Do tattoos keep you out of heaven? Are tattoos a sin?

[_ohhey_]

I think that tattoos are only a sin if they are inappropriate, provocative, or celebrate a religion other than the one you follow. I want to see other peoples opinions on the topic, though.

Yes

No

Depends

Updates

+1 y

Look, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I'm just saying, there is bible verse that people believe to mean that tattoos are a sin. Then there's the whole "your body is a temple" thing. I just know some people are crazy against tattoos. My grandparents will probably murder me when I get my first tattoo. I just wanted opinions, not trying to upset people.

[pajamasam]

The bible also forbids eating seafood, pork, unclean animals, etc. Forbids wearing golden jewelry, forbids shaving your head, forbids wearing garments with mixed fabrics, and plenty other things are forbidden in the bible thay ultimately get ignored. So if we get to pick and choose. I choose to ignore the ruling on tattoos as well. I also choose to ignore the whole book in general but thats besides the point.

[CuteNerd9]

Things that are forbidden in the old testament, such as you have described, are not ignored; they are no longer forbidden. Following the death and resurrection of Christ there is a new covenant in him that supercededs the old covenants of the past. Christ abolishes many, but not all, of the old testament traditions and laws. They're not simply ignored.

[pajamasam]

If Christ creates a new covenant that effectively abolished the old testament...

Why is it still in the bible at all?

[CuteNerd9]

The old testament is just that, a testament to the promises our Lord promised in the garden of eden at the time of the first sin. The old testament points to the promise of a savoir in Jesus Chrsit. Much of the old testament pointed toward the coming of Christ. For example, passover. The spotless and blemish free lamb to be slaughtered for passover signified Christ as spotless/sinless sacrificed for us. They were to paint the blood of the lamb over their door so death would pass them over. This symbolized the blood of Christ protecting us from death. Not physical death, as Christ suffered physical death, but spiritual death, as in hell. After Christ there was no need for this demand on Christians as they no longer needed the symbol as we now have Christ. The purpose of keeping it is much the same as why we keep any other historical texts, it provides the entire story.

[CuteNerd9]

@pajamasam the othe reason is that the old testament provides us with the law. Gods law of which he expects perfect adhearace to. It's like a mirror to show you how sinful you are in your inability to adhere to God's law. Even 1 small sin condemns a soul to hell. Once you realize this you gain the understanding that there is no possible way that you can save yourself from an eternity in hell. Then there's Christ, and the Gospel of the new testament. You cannot earn your own way into heaven. It is through Christ and Christ alone that your debt of sin has been paid and you are a dear loved child of God. Without understanding the desperate nature of your condition in sin, you can't understand the need for a savoir.

[pajamasam]

So the old testament is...

Historical

Gives law **

And describes exactly why people need to be forgiven.

[CuteNerd9]

As a very simplistic view of it, yes. Though it's far more complicated than that. That's why scholars go to school for as long as doctors studying the bible.

[pajamasam]

1, why does it matter if it gives law or not, if Jesus creates a new covenant that cancels out the old covenants then what do the old law codes matter at all?

2, Describing what sin is and describing to the reader exactly why they need to be forgiven. Modern English has a word for that its called a "guilt trip"

3, The Iliad by Homer is also a Historical document, but it doesn't guilt trip me or demand I follow a set of archaic rules.

I think the old testament exist and is still packed into the Bible with the new testament for one reason - original sin -
The idea that we are all born with sin already in us with nothing to do about it. This is explained right off the bat in genesis and reiterated through the old testament, that we inherit the sins of our ancestors.

But thats an absurd idea. Inheriting sin is just dumb. If my dad were convicted of murder, went to jail, and died, why do I still have to answer for it to god? That's dumb I haven't murdered anyone, why is my dads hypothetical sin on my shoulders if I've never murdered or even remotely considered murder.

The old testament is only in the complete bible because without original sin, why would we have to be forgiven for anything at all? If we don't inherit sin, we can just try really hard to avoid sin. But if sin is on you at birth even if you lived a perfect life, the. We have to be forgiven. Without original sin there is no need for Jesus to ever come around.

Its a classic case of

Invent a problem, sell the cure.

