Tattoos.... is it graffiti on the temple of the Holy Spirit???

Should a pastor or ministry leader seek to have his/her tattoo removed once they are in leadership?

Some consider tats the same as graffiti on a building since the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

What are your thoughts?

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Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:28

I believe so, since it seems as if tattooing and branding is on the rise these days. I refuse to mark up God's temple where I am already fearfully and wonderfully made. And personally I think tattoo's are not pleasing to the eye, and I see more and more women with tattoo's on their arms, legs, lower back and ankles and to me they have dishonored themselves as well as devalued their Temple. Plus it just looks downright tacky and gives off a dirtiness no matter how "clean" they really are. Just looks like a hot mess if you ask me.

I know my wife during her rebelling years as a teen has a small tattoo on her arm of her name and some tribals underneath. You can barely see it now, but it still bothers me she had it done. She even regrets it now. She is planning on having it removed soon as I breathe a sigh of relief. But its always covered when we go out in public.
what of the person who has had many body piercings and a multitude of tats so as to almost cover their body? when they come to Christ what stigma will be placed on them. Their outside portrays one thing but their spirits are new in Christ. Should they have the tats removed, cover them up, or go back into the community where they came from and be a witness to the Lord WHILE all tatted up? Will the tat community hear the gospel from someone who was once like them?

I asked the question in this discussion because I have heard many comments about "tattooed" preachers..etc.
Great question Tracy, I say, 'yes', they should use their now tattoed body as a living witness against tattoos. Let me tell you of a testimony I once heard from a guest on a Juanita Bynum hosted TV appearance that I think will lend relevancy to this subject matter on 'tattoos' and once done, should one use them as a witness against the practice.'

In this case, this male was a 'transexual' i.e. believed he was a woman trapped in a man's body. This man, would undergo the surgery that biologically transferred him from a male to a female.

Years later, he would have an illness that resulted in a NDE i.e Near Death Experience. He said, 'he went to hell, and instantly he knew without a doubt. that he was a man, and had always been a man but was deceived by a demon.'

The Lord redeemed him amidst this hellish experience and he went forth using his now 'female' body as a testimony as to the 'wrong' and 'deception' Satan does to trans-sexuals or however it's phrased.

In like manner, I think an already tattoed person who may not be able to afford to get the tattoes removed should use their 'tattoed' body as an outreach to those who are marked up. Hey, what does Scripture proclaim? "I become all things to win some to Christ." I think Christ uses the 'wrong' of repented believers to glorify His name and bring in those who may otherwise not be reached.

In other words, God doesn't condemn and beat up on those who have done this to themselves rather, He shows them the error of their way, redeems their markings and uses them to His own glory in bringing lost souls to Christ.
I have know many ministry leaders who get tattoos in honor of deceased loved ones and have no problem with it because they are doing it to honor somone. My only question about that is, why do they teach against it? It becomes a do as I say and not as I do situation.

Even after being saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost (LOL - Like my church jargon there -- LOL), I desired getting a tatoo of a yellow rose because I thought it was sexy. Well once I got over trying to be sexy for the Savior --- LOL, I still wanted to get one but this time it would be the Hebrew word for temple. Now imagine that... getting the Hebrew word for "temple" tattooed on the temple of the Holy Spirit.

I say this next phrase in the tone that Dave Chappelle used when he was pretending to be Rick James, "Deception is a hell of a drug" LOL
Well I can say that as of today, the only markings on my body are on the scars on my legs from my tomboy days as a little girl. I thought I was INVINCIBLE!!!!

And I have a scar on my left arm from an inoculation when I was a kid. Back then they had a needle "gun" with all of the inoculations in it. I must have kicked and screamed when they came toward me with all those needles in one "gun". I beleive they called it a "booster shot" back then. I'll give 'em a booster shot LOL !!!
:-) Great Dave Chapell quote, and I would add one more sober thought, the Bible says, "we are wonderfully and reverefully i.e. 'fearfully' made" just as we are in our naturally 'unscathed, un-tattoed' skin (Ps. 139:14). How dare we think to mark that all up in a way that affects even our health for as said, in my original reply, even doctors have found that 'tattoos' do damage to the bloodstream. If one is tattooed, they are not eligible to give blood. Amazing, but the facts keep proving that 'God be true, and all men who think otherwise a liar!'
I know a fellow who went through the laser tattoo removal process. However he did it so that he would be more accepted in corporate America and not for any spiritual reasons. He described the removal process as being quite painful. And depending on the size of the tatoo, it would take several return trips that required payment for each trip. He said tha they would literally BURN the tatoo off with a laser. With each visit, the tattoo would get lighter and lighters. I think he had 5-6 visits.

BURN BABY BURN... sounds even more painful than getting the tattoo.

I couldn't possibly think of asking a person who has very large tats on their back or tats up and down their arms, legs, shoulders or belly to endure this process.

I agree it should be the individual's decision to have them removed espeically if they are embarrassed about it.

Sometimes it can be a testimony from where the Lord has brought you from and other times it can be a stumbling block to an immature saint who lacks undrstanding of grace and mercy or of a babe in Christ who may think that it is ok to get it because God will still allow you to be in ministry with one.
Wow, this is such an outstanding and necessary topic to bring up. Again, thanks Min. Tracy Curtis for yielding to the Holy Spirit. Rev. Anthony Luckett, your testimony stirs many spiritual points worth discussing.

