Is tattooing wrong?

[blackbird]

Tattooing has become a very common practice in the western world today.  But is it right or wrong according to the Bible?  A website has a huge amount of information on it and why it is completely wrong.

quote

Tattoos and the Bible

WHAT ABOUT LEVITICUS 19:28?

Leviticus 19:28 is the Christian (or so-called Christian?) tattooist and tattoo-bearer's worst nightmare. The Lord plainly, clearly, strongly, and without a doubt – condemns the tattoo.

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

Could that be any more clear?

"Ye shall not. . .print any marks upon you. . ."

Simple. . . Straightforward. . .Settled. . .

God Said It. . . I Believe It. . . That Settles It. . .

Right. . .?

Not hardly. . .

The clear statement from the word of God does not settle anything for this generation of disobedient, carnal, worldy, tolerant, non-judgmental, Christians. Rather than obey God, they run miles and miles and miles to "justify" their open disobedience to the Word of God.

How do they get around Leviticus 19:28?

Clearly, there it is. "Ye shall not. . .print any marks upon you. . ."

A lot of Christians when confronted with Leviticus 19:28, scream, "Hey dude, that’s not for today. Man, that’s the Old Testament. I’m under the New Testament".

Did you know that "bestiality" (sicko, perverted, sex with an animal) was ONLY forbidden in the Old Testament Levitical Law? Only in Leviticus 18:23 and Leviticus 20:15-16. Dude, only in the Old Testament Law. Does that mean a Holy God NOW – under the New Testament, approves of bestiality?

By the way, have you ever read Leviticus 19:29? The verse immediately AFTER the "it’s not for me" Leviticus 19:28?

Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.
Leviticus 19:29

This is the only place in the Bible that God directly forbids someone to prostitute their daughter. And since, it’s ONLY in the Old Testament Levitical Law (and "hey, dude, we’re NOT under the law") – it MUST be ok by the Lord for a parent to cause their daughter to prostitute.

Same sick, perverted, wicked, line of reasoning as the "it’s ONLY in the Old Testament-tattoo-bearer-wearer". Same reasoning. . . Same disobedience. . . Same perversion of the Word of God.

There are many other "moral laws’ that are ONLY forbidden in the Old Testament, such as the human sacrifice of children. No where in the New Testament is this forbidden. Does that mean that NOW under the New Testament, God Almighty endorses throwing babies into the fire as a human sacrifice?

And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 18:21

Matthew Henry’s Commentary at the beginning of Leviticus 19 explains that most of Leviticus 19 (such as verse 19:28) are moral commandments that applies not only for Israel but for the New Testament Christian today.

"Some ceremonial precepts there are in this chapter, but most of them are moral. . . Most of these precepts are binding on us, for they are expositions of most of the ten commandments."

unquote

TATTOOS & THE BIBLE

This is only a fraction of the information on tattooing.  This link has much more.
 

 

Edited October 11, 2025 by blackbird

[User]

12 hours ago, blackbird said:

A website has a huge amount of information on it and why it is completely wrong.

Well... perhaps completely wrong Biblically, but even then, you are once again trying to form a doctrinal position off of one verse that you are interpreting the most extreme way with zero historical context. 

 

[blackbird]

3 hours ago, User said:

Well... perhaps completely wrong Biblically, but even then, you are once again trying to form a doctrinal position off of one verse that you are interpreting the most extreme way with zero historical context. 

 

Nonsense.  I could quote the whole article, but it would be too long on here.  Doesn't sound like you read anything.  Read 1 Cor 6:19, 20 and 1 Cor 3:16, 17.   Click on the link and read the whole article.  Don't believe me; read it yourself.  Nothing extreme about the article.  Tattooing is a form of devil worship.

Edited October 11, 2025 by blackbird

[User]

4 hours ago, blackbird said:

Nonsense.  I could quote the whole article, but it would be too long on here.  Doesn't sound like you read anything.  Read 1 Cor 6:19, 20 and 1 Cor 3:16, 17.   Click on the link and read the whole article.  Don't believe me; read it yourself.  Nothing extreme about the article.  Tattooing is a form of devil worship.