[CuteNerd9]

You're half correct regarding original sin and being born into sin. Where you're not correct is that you're not paying for anyone else's sins. You're only accountable for your own sins. If you were to live a completely sinless life, you would not need Jesus, that's correct. If you were sinless, you would have no sins to pay for. Bring born into sin means that you were born with the same corruption that corrupted Eve in the garden of eden when she ate the fruit, you were born with the burden of the knowledge of good and evil and the temptation that comes with that knowledge. Being open to that temptation is what causes us to sin. It is our own sins that damn us to hell.

Of course you should feel guilty for your sins. Why would anyone repent if they did not feel guilty? To ask for forgiveness, you must first feel guilty so you can repent and ask for forgiveness. If you hurt someone, either intentionally or intentionally, shouldn't you feel guilty about it, apologize, ask for their forgiveness, then strive to not hurt them again? Its the same concept.

[pajamasam]

I wasn't born with the same sin as Adam and Eve though. For two reasons.

1 Adam and Eve were punished for their sins and its done. No more further punishment for that sin is required, and by extension no more forgiveness.

2 I dont think what they did should be considered sin.

Think about it.

They ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Why is it a sin... "because God said not to"

Why did God not want them to have knowledge of good and evil? Did God want them to be ignorant for all their days?

I consider knowledge of good and evil a good thing.

So why did God forbid it?

[CuteNerd9]

Adam and Eve were not punished for their sins, Jesus was punished for their sins, just like he was punished for yours. The wages of sin are death and hell. But again, you're not paying for the sins of Adam and Eve, you would be responsible for paying for your own sins.

You are correct, eating the fruit was only a sin because God told them not to. It was the defiance of a command from God that was the sin. God does not explain why he told them not to eat the fruit, but it has been speculated that it wasn't meant for them to never eat the fruit, but only that they were not ready for the knowledge it provided at that time. Again, this is not biblical, just a theological speculation. Just because you do not understand the reason why and think it shouldn't be a sin, doesn't mean there isn't a good reason for it. I tend to uses dogs as our pets as an analogy here. I love my dog and want to protect him from harm. When I take him for walks, he doesn't understand why he can't run freely in certain places and just go wherever he wants. He doesn't have the capacity to understand the complexity of human thought that goes into my decision to have him on a leash in certain areas because of risks and dangers that he doesn't understand. No matter how much I try to explain to him, he doesn't have the capacity to understand. He just needs to trust me and obey my commands. He may think it's stupid that I don't just let him go wherever he wants, but in reality what he thinks about it doesn't matter, what I'm doing is protecting him whether he understands it or not.

[pajamasam]

So you can admit that *maybe* God made a bad call in forbidding eating the fruit.

-but-

In the dog and owner metaphor. We are the dogs. We can't question God we just have to blindly trust him. I really don't want to blindly trust a guy who got bent out of shape over some fruit. His judgment is shaky at best.

[CuteNerd9]

The dog is us. No God did not make a bad call, the point was to illustrate that he knows what he's doing and what's best for us even if you don't understand or don't like it. Yes, he requires you have faith him him, and faith is trusting without seeing. In the end the truth and reality of God is what it is. You don't just get to decide what you want to be true. Its like the people who believe the earth is flat, just because you believe it isn't round because it doesn't fit your narrative doesn't mean that the earth isn't actually round regardless of what you believe. If you denounce God, you will go to hell, regardless of whether or not you believe you will. Reality and truth ate not subject to personal opinion.

[pajamasam]

Reality and truth are not subject to personal opinion. Your 100% correct.

I use a little bit of reality in my rationale to abandon God.

If there is no proof Hell exists, Why should I worry about it at all? The same way that I have no reason to worry about King Kong because there is no evidence he ever did or ever will exist.

King Kong and Hell even have the same amount of evidence. 1 movie, and one book. No other evidence besides movies exist for King Kong. No other evidence for hell exists besides the Bible.

Why would I be worried about hell at all?

