The smell of St Johns
Posted on April 24th, 2006 by Reformed Pope into the Uncategorized categoryOur good cyber-friend Pam Hogeweide recently wrote an article for The Oregonian's Living section. The article is all about pastors with tattoos. I don't know much about Body Art, I've never been into needles, but I think it's an interesting discussion.
Are tattoos bad? Sinful? Displeasing to God?
My son Aiden loves getting temporary tattoos. Roses with snakes wrapped around them, butterflies, swords, monster trucks, whatever. It never really bothered me, but I don't think that Aiden's grandparents really like the idea. Is it just generational?
Here's a quote from the article:
"When it comes to tattooed pastors, Blakeman says, "I don't have a tattoo, but I have no problem with a pastor having one. It's not about tattoos; it's about culture. I love the idea that Christ so thoroughly identified with humanity that he put on the tattoo of flesh."
You can read the whole thing here: Ethics & values/Pastors get into tattoos
You can also check out these Christian Tattoo sites: http://www.religioustattoos.net/, and http://www.xtat.org/ which is the Christian Tattoo Association's website (who'd of thought?).
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April 24th, 2006 at 9:47 am
As a Christian with two tattoos married to a Christian with two tattoos, it is nice to see an article like this. Thanks Pam.
I’m so tired of cultural norms or “corporate” standards being pushed as Gospel truth.
My parents were unhappy when I got my first tattoo, a move I consider THE MOST spiritual thing I’ve ever done aside from accepting Christ, but they eventually came around.
My only caution towards tattooing is: Don’t do it cause you think it’s hip or cool or whatever. A tattoo should be highly personal and deeply meaningful.
And for what it’s worth I highly recommend Painless Ric’s in Camas, WA for anyone interested, and NOT Atchley’s Skin