Hey, Theology Nerds*...

[basswhooper]

I'd like some input on tattoos, if you'd be so kind. They're only mentioned once in the Bible that I can recall. It's somewhere in Leviticus, and says "Do not shave the front of your head for the dead or put tattoo marks on your skin." (At least I believe that's it, working from memory

Comments

[blergeatkitty]

I was always under the impression that when early Christians opened up their ranks to non-Jews, they began teaching that you no longer need to follow Levitican law to please God. (A quick search on Bible Gateway shows that this is indeed the only place it's mentioned.) So you can eat shellfish and mix your fibers and get tattoos and it doesn't make you a bad Christian. So unless your spiritual path involves a plan to follow Levitican law to the letter, I wouldn't worry about it.

Personally, I think God cares way more about showing love to your fellow man than He ever did about how you choose to adorn yourself. If you want to tattoo yourself with a design that's meaningful to your faith, I say go for it. How can permanently showing off your beliefs be a bad thing?

The picture in my icon is one of my own tattoos, which I got about 4 years ago. I can't imagine any benevolent God holding that over my head

[basswhooper]

Thank you for the input, as well as the kind words. As far as I know, you are only the second ELCA who doesn't think me to be an LCMS Cro-Magnon. (Or maybe you do, but one who makes pretty cave wall paintings, lol...)

[chaz_lehmann]

The Levitical laws apply only to the Jews. The prohibition against tattoos primarily had to do with the paganism of tattooing in the ancient world and the Lord's desire for Israel to be set apart from the ways of the world.

Now, certainly, there are elements of the modern tattoo culture that resemble some of the ancient paganism, but that's not universal (as I'm sure you know).

You have the Christian freedom to get a tattoo or not. If you choose not to, don't choose not to because of Leviticus.

[basswhooper]

As best I recall from my study of Leviticus, a lot of the laws therein had to do with setting Israel apart from the pagan cultures surrounding them. Honestly, this is what I thought was the case with tattoos as well. But given their pesky habit of being with you forever, I wanted to seek other opinions on the matter, just in case I was wrong.

Thanks, man!

[acadecian]

Unrelated to your question...

But yay for Star Wars nerds! My husband and I are huge Star Wars nerds. Our three year old even recognizes anything related to SW.

[basswhooper]

Right on! My kids (a 12 year old daughter and 6 year old son) are becoming second generation Star Wars nerds.

I'm so happy, I just don't know what to do with myself!

[acadecian]

Yay!

We even go as far as naming our pets with Star Wars names. Our two dogs are Talon and Booster, and our two fish were Tycho and Wedge. We need to come up with names for the new fish.

Our daughter also enjoys having mini lightsaber battles with us.

[basswhooper]

Talking like Yoda my kids have been for a month or better. Amuses me greatly this does. Not yet tired of it I am.

They're also huge Transformers nerds. Katie can recite Optimus Prime's opening soliloquy from the live action film verbatim, without the movie being on.

Also, they're Stargate nerds, primarily SG-1, which they get from their step dad. They've even managed to turn me on to it.

You've gotta love inter-generational nerd-reciprocity, I tell ya...

[sparroweyes]

http://wittenbergtrail.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=1453099%3ATopic%3A179085

In case the answers you get here are not as in depth as you'd like, you can find a discussion at the above link. Of course, you must register, get approved and log in before you can read it.

[basswhooper]

I think it was answered satisfactorily, but thank you nevertheless, my friend!

[styria]

That's a nice Luther Rose icon. =)

[sparroweyes]

Did you make it? I swiped it from a group on the Wittenberg Trail and then colorized it a little bit.