Expert: Brenda Martin - 10/21/2008

Question
Hi. I just turned eighteen and decided to get my first tattoo, which I have been wanting for a long time. My parents are both devout Christians(I don't consider myself a Christian, but was raised to be one) and are up in arms about this. They say that it is a sin, and that God specifically forbade it. They are especially upset because they said that it is worse because I am a "young lady" and "decent, resepectable young ladies don't have tattoos". That is totally sexist in my opinion! Anyway, I'm just wondering if what they are saying is actually true. Is tattooing prohibited in the bible? I have heard that some Christians believe this while others do not.

Also, they are upset because of the image I chose. The tattoo is of a vampire, her fangs bared, staring up at the moon, with a little bit of blood dripping down her chin. NO I am NOT a Satanist or anything like that. I chose it because I am a big horror movie fan, and I just thought it was kind of cool. And my boyfriend encouraged me to go for it, cause I was a little nervous(he is a tattoo artist). My parents hate him because he is covered in tattoos, swears a lot and is not a Christian. But he is a good guy. He treats me well(as his equal) and he doesn't believe in all that stuff about how women should be "submissive" like my mom does. I am not the type of girl who could be submissive. I have my own mind, and like to do my own thing. I always argue that I am just as smart as any guy, so why should I have to do what he tells me? But that is another topic all together. Anyway, they say vampires are "anti christian" but they aren't even real! They are just a fantasy. Just wanting to get an objective second opinion. I feel I am old enough to do what I want now, but they say I still live in their house, and even if I didn't, I should always "honor" them. I love my tattoo so much I am thinking of getting another.Thanks a lot.

Jennifer

Answer
"IS TATTOOING PROHIBITED IN THE BIBLE?"

“Tattooing is by no means a modern practice. Tattoo-bearing Egyptian and Libyan mummies have been found that date back hundreds of years before the time of Christ.

God’s Law forbid his people to tattoo themselves. Said Leviticus 19:28: “You must not make cuts in your flesh for a deceased soul, and you must not put tattoo marking upon yourselves. I am Jehovah.” Pagan worshipers, such as the Egyptians, tattooed the names or symbols of their deities on their breast or arms. By complying with Jehovah’s ban on tattoo markings, the Israelites would stand out as different from other nations.—Deuteronomy 14:1, 2.

While Christians today are not under the Law of Moses, the prohibition it laid on tattooing is sobering. (Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:14, 15) 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.—2 Corinthians 6:15-18.”

VAMPIRES ARE "ANTI CHRISTIAN" THEY ARE JUST A FANTASY

“Maree says--“Before learning Bible truth,” she related, “I enjoyed watching horror movies. But at night I couldn’t get to sleep without holding a cross in my hand to ward off ghosts and vampires, which many of the films were about. Once I learned the truth, however, and stopped watching such films, my relationship with God made it possible for me to go to bed without fear, happy to serve a God more powerful than demons or imagined vampires.”

Consider, too, the case of a single woman living by herself. One night she started to watch a horror film. Although “scared to death,” she could not stop watching. Afterward she had trouble getting to sleep. When she finally dropped into a fitful sleep, you can imagine what she dreamed about: vampires and monsters. The point is: We are affected emotionally by what happens around us. Certainly, then, we ought to be selective, avoiding that which is harmful or needlessly upsets our emotional balance.

A mere look at some of the characters and monsters mentioned in the basic Dungeons and Dragons guidebook should convince Christians that this game is not for them. Included are magic users (mediums, seers and conjurers), goblins, hellhounds, hobgoblins, ogres, skeletons, specters, vampires and zombies, to name but a few! Experienced game players are expected to learn a great deal about the characteristics of such grisly playmates. Yet Christians are told not to get to know the “deep things of Satan.”—Revelation 2:24.

Your choice of course, I feel sorry for your poor parents after all their hard work.

All the best
Brenda