2008 Woodie Awards
Younger Christians okay with tattoos
Issue date: 3/1/06 Section: News
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Features Editor
From culture to culture and over time the values tattoos symbolize have been constantly changing. Tattoos were forbidden to God's chosen people in Leviticus 19:28 because they were the signs of the pagans and their gods. At one point only rebellious people or slaves had marks upon their skin.
Through the years tattoos have meant many things. The question that remains is: what do they mean today? Are they still a sign of rebellion and a sinful past or do they mean something else? Are they casual and can they be "Christian?" Is the verse in the Bible that says "thou shalt not make upon thyself any mark" still relevant since this is a different time and a different culture?
In some cultures, such as Thailand, tattoos are still symbols of pagan gods and beliefs. Every year the entire country joins together and participates in a tattoo ritual at local temples and shrines. Each tattoo symbolizes a god that will protect them from something or make them successful.
"Each of my three sons has tattoos and although I wasn't necessarily proud of them getting them I love them no less. It will be interesting in the years to come to see how they feel about them. Everything from the way we dress and body ornamentation communes something about our status, gender and roles," said Dr. Gerald Roe, Department Head of Intercultural Studies.
"The question shouldn't be is it right or wrong, but what does that say to my intended audience? Everyone has the responsibility to communicate the gospel to all we come in contact with. If we were only responsible to a certain audience and people, if we were only supposed to be the salt and light of the earth to people our age and our culture; to people who understand the world as we do and are just like us, then it wouldn't matter," said Roe. "If you move into another culture geographically or a certain age we are responsible to God because He doesn't isolate our responsibility to a certain people or generation. In first Timothy 4:12, Paul goes beyond 'don't put up with others judgments or thinking, but don't give them a reason to judge or despise you.'"
"In general no matter what the tattoos say, it says 'I identify with the subculture;' whether you intend for it to or not, just like Converse shoes do. It concerns me that a lot of younger people have a tendency to say I don't care what anyone else says and that's rebellion and rebellion is worse than colored marks on skin," said Katherine Cooper, Professor of English Comp and Literature.