You should know by now, I don't read spam. I have told you this a million times. If you have an argument to make, make it. 

I am well aware of those verses, and neither are there a prohibition on tattoos, nor do any of the verses say it is devil worship. 

 

[eyeball]

20 hours ago, blackbird said:

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

So even if you write a phone number down on the palm of your hand because it's all you have at...hand, you're doomed to burn in hell?

[blackbird]

16 minutes ago, eyeball said:

So even if you write a phone number down on the palm of your hand because it's all you have at...hand, you're doomed to burn in hell?

That wouldn't be considered a tattoo.  Nice try.

30 minutes ago, User said:

You should know by now, I don't read spam. I have told you this a million times. If you have an argument to make, make it. 

I am well aware of those verses, and neither are there a prohibition on tattoos, nor do any of the verses say it is devil worship. 

 

You don't know anything because you don't read anything.

[User]

34 minutes ago, blackbird said:

That wouldn't be considered a tattoo.  Nice try.

But if you got a tattoo of your favorite Bible verse... that is devil worship and a sin?

35 minutes ago, blackbird said:

You don't know anything because you don't read anything.

I read the Bible. Not your spam. 

[blackbird]

1 hour ago, User said:

I read the Bible. Not your spam. 

Spam???   The article I posted came from the website biblebelievers.com.

It was written by Terry Watkins at Dial-a-truth Ministries.

Yet you dismiss it as spam simply because it doesn't agree with your belief system.  Furthermore you admit you don't even read what expert Bible teachers have to say and call them "spam".  Shameful.

You have proven you don't have anything credible to say on Biblical subjects.

You claimed to read the Bible but reject what Dial-a-Truth Ministries has to say.  I believe this ministry has far a more intelligent and knowledgeable understanding on the interpretation of the Bible on the subject of tattoos than you will ever hope to have.

[User]

22 minutes ago, blackbird said:

Spam???   The article I posted came from the website biblebelievers.com.

It was written by Terry Watkins at Dial-a-truth Ministries.

Yet you dismiss it as spam simply because it doesn't agree with your belief system.  Furthermore you admit you don't even read what expert Bible teachers have to say and call them "spam".  Shameful.

You have proven you don't have anything credible to say on Biblical subjects.

You claimed to read the Bible but reject what Dial-a-Truth Ministries has to say.  I believe this ministry has far a more intelligent and knowledgeable understanding on the interpretation of the Bible on the subject of tattoos than you will ever hope to have.

Yes, spam. You routinely engage in this type of obfuscation where you won't defend your own arguments, you just post some link and tell people to go read it or you posts pages of copy paste into here. 

Spam. 

I have proven that I actually read what the Bible says and engage on the bad scriptural arguments you make yourself. 

You are engaged in the worst kind of argument from authority now, because you can't stand on your own two legs. 

[blackbird]

35 minutes ago, blackbird said:

Spam???   The article I posted came from the website biblebelievers.com.

It was written by Terry Watkins at Dial-a-truth Ministries.

Yet you dismiss it as spam simply because it doesn't agree with your belief system.  Furthermore you admit you don't even read what expert Bible teachers have to say and call them "spam".  Shameful.

You have proven you don't have anything credible to say on Biblical subjects.

You claimed to read the Bible but reject what Dial-a-Truth Ministries has to say.  I believe this ministry has far a more intelligent and knowledgeable understanding on the interpretation of the Bible on the subject of tattoos than you will ever hope to have.

 

12 minutes ago, User said:

Yes, spam. You routinely engage in this type of obfuscation where you won't defend your own arguments, you just post some link and tell people to go read it or you posts pages of copy paste into here. 

Spam. 

I have proven that I actually read what the Bible says and engage on the bad scriptural arguments you make yourself. 

You are engaged in the worst kind of argument from authority now, because you can't stand on your own two legs. 

You just proved again you don't know what you are talking about.
 

