Christina Posted August 6, 2004 Share Posted August 6, 2004 I've been thinking about getting one....but, I don't want to if the Church says it's a sin. I really can't find any comments from the Church about tatoos and was wondering if any of you know. My mother and father both ride Harleys and have them lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorphRC Posted August 6, 2004 Share Posted August 6, 2004 Im not sure, ive seen plenty of Priests with tats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelFilo Posted August 6, 2004 Share Posted August 6, 2004 Mistakes of a past life. Tattoos aren't sinful in their nature, however excessive use of tattoos, and/or peircings is a sin. Tattoos that don't belong in certain places is a sin. Tattoos are not natural to the human body, why add on more to it? God bless, Mikey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quietfire Posted August 6, 2004 Share Posted August 6, 2004 (edited) Try to imagine yourself at 90 with a tat. That tat of Tweety will look more like a vulture! Not too pretty, huh? Piercings are temporary. Not that one needs 30 of them spread out over the body. Pierced ears are nice. Change your mind? Simply dont wear earrings anymore, simple solution. Tats. Change your mind...lottsa money to have it removed. Personally, I dont find them attractive. Talked my husband out of one. He wanted my name on his arm with an Indian band (Im half Cherokee). I explained to him that he already had the best part of it....ME!!! They now have temp tats that last for about 6 months to a year, dont ask were though, cause I cant remember. Most people who get those are glad once they finally fade. After spending that long with a tat, they appreciate them more on someone else, he,he. Look into it. Peace. Edited August 6, 2004 by Quietfire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiat_Voluntas_Tua Posted August 6, 2004 Share Posted August 6, 2004 [img]http://geocities.com/seapadre_1999/swordflames.jpg[/img] I believe this is a tatoo from a deacon but I am not sure. [url="http://oldforum.catholic.org/discussion/messages/41/24718.html?1010507974"]Question and Answer about Tatoo's from 'Catholic on-line Forum'[/url] I am not sure that there is any Church teachings about tatoo's specifically...However: (CCC 1004) [i]In expectation of that day, the believer's body and soul already participate in the dignity of belonging to Christ. This dignity entails the demand that he should treat with respect his own body, but also the body of every other person, especially the suffering: [b]The body [is meant] for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? . . . You are not your own; . . . So glorify God in your body[/b].[/i] This shows we must respect our bodies...whether or not you say that having a rosary tatooed to your arm is Glorifying God I am not sure. Maybe someone can tag team off of this. Pax, Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted August 6, 2004 Share Posted August 6, 2004 I believe the Church has no stance on tattoos, so long as you don't get excessive amounts of tattoos. I have one and love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Wednesday Posted August 6, 2004 Share Posted August 6, 2004 That is a very grey area and probably depends on the situation. I've read field workers in India that were Christian had crosses tattooed on them so that if they needed a priest and/or proper Christian burial, someone tending to them would know this. Getting a tattoo to testify on behalf of your faith, I've known many Catholics who have done this. I don't view smaller amounts of tattoos as being any more sinful than a person changing their appearance with makeup, wigs, getting your teeth capped and straightened, etc. Getting too many tattoos and piercings to the point where you desecrate your body is an indication that something is seriously wrong and you're in need of help. In that case taking it too far is a serious sin. The same would go for obscene tattoos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted August 7, 2004 Author Share Posted August 7, 2004 I just don't see why it would be a sin.... we color our hair, pierce our ears and other parts of our bodies (yes that can be concidered bad if done to extreme as is having your body covered with tatoos... I do think this is sinful), put makeup on to alter the way God made us look (no, I don't wear makeup)....so why not get a tatoo? I would get something small and one that glorifies God (I was thinking a Holy Spirit symbol). Plus, I would put it in a place not visible because it would be personal to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tora-Musume Posted August 7, 2004 Share Posted August 7, 2004 Tattoo is art. The only difference between tattoos and paintings is that you are using your body and not a canvas. And what is the difference between one tattoo and 15 tattoos? What is the difference between one piercing in each ear as oppose to 6 in each ear? And what is the difference between someone who is diabetic pricking their fingers to check their sugar level and a tattoo needle with ink in it to create a picture besides the fact that one will turn out looking like a picture and the other one will look like fingers with holes? Gotta Love Me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted August 7, 2004 Author Share Posted August 7, 2004 lol OK... I want to add that although I am thinking about getting one, if I found that the Chruch was against tatoos and if I got one it would be a sin.....well, I would not get one. I would forget it and move on. My faith and my salvation matter more to me than a tatoo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorphRC Posted August 7, 2004 Share Posted August 7, 2004 Cobra