[CuteNerd9]

@pajamasam there's the same proof as any other historical fact that you were not personally around to witness yourself. King Kong was never toated as real. There is no historical evidence to the giant primate's existence. Its not even close to a fair comparison. Its always been fiction and the bible has always been nonfiction. There are people today who honestly believe these holocaust didn't happen. They don't believe it despite historical record and eyewitness testimony. This is similar, just that much more time has passed between now and the events in the bible. There's historical record of the existence of Jesus. Just as true and as credible as the historical record of the existence of Cesar, the Egyptian kings, and other historical figures. Records that gave nothing to do with the writings of the bible, such as ancient census records, and records of accounts of Jesus and witness to things he had done in other tribal and religious accounts outside of the Christian bible. There's historical reference to his life and his crusifiction outside of biblical texts. Specifically in Roman historical documents. Over 500 people witnessed his resurrection and accounts of the resurrection and his ascension are again documented in several historical texts outside of the bible. Just because you did not personally witness it and there's no one alive today to personally account that it happened does not mean it didn't happen. You could apply your same logic to any event of accident times. That still doesn't mean those events didn't happen.

[KyleAbe]

I really don't thing that will decide weather you get to heaven or not. I'd like to think there's digger issues that determine that.

[SoapySandwich]

Yeah like forgetting your spade.

[laurieluvsit]

It depends on some things I don't really want to talk about actually.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/JnYcnfMlmR4

[angeliquedevereux2]

Depends. It it a pentagram? Yes. Is it a biblr quote? No.

[john23232323]

lmaoooo.. imagine someone tattooing a bible quote

[angeliquedevereux2]

I know people who do have bible quotes as tattoos. The point is, with this ink are you showing loyalty to another god or religion?

[john23232323]

@angeliquedevereux2 it seems so weird to use a tattoo opportunity to draw a bible quote on you. Seems so nerdy

[87609lf]

Your grandparents grew up when having a tatt was very literally the sign of war or prison, unless they were Mauri, then obvs not. But still, entering that phase of life, in those cultures that tattoo'd their people, made them a whole sht load closer to death. Taking the Mauri's or the Gauls or the Celts for example, if they were male then about 14/15 they got a tattoo and were 'warrior' cast, females were 10-12 and then just legitimately married off and became pregnant. So the point is that a tatt casts an aspersion of death. Superstision YES, but it follows generationally. Ask Yourself, how long is 100 years when you're gonna die at like 30.

[jgibsonian1986]

There is legit nothing you could do to remove the forgiveness you received as a gift from Christ, short of not wanting to be forgiven.
God is going to judge you in what you did right in your life, not what you did wrong. That's what forgiveness is, it's the oppertunity to refocus your life to doing good for God instead of avoiding evil.

[SoapySandwich]

Or spend your life raping and killing cause in the end you are forgiven thanks to Jesus. Just remember to always accept that forgiveness and all is good.

[jgibsonian1986]

If you think anyone is able to fool an all knowing God by accepting forgiveness just for the benefit, your mistaken. That is what herisy of the heart is, knowing what the truth is and refusing it on the level of your actions. If you rape and kill your whole life knowing the truth of the Word of God despite it, then that is definitively herisy.

But the whole point of sacrificial forgiveness is so that anyone who truly desires to be forgiven and reconsiled for their sins may have that.

[SoapySandwich]

won't god forgive my heresy, I mean I had no way to know? The bible's far too confusing with its promoting slavery and violence but also condemning it, well the violence, it still seems ok with slavery. What does god want from me.

[jgibsonian1986]

"Any sin and blasfamy shall be forgiven, but blasfamy of the spirit shall not be forgiven."
The pats that you habr read concerning violence were historical documentations, not prophetic writings, scriptures, poeteies, or lyrics. The Bible is many books of many writings styles, so don't confuse ancient wars being fought for modernly applied ethics.

Everyone blastphemes yes, but blastphamy against the spirit, or refusal of the holy spirit is unforgivable. After all, God does not want to forgive those who would refuse it by their actions and words.

[jgibsonian1986]

And the Bible was orchestrated by the God of all creation. I'd be dissapoited if it wasn't the most complex, confusing, insightful, and wisdom packed writing ever.

[SoapySandwich]

God is the author of confusion?

[jgibsonian1986]

I never said He is the author of confusion, that is you putting words in my mouth. I said I would be dissapoited if it were not confusing, because I would understand it all at first read otherwise. If it didn't take hard reading, study, and deep thought to understand, it wouldn't be worth it. Don't confuse my personal opinion with biblical objectivity.

