:35:26 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
As a Jehovah's Witnesses, I would not get a tattoo. Mostly because they are usually associated with a rebellious attitude.
Honestly, when you see someone with a tattoo, is your first thought that they are a devout Christian? I don't mean any disrespect to you, since you have tattoos. I have brothers, nieces (not Jehovah's Witnesses) that have tattoos.
That is not to say that there are some Jehovah's Witnesses that have tattoos, many had them before they became Witnesses.
They usually have them covered up if possible.
Tattoos have become popular with the young and that is why there was the article about. What would be the reason someone would want to get a tattoo?
Leviticus 19: 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."
Although, this was given to the Israelites, the principle would still apply to Christians today. We also want to be modest at all times not drawing attention to ourselves. Another way to be "no part of the world".
Yes, this article was for Jehovah's Witnesses as a whole, but if someone else is thinking of getting a tattoo, there are things that they may want to consider.
2007-01-15 08:58:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
1. Of course many regret getting tattoos in real life. How many? I have no idea. but why do you think there are so many services to laser them off?
2. Probably not much. Being a nihilist, I couldn't care less what people do to their bodies. But I wouldn't date someone with "too many" tats (always subjective), because I simply don't find them attractive. I hear though, that there is a new 3 year (or so) tattoo. Maybe college kids should get those jsut in case they want to get mainstream jobs after college.
2007-01-15 08:41:57 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't worry about your tattoos. God doesn't send people to hell for their tattoos. What he doesn't like is idol worship, idols being any thing or person or even thought that takes priority over a person's personal relationship with God.
A religion, or in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses, a cult, they can impose anything they like according to their church doctrine, but shame on them if they try to make their ideas Christ's ideas. Those are two different things all together.
2007-01-15 08:43:33 · answer #3 · answered by NONAME 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Tattooing is probably seen as sinful because when the early settlers saw the Natives of the Americas, West Indies, and East Indies, they immediately thought of these beings as "savages" and associated anything to do with them as being sinful. This is pretty much what lead to the missionaries going into these areas to try to convert all of the Natives to Chritianity.
Also, it is forbidden in Jewish law to get a tattoo. If you do, you cannot be buried in a Jewish Cemetary.
Personally, I have a tattoo. It is of the Italian flag to symbolize my Italian heritage. I would never get anything tattooed on my body that I knew wouldn't be important to me in 5+ years, such as a girlfriends name, or some cartoon character.
2007-01-15 08:41:16 · answer #4 · answered by Maverick 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In some religions, tattoos are frowned upon because its marring your body which is "The Temple" and that might be so, but me personally, even as a Christian, don't see anything wrong with decorating the temple. Even God had Solomons Temple decorated. I don't have any myself, though I'd like to, but Im concerned really with that it will be part of me the rest of my life and I wouldnt want something Id later regret... so if I get one, it will have to be good :)
2007-01-15 08:44:28 · answer #5 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You like most people today live with the delusion that your body belongs to you to do with as you wish. If you are a born again Christian, that could not be further from the truth...
1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
2007-01-15 08:41:00 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
There is a verse in the Old Testament that prohibits the Jews from marking their skin.
" 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
I believe many of these prohibitions were to separate the Jewish people from those around them.
I have a tattoo on my forearm of the Alpha and Omega. To me, this represents my "Anti-Mark", so to speak. (see Revelation 13:16,17) It associates me with Christ and provides a witness to those that inquire of it.
2007-01-15 08:49:40 · answer #7 · answered by paulsamuel33 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
in the jewish culture it is disrespectful to get a tatoo.
This has little to do with religion (why I said "culture") to my knowledge as it has more do to with the stigma of the holocaust and bieng forcibly tattooed there.
Other forms of body modification are no more frowned upon than any parent would normally frown on thier child getting.
How funny and wierd will it be in 50 years when grandma has her labia or hood and nipples peirced with a tribal tatoo on her back?
Ooops! don't pull on gradnma's navel ring little timmy!
2007-01-15 08:45:19 · answer #8 · answered by bluto blutarsky2 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps we need to consider to whom the article is targeted? The writer is addressing an issue of importance to a select group that probably shares the writer's views about how the body ought to be kept free from art.
Their views and beliefs are theirs and yours belong to you and those that enjoy body art. No problem.
2007-01-15 08:43:34 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are quotes in the Bible that admonish the people of that time for making cuts in the flesh and tatoos. This is why followers of the Bible say tattos are "bad". As Pangel pointed out, this scripture speaks only to those who tatooed in honor of "the dead". Most Christians misunderstand this scripture.
2007-01-15 08:40:32 · answer #10 · answered by MyPreshus 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