You spoke of your dear sister who wanted to 'tattoo' the memory of her beloved, miscarriaged child. However, Scripture would have her to do as David did (2 Sam. 12), and release the child to God ever affirming, "he shall not come to me, but I shall go to him" (2 Sam. 12:23).

I believe amidst David's sin and redemption, Scripture is teaching the profoundness of releasing beloved departed spirits to our Heavenly Father. In fact, there can be something dangerous, ghostly, paranormal about hanging on to the departed. Indeed, that could, and probably is, to a degree where the hauntings, ghosts, paranormal, reality stems from.

To permanently tattoo the child's unsuccessful arrival in this world, could very well be to lock the spirit of the miscarriaged child in a dimension where the forces of darkness could torment your sister. Wow, deep, eh? :-)
I agree with you Rev. Anthony about how a tattoo doesn't necessarily need to be removed since its the heart that needs to be circumcized rather than trying to clean the outside of the proverbial cup. I also believe if one has a tat from their previous life apart from Christ can be used as a monument and reminder of ones previous life and to realize how much one's mind and attitude has been renewed by the washing of God's Word. I don't expect the dead in Christ to act in accordance with those who are alive in Christ.

However I disagree wtih you concerning that only those with tat's and who are former crips, bloods and latin kings are able to have an "in" in gaining those to the cross. I have no tats whatsoever, and its not by looking like the world in order to gain the world, its by separating oneself from the world and being a light in darkness as of a lighthouse for those whom God is drawing by His spirit with a contrite and broken heart.

The Secret Service is the agency who goes through a very extensive training in how to determine whether american currency is real or a counterfeit. I have learned that they never study the counterfeit dollar, only the real dollar. They are very detailed in learning everything about the currency and all of its details as it takes years to study all of its intrinsic properties concerning its documentation. How the secret service is able to discern between a counterfeit currency is by holding it up to the real McCoy.

Since Jesus is the "Real McCoy", and it is demonstrated through our sacrificial lives in how we live and conduct ourselves in allowing His light to shine in us and through us. This dark world needs to see and experience what righteousness through our regenerative lives that are to be placed on the mountaintop for all to see to show the comparative difference between a dead life and what a rich life in Christ to put on display.

I know of a white man named Dr. Jim Sutterland www.rmni.org who looks like Gomer Pyle who has a PH.D and walks around one of the toughest hoods in Tennessee weekly for the past 7 years. He walks around the projects filled with crips, bloods and gang bangers, drug addicts, pimps and prostitutes as his life was threatened many times when he first started. Now since he's been faithful and obedient over the years many in that war torn project has come to affectionately call him "Angel". I have went with him in one of the worse hoods I've ever seen and all you heard through the worse depravity was, 'Hey Mr. Jim, glad to see you' ......And he doesn't do this because he has a passion for it, because as he told me, "I don't, I'm really not compassionate at all", I'm COMMITTED and OBEDIENT to God's Word is all.

Oh and he's tattooless..........as he wears some of the oakey doke clothes one has ever seen. Check out his page and see what he looks like, he puts us to shame. So its not that tattoo's will gain access, its those who choose to be bold enough to encounter and to engage those whom Christ died and wept for so that they too will have the oppurtunity to accept or to reject Christ once hearing the clear and concise and simple Gospel of reconciliation.
Great testimony, "those who are the called", eh? :-) God bless Gomer Pyle's efforts with triumphant success. God uses whom He will and who can resist it, and prevail? Again, great testimony.
I beleive we have to weight the matter out.

visible or unvisble

Before we came to Christ we done some terrible things and sometime now that we are saved...... some are still feeling bad about what they did..in the past..........God has forgiven our past and now we have to go forward, I agree it up to a person if they want them remove or not....especially those that are visible... like on the face, back of the neck, down the arm to the tips of the finger..........because I beleive if you get them burned off you would have more scars. That's where the testimonies of the people steps in at.. look this is what I did before I Gotten Saved But Look at me now I'm on the Lord side..etc..etc...But as for those tatoos that are not visible leave them cover up..with clothing..etc..etc...

Then I heard some said well if they are sold out for Christ they would do anything to get them remove no matter how much pain because God Suffer for us...

We be so quick to start running off at the mouth.... think about it...they may not have the money, secondly it be more dangerous to have them remove... Now if God forgave them ... Them so be it...

It's a different story if you have gotten saved and you know what the scritpure said ... why would even think about going get a tattoo.
You know... off the subject a bit but it was mentioned earlier, the biblicly cultural reason for a man getting an earring was so that he would be a BOND slave to his master for the rest of his life. An example of this would be a man who was a slave and while a slave was married and had children. When the day of his liberation would come, he would be free but he would have to leave his wife and children behind. Instead of doing that, out of love he would go through the ritual of having his ear "nailed to wood" to "pierce" it signifying that he was now bonded to his master for the rest of his life.

Do you know of any other man who was nailed to wood for his bride so as to never leave nor forsake her?

I'm in the process of writing a lesson titled: BLESSED BE THE TIE THAT BINDS

Here's a scriptural sneak preview of that lesson:

Philippians 2:6-8 (King James Version)

6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross

I hope you get it and in all your getting, get an understandint (SMILE)

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