[SoapySandwich]

Wasn't putting words in your mouth at all. Was asking if that is what you meant or another way to look at it.

I find the desire for a confusing bible to be kinda weird. Confusing sounds imperfect. I would expect a gods creation to be clear to all.

I mean having a bible that is hard to interpret leads to many different denominations that dont agree on its meaning. I dont see why a god would want that.

[jgibsonian1986]

Complex would probably be a better word for what I meant. Not that it's written confusingly, but that it's complex and deep enough to confuse without understanding.

[SoapySandwich]

I would call something that confuses people confusing personally.

I mean the issue I have with it that it confuses people regardless of what we call it.

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on the content of the tattoo, someone once told me they could be a lack of wisdom sin. Having a tattoo of something diabolic, or something provocative because your body is sacred. I'm a catholic and I have one tattoo, its a sunflower and it has a deep meaning for me. But I probably won't get another tattoo. Because even though I like it a lot I appreciate more the beauty of an inkless skin. But that's just my opinion.

[Anonymous]

The Bible even says women shouldn't have braided hair and y’all Christians be having that so who cares at this point


Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.
1 Timothy 2:8-15

y'all religions folk do whatever you please and the things you don’t like are automatically sins.

[SoapySandwich]

Shhhhh if they actually start reading their bible they'll think slavery is ok again. This slight confusion on tattoos is way better XD

[Squirts93]

God gave you your body in his image, altering or destroying it is infidelity to the temple that God gave you to spread his glory and wisdom. Even if you get christian themed tattoos, you're flaunting your faith which is also infidelity.

[SoapySandwich]

Same goes for shaving, cutting your hair, make up, working out or dieting. Stop altering your bodies!

[Squirts93]

there's nothing in the bible against working out and dieting, only the commandment to rest and fast on the sabbath. Also quoting Leviticus to a Christian is like giving rehab to a sober person.

[SoapySandwich]

Wait I thought you were with me on this, you just want people to alter their bodies in your own sick ways with your dieting and haircuts. For shame good sir!

[Squirts93]

If you have a disgusting body you have a disgusting temple which isn't what god. Its really that simple. Haircuts shaving dieting and exercise are natural to our bodies, tattoos are not.

[Squirts93]

What god wants^^

[SoapySandwich]

Haircuts are natural to our bodies?
Surely laser hair removal isn't though right?

[Squirts93]

The act of a haircut or lhr is not natural, no, but if you dont cut your hair and you look like a bum then you're not doing god much glory are you? You can keep being pretentious till the end of time, but understand the wisdom behind the "your body is a temple" bit is not to oppress, it is to impress, and you do that by being humble, clean, and pure; dont deface your body or attach unnatural things to it. Our bodies bring glory to God by being our best selves and humbly impressing others so they may be attracted to our values and be open to our faith.

[SoapySandwich]

So also no to piercings?

[Squirts93]

No piercings. Necklaces, rings, any jewelry that doesn't pierce and maim the flesh God gave you is acceptable

[SoapySandwich]

Ah yeah it seems ok with piercings I found this verse that seems to suggest earrings are ok

"then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life."

[Squirts93]

Can you explain the context of that passage?

[SoapySandwich]

It's to take full ownership of a Hebrew servant that doesn't want to be free. As Hebrew servants usually would serve for only 6 years and be set free in the seventh year. The example in the bible refers to a servant that the master has given a wife to.

[Squirts93]

Yes. This is a passage from Exodus, when Moses was freeing the Jews from oppression in Egypt. These rules were put in place to keep order in a way that would allow people to barter and trade outside of the society they left, and human trade was still a thing back then, and they weren't going to end it when society had relied on it for a long long time. God was giving Moses the power to lead his people, and he set these rules for slaves so there wouldn't be bloodshed over disputes; these customs weren't the practices of Jesus and his disciples that taught Christians how to be in heaven, they were Moses's guidelines to keep the Hebrew people alive without killing each other. Jews may hold that passage to another regard, but I haven't read a Torah.

[SoapySandwich]

Why didn't god extend those rules to the non Hebrew slaves? I mean it doesn't sound like an all loving message to give off

[Squirts93]

Because Moses was freeing the Hebrew people, thats why he made the rules, thats what the passage is describing

[Squirts93]

Exodus isn't a story about an all-loving god. God smites the shit out of the Egyptians and exiles the Isrealites to be led by a prophet who was just trying to do what the burning bush told him to do

[SoapySandwich]

Oh. I thought god made the rules. Who made the rules for non hebrew slaves then? You know the whole "buying them from the heathen around you" and "pass them to your children cause they're your property" stuff

[Squirts93]

I dunno man you took a verse way out of context and I had to educate you and now you're going full autist atheist trying to use your own incredulance to rationalize slavery as the product of omnipotence. Go back to reading your Dawkins and Hitchens if you want to circlejerk around your lack of culture.

[SoapySandwich]

I took it way out of context? How did I take it out of context and if so why did you respond with yes? Yes implies that I got the context right.

I am just curious as you know moses wrote the part about hebrew slaves, so I figured you could tell me who wrote the rest as that is interesting.

I dont read Dawkins or Hitchens, I did read the bible. I see it as far more important to learn the contradictory beliefs than reaffirm your own. The reasons I ask is because I have interest in the topic. I dont mind if you stay religious that's fine by me.

[TallAnon]

Since heaven and sin are just terms of an overblown fairytale, I don't think you have to worry about that. I would worry more about how it looks on old saggy skin with faded colours. If you have a pentagram on your forehead or you have a butterfly on your ankle makes quite a bit of difference, I would think.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

It's just a skin art. As long as it's not controversial and it doesn't affect anyone. I don't think you're bringing your tattoo with you when you're gonna get eaten by maggots or burned to ashes if you die anyway. Assuming we have a soul, those tattoo artists must be so talented to even tattoo our souls.

[Tamera952]

Who's to judge what's inappropriate? I mean do you hear yourself? -- Don't you think personal expression in the form of body art is probably low on the totem pole for your 'god's' criteria for entry into his magic castle? I mean come on.

[dreamstar72]

Do you realize Jesus himself has a tattoo on his body, if God is ok with his son having a mark tattoo why not us mortals. Just to let you I think tattoos look stupid, but my opinion. If you like them then they look fantastic.

[cth96190]

Jesus did not have a tattoo.
Where did you fond that bizarre idea?

[_ohhey_]

I've looked into Jesus's tattoo. He didn't actually have one. It was a metaphor, or something like that.

[dreamstar72]

REV 19:16, the slight problem with the Bible it’s their time period not ours.

[Oboemaster27]

I was taught by my religious parents that yes it is because your body is a temple and that by getting a tattoo it's as If you graffitied a temple. But it is one of the more minor ish sins.

[cth96190]

The Bible could not be more clear about God’s dislike of tattoos.
See Leviticus 19:28 and Deuteronomy 14:2.
Tattoos are utterly unacceptable to God.

[Dchrls78104]

Well said.

[Bobby_Turboto]

Look at Paul who prosecuted many people of the early church and killde them, he didn't have a tattoo, but a sin is a sin. God found him and was able to use him for his purpose.
A tattoo doesn't matter, everything that matters is what is in your heart

[Saturnxox]

Probably, I heard people say "god has made you perfect". So changing it and making it maybe "less" perfect in their eyes is probably a sin.
But I've never read the bible.

[Anonymous]

the only reason i don't have any tattoos is because i would be stuck looking at it for the rest of my life and if i were to get it removed it would leave bad skin scars on the part of my body where it got removed. the skin would be extremely disfigured looking

[mortonc57]

Tattoos are not a sin... and what does that mean provocative or inappropriate? My Playboy Bunny tattoos are not preventing me from getting to Heaven !

[PhilEvans]

1) I don't believe in heaven.
2) If you want a tattoo, be my guest, it's your body.

[bolverk]

No I don't see tattoos as a sin, but I don't see them as an embellishment either,
But I have seen beautiful women who got hooked on being tattooed and it detracted from their beauty.

[Bidensucks2020]

The bible talks against them, but I would say because you do that, you do other more serious things that sends you to hell.

[JosyJosy]

Just don't go putting satanism on your skin and you're fine with tattoos

[Liam_Hayden]

No. Even the primary passage used against tattoos is really a reference to marking one's body as part of ancestor worship.