"The Bible KJV emphasizes the importance of counsel and the value of having many advisers. Key  verses include:

Proverbs 15:22: "Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they  are established."

Proverbs 11:14: "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is  safety."

Proverbs 20:18: "Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war."

These verses highlight that wisdom and guidance from others can lead to success and safety in  various situations. 

5 Sources

[User]

3 minutes ago, blackbird said:

You just proved again you don't know what you are talking about.

This is a baseless assertion. 

3 minutes ago, blackbird said:

These verses highlight that wisdom and guidance from others can lead to success and safety in  various situations. 

We were not arguing about having wisdom and guidance from others...

 

[blackbird]

13 hours ago, User said:

We were not arguing about having wisdom and guidance from others...

We certainly were.  You are the one who called the expositions and links on what the Bible has to say on the subject of tattooing, written by Biblical experts, spam.  You claimed you don't read anything but the Bible so you reject wisdom from Biblical scholars.  And now you claim you are not arguing about wisdom and guidance from others.

First you call articles or Biblical guidance I post spam and then deny you are arguing about that wisdom and guidance.  This is why it is a waste of time talking with you.  Rational discussion is impossible with you.

Edited October 12, 2025 by blackbird

[User]

43 minutes ago, blackbird said:

We certainly were. 

No, you were simply asserting arguments were true because someone said they were. That is the worst kind of appeal to authority fallacy. 

I call what you do spam. This is your argument, you make it. If there is something to support your specific claims then it is on you to reference that specific point from someone, not simply tell everyone else to go read and try to find it for themselves. 

I never claimed I didn't read anything but the Bible, but in regards to this discussion, that is what matters. If you have a biblical argument, then make it, don't point to a link of what someone else said. 

 

[blackbird]

On 10/12/2025 at 9:04 AM, User said:

No, you were simply asserting arguments were true because someone said they were. That is the worst kind of appeal to authority fallacy. 

I call what you do spam. This is your argument, you make it. If there is something to support your specific claims then it is on you to reference that specific point from someone, not simply tell everyone else to go read and try to find it for themselves. 

I never claimed I didn't read anything but the Bible, but in regards to this discussion, that is what matters. If you have a biblical argument, then make it, don't point to a link of what someone else said. 

 

Leviticus 19:28 KJV is very clear about opposing tattooing.  Why do think it doesn't apply today?

Edited October 18, 2025 by blackbird

[herbie]

Look at this 2025 and again forms opinion based on 5000 year old philosophy.
How we laughed 50 ears ago watching Billy Graham on TV over shows like What the Bible Says About the Atomic Bomb.
You could spot bullshit when you saw it even on Sumday morning stoned out of your nut and coming down from a night of mushrooms FFS.

[User]

On 10/18/2025 at 12:23 PM, blackbird said:

Leviticus 19:28 KJV is very clear about opposing tattooing.  Why do think it doesn't apply today?

First, we are no longer under Mosaic law. 

Second, the context of the verse was in regards to the culture of the time with people marking themselves for pagan religions, such as those with rituals for the dead. THAT is the problem, not the tattoo. 

Do you think Christians are under Mosaic Law still today and must follow ALL of Leviticus law?

23 hours ago, herbie said:

Look at this 2025 and again forms opinion based on 5000 year old philosophy.
How we laughed 50 ears ago watching Billy Graham on TV over shows like What the Bible Says About the Atomic Bomb.
You could spot bullshit when you saw it even on Sumday morning stoned out of your nut and coming down from a night of mushrooms FFS.

Bigots gotta bigot

[Legato]

23 hours ago, herbie said:

Look at this 2025 and again forms opinion based on 5000 year old philosophy.
How we laughed 50 ears ago watching Billy Graham on TV over shows like What the Bible Says About the Atomic Bomb.
You could spot bullshit when you saw it even on Sumday morning stoned out of your nut and coming down from a night of mushrooms FFS.

Wait at least 48 hours before driving.

[herbie]

Right. In the world of the  MAGAts the people that don't decide things based on Scripture are the crazy ones.

