Tattoos

[N1ghtBreak3r]

I was having a conversation with my father who is on the board of a Christian camp and the topic of tattoos was brought up. As a board they decided that any employee (namely summer counselors) who had a tattoo had to keep it covered at all times. There was great discussion about this policy and some feared that it would result in less workers that were already hard to find.

My question is really directed toward the Bible believing crowd here on CCGR but what does the bible have to say about tattoos and what do you think about this policy? Have you had personal experience with a similar policy?

[ccgr]

I think this article sums it up nicely

http://christianity.about.com/od/faqhel ... istian.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ArchAngel]

Covering Tattoos is not an uncommon policy in some professional environments, but it's starting to feel it's age. Tattoos no longer hold the stigma they used to. It's probably to ease the concerns of the more conservative parents.

For this reason, the tattoos I get are easily concealed. Maybe one day I'll get some on my forearms, but it might not be likely.

As for what the Bible says, the only thing I recall stating is that you should not paint yourself, and I believe this is in relation to religious ceremonies concerning pagan idols and what not. It seems pretty loose, as painting oneself can mean multiple things and it really just comes off as an old testament law that no longer really applies. Are women not supposed to where makeup, or football players to do that cool black line under their eyes, or a Navy Seal not putting camo on his face?

Anyhow, the other, even looser, point is that your body is a temple and you should take care of it. I don't really see how that keeps you from making it more awesome with a sweet tat. But, you know, do take it seriously. It's gonna stay with you for life, so make sure your temple paint job is meaningful and will stand the test of time.

[Lazarus]

I was having a conversation with my father who is on the board of a Christian camp and the topic of tattoos was brought up. As a board they decided that any employee (namely summer counselors) who had a tattoo had to keep it covered at all times. There was great discussion about this policy and some feared that it would result in less workers that were already hard to find.

My question is really directed toward the Bible believing crowd here on CCGR but what does the bible have to say about tattoos and what do you think about this policy? Have you had personal experience with a similar policy?

Is there a similar policy regarding clothes of mixed fabric? If not it's a typical example of religious hypocrisy and judgmentalism. Shocking!

I confess to not being shocked about the scarcity of willing workers.

[N1ghtBreak3r]

Before judging the religious you should take into consideration the context on which these Old Testament laws were written.

These (mixed fabrics) and other prohibitions were designed to forbid the Israelites to engage in fertility cult practices of the Canaanites. The Canaanites believed in sympathetic magic, the idea that symbolic actions can influence the gods and nature…. Mixing animal breeds, seeds, or materials was thought to “marry” them” so as magically to produce “offspring,” that is, agricultural bounty in the future.

Tattoos have a similar pagan history attached to them and at the time the book of Leviticus was written nobody would do these things unless they were involved in pagan worship and rituals. These laws were set into place to keep the Hebrew nation set apart from them.

Fast forward to modern day and I believe AA already hit the nail - they no longer have the same stigma they used to - but that stigma has been around a lot longer than just the time of the OT writings. In fact I would probably say that tattoos have only become increasingly popular and less of an issue in the last 75 years or less!

I can see where tattoos can still be used and believed to have negative qualities involved with pagan worship but the combining of fabrics? I think you would be hard pressed to find that one in multiple places. This is why tattoos could still might be problematic to some.

Also, it's not only christian organizations that have a cover -up policy. I worked as a teacher in a public school that had a similar policy. My good buddy and technology head had full sleeves but he was required to keep them covered. Seems hypocrisy is everywhere.

[ArcticFox]

I don't understand why people are saying it's hypocrisy to have a policy for covering tattoos, whether the organization is religious or otherwise.

Anyway, in the LDS church we aren't forbidden outright to get tats, but it's one of those things that they really really really really discourage you from doing for reasons Arch mentioned.

But I'm something of a maverick in Mormon circles. Behold, my wife's Christmas present to me a few weeks ago:



That's my family coat of arms, as rendered by a good friend of mine who recently became a tattoo artist. (I first met her when she joined my D&D club over 10 years ago. Time, it doth fly.) My wife had approached her to arrange it as a surprise for me. My wife rocks.

[ScotchRobbins]

I was having a conversation with my father who is on the board of a Christian camp and the topic of tattoos was brought up. As a board they decided that any employee (namely summer counselors) who had a tattoo had to keep it covered at all times. There was great discussion about this policy and some feared that it would result in less workers that were already hard to find.

My question is really directed toward the Bible believing crowd here on CCGR but what does the bible have to say about tattoos and what do you think about this policy? Have you had personal experience with a similar policy?

Is there a similar policy regarding clothes of mixed fabric? If not it's a typical example of religious hypocrisy and judgmentalism. Shocking!

I confess to not being shocked about the scarcity of willing workers.

On a rather ironic note, I reverse image searched your profile picture, and the best guess for your image was "Mass Effect Tattoo".

[Lazarus]

Before judging the religious you should take into consideration the context on which these Old Testament laws were written.

I try to to leave the judging to the religious. They're so much better at it!

Fast forward to modern day and I believe AA already hit the nail - they no longer have the same stigma they used to - but that stigma has been around a lot longer than just the time of the OT writings. In fact I would probably say that tattoos have only become increasingly popular and less of an issue in the last 75 years or less!
I can see where tattoos can still be used and believed to have negative qualities involved with pagan worship but the combining of fabrics? I think you would be hard pressed to find that one in multiple places. This is why tattoos could still might be problematic to some.

You could say the very exact same thing about homosexuality, but that's much more outrageous for the religious than tattoos. "Mom I got a tattoo" gets you disowned much less often than "Mom this isn't my boy friend, he's my boyfriend".

And are we really going to treat God like an exasperated parent who has to repeat Himself before anyone does what He says?

Seems hypocrisy is everywhere.

On this we agree!

And Scotch: that's probably because Jack is a human tapestry of tattoos. And also beautiful.

[ArcticFox]

I try to to leave the judging to the religious. They're so much better at it!

The irony of this statement is unbelievable.

[Lazarus]

I try to to leave the judging to the religious. They're so much better at it!

The irony of this statement is unbelievable.

Scotch mentioned an ironic note and I just kept riding the wave.

[ArcticFox]

Hehe nice.

[ArchAngel]

Sweet Tat, Arctic. I like it!
Is that your first one or do you have more?

To continue on the burgeoning trend of irony on this thread, I, too, have a tattoo on my right shoulder: a cross.
Don't have a pic of it yet, but I'm planning on getting more work done on it (not over it), so I might share it later.

To the point people frequently make about tattoos, that you'd regret it, if I were to regret a tattoo, one might think the mark of a religion I no longer hold and even quite critical of at times would be it, but it's not. Regret often is the reason that people who never got tattoos give, outside those that gotten really bad ones drunkenly or are gang related. But you don't. You accept them as part of you because they come from you. I'm no longer a Christian, but I was and that doesn't disappear. Also, I still think it looks good, and I can use it ironically.

[ArcticFox]

Sweet Tat, Arctic. I like it!
Is that your first one or do you have more?

Thanks!

It's my first, and likely to remain my only. I felt if I was going to make an exception, my family identity is a worthy subject

[ArchAngel]

Family Honor is important.

Let me know if you start having the itch for another, though. lol. I'm not saying you will, but people said I would, I certainly do.

[ArcticFox]

Yeah I hear that a lot too, and time will tell. I'm not opposed to the idea if another really good idea comes along, but I won't get another one just for its own sake.

So far I haven't gotten any negative reactions from people, but this evening I'm picking up my dad from the airport and I suspect he'll be the first to chime in on how foolish I am, but than that's always been his role in my life so business as usual.

/dadissues