Tattoo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelFilo Posted August 7, 2004 Share Posted August 7, 2004 It would be good to point out that our bodies don't belong to us. Altering them is not a "right". Our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit. I would like to go so far as to say it is in vain, and that of peircings as well. Please someone remind me of a saint who dyed her hair to look pretty, or a saint who tatooed his arm to profess his faith, even one who peirced their ear uncontrollably? Quite simply, tatoos aren't natural to the body. All things to make ourselves look prettier are vain, as our bodies will someone go back to dust. When they are raised, they will be glorified. Vainity is wrong, and pointless. God bless, Mikey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IcePrincessKRS Posted August 7, 2004 Share Posted August 7, 2004 Mikey, I agree that this *can be* vanity but I think you're going a little extreme. Not everyone gets their ears pierced, or whatever, out of vanity. When I was about 3 my older sister got school supplies for Kindergarten, including a pair of scissors, she took them to our hair to the point that my mom was afraid people would think we were boys and got our ears pierced to avoid confusion. When I was older I added a couple more holes because I thought it was cool, but I wasn't doing it to get extra attention or because I thought it made me prettier or whatever. If someone told me I was being vain I would have thought they were nuts. (For the record, I rarely wear earrings except for special occasions when I'm really dressed up because I am allergic to most metals.) I guess I'm having trouble with the phrase "All things to make ourselves look prettier are vain" because to a certain point we *should* take pride in our appearance and try to look nicer/prettier, sure it can be over done, but not everything that we do to look nice should be written off as vanity. I mean, with that statement all of us married folk were just being horribly vain on our wedding days when we adorned ourselves in white dresses and tuxedos to celebrate our special day (and forced other people into vanity by asking them to be in our wedding parties). Those of us who dress up a little extra on Sunday for Mass are just being vain instead of wanting to look our best for Our Lord. Do you get what I'm saying? Does it make any sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorphRC Posted August 8, 2004 Share Posted August 8, 2004 .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelFilo Posted August 8, 2004 Share Posted August 8, 2004 (edited) [quote name='IcePrincessKRS' date='Aug 7 2004, 04:31 PM'] Mikey, I agree that this *can be* vanity but I think you're going a little extreme. Not everyone gets their ears pierced, or whatever, out of vanity. When I was about 3 my older sister got school supplies for Kindergarten, including a pair of scissors, she took them to our hair to the point that my mom was afraid people would think we were boys and got our ears pierced to avoid confusion. When I was older I added a couple more holes because I thought it was cool, but I wasn't doing it to get extra attention or because I thought it made me prettier or whatever. If someone told me I was being vain I would have thought they were nuts. (For the record, I rarely wear earrings except for special occasions when I'm really dressed up because I am allergic to most metals.) I guess I'm having trouble with the phrase "All things to make ourselves look prettier are vain" because to a certain point we *should* take pride in our appearance and try to look nicer/prettier, sure it can be over done, but not everything that we do to look nice should be written off as vanity. I mean, with that statement all of us married folk were just being horribly vain on our wedding days when we adorned ourselves in white dresses and tuxedos to celebrate our special day (and forced other people into vanity by asking them to be in our wedding parties). Those of us who dress up a little extra on Sunday for Mass are just being vain instead of wanting to look our best for Our Lord. Do you get what I'm saying? Does it make any sense? [/quote] In your first scenario, you being in kindergarten, you had to get your ear peirced for a reason. The single peircing is a cultural thing, and it can be accepted. I'd even say today, more than just one peircing on the ear is cultural (while personally I'd wish no one peirced anything really, as the idea of putting holes in anyones body should make you wonder where such a practice comes from). Thinking something is cool, and then getting whatever that said something is, is indeed vain. Getting things that look cool have the direct intention of making you look cool (and looking cool can be seen as an attempt to look pretty). Outside of what we were given, everything we do use to make ourselves look prettier are indeed vain. Not yielding the desired outcome; fruitless, is the defenition I have for vain. What fruit can come from looking prettier (cooler as well). You get compliments, and compliments lead to pride. God commanded us to celebrate certain feasts, and Jesus was at a wedding. Looking your best for a celebration, however is vain. (Note: Looking your best for God at church isn't vain, in that there are eternal rewards for considering God in all that we say and do) Vainity isn't in itself a sin, mind you. The book Ecclesiastes in the Bible maybe a good read to see why all those things are vain. If good, honest, hard work is vain, then how can silly things like tatoos not be vain? God bless, Mikey Edited August 8, 2004 by MichaelFilo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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