 

 

[eyeball]

On 10/11/2025 at 4:19 PM, blackbird said:

That wouldn't be considered a tattoo.

I'm not considering it as such. Writing a phone number however is clearly printing a mark on yourself. Unless you need to argue that print and write don't mean the same thing. I get it, the Bible is a very anal document that way.

But, looking at it again it seems Leviticus may only be saying that it's only a sin to tattoo/print I am the Lord on your body.

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

Everything else may be entirely kosher/halal...whatever, and you can probably relax.

[blackbird]

On 10/19/2025 at 11:49 AM, User said:

Do you think Christians are under Mosaic Law still today and must follow ALL of Leviticus law?

That is an involved subject and there is a lot of confusion around it.

Perhaps we could both do with some study on it.  It is an important subject.  I don't believe myself that the Old Testament laws are irrelevant to Christians.  That is why we need to study the subject and what Paul said.  There is much to learn in the Old Testament.

It is important to understand how the O.T. law fits into a Christian's life.  

As for tattooing, the Apostle Paul says:

"19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. "   1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV

Tattooing one's body is not glorifying God with your body.  It is defacing what belongs to God.

 

 

Edited October 23, 2025 by blackbird

[User]

Just now, blackbird said:

As for tattooing, the Apostle Paul says:

He didn't mention tattooing at all here, nor did he give any explicit directives against it here. 

[blackbird]

1 hour ago, User said:

He didn't mention tattooing at all here, nor did he give any explicit directives against it here. 

No, he didn't specifically mention tattooing, but he did say the verse I quoted above.

1 hour ago, blackbird said:

"19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. "   1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV

I don't believe tattoos glorify a person's body which belongs to God.  It is not necessary to mention every possible thing on how a person's body could be misused.  Paul makes that general statement which covers anything that defaces a person's body.  He says we are to glorify God in our body, and in our spirit, which are God's.

[User]

53 minutes ago, blackbird said:

No, he didn't specifically mention tattooing, but he did say the verse I quoted above.

You are here making an argument about tattooing and presented that verse in the context of "As for tattooing"
 

54 minutes ago, blackbird said:

I don't believe tattoos glorify a person's body which belongs to God. 

Yes, YOU do not believe. That is YOUR belief, not a doctrinal position backed by clear scripture for you to assert here that tattooing is wrong.

 

 

[blackbird]

5 hours ago, User said:

You are here making an argument about tattooing and presented that verse in the context of "As for tattooing"
 

Yes, YOU do not believe. That is YOUR belief, not a doctrinal position backed by clear scripture for you to assert here that tattooing is wrong.

 

 

Wow!  It should be obvious to anyone.  You have a serious problem.  Could be demonic influence of some kind. 

Everyone is under demonic influence of some kind.  We are not perfect.   All anyone has to do is look at tattoos on people and you should realize that it is not a proper thing on a person's body.    Some are worse than others of course and some are very extensive while others only have a small amount.  Tattoos in general do not honour God.  The body belongs to God and should not be defaced.  They devalue the human body that belongs to our Creator.

Now I realize some people got tattoos before they became a Christian or before they learned that they were wrong, and so they are stuck with them unless they can have them removed.  I have a relative like that.  She is a very enthusiastic Christian now but she is stuck with some tattoos I guess.

No, they are not something anybody should choose to get.  That's all I can say about it for now.

[User]

17 hours ago, blackbird said:

Wow!  It should be obvious to anyone. 

If it is so obvious, you should be able to actually put forth an argument to support it. You can't.

17 hours ago, blackbird said:

You have a serious problem. 

How so?

17 hours ago, blackbird said:

Could be demonic influence of some kind. 

LOL. You are unable to actually support yet another of your absurdly outlandish claims and so you resort to this petty crap. 
 

17 hours ago, blackbird said:

The body belongs to God and should not be defaced.  They devalue the human body that belongs to our Creator.

This is your opinion, not a position you can support with any clear Biblical scripture to form any kind of doctrinal position.