Someone in my family wants to get covered in tattoos. Personally, I’m uncomfortable with it.
Are tattoos a sin according to the Bible, or are they a matter of personal conviction?
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No. Leviticus 19:28 was aimed at pagan mourning rituals for the dead and Christians aren’t under that law. I’ve never wanted one myself though, and watching a family member go ‘covered’ feels uncomfortable, I get that. Uncomfortable and sin are two different things (like this one).
Not a sin, as far as I can tell. No more than coloring your hair or getting your ears pierced.
If someone close to me wanted to get covered, I’d still hope they could thank God for the body they already have. A project that big can send the message that the skin they were given wasn’t enough.
It’s fine to tell your family member you’re uncomfortable with it. What they do with their body is still up to them.
What do the images mean? If a relative of mine wanted to get covered, I’d start there. I don’t think tattoos are sinful in themselves, and I’d try hard not to turn my own discomfort into God’s command.
Being uncomfortable with something and it being a sin are two different things. The point about pagan mourning rituals helps too. It keeps Leviticus 19:28 in its historical context.
But the discomfort is still worth looking at, especially when it’s about someone you care about. Not by turning it into a judgment about their faith.
Tattoos probably get a pass if hair dye and pierced ears do. That gratitude for the body you already have part stuck with me though.
I once spent a whole car ride explaining to a cousin why their sleeve was ‘unwise’ and halfway through it hit me that every argument I made boiled down to ‘I think it’s ugly.’ Not exactly chapter and verse anyone can look up.
Asking what the images mean is a better opening than anything I managed… Half the time when I ask, the design turns out to be a Scripture reference or a memorial for someone and there I am, having already judged a tribute to somebody’s grandmother.
The distinction between discomfort and sin was what I needed to hear.
The discomfort hasn’t gone away, though. I want to think about it more.
When you’ve felt uneasy about a choice someone close to you made, how did you sort out whether it was real conviction or your own preferences and upbringing talking?
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Honestly? Whether I’d feel the same if a believer I respect made the choice. Romans 14 helped too, Paul expects believers to land in different places on disputable matters and still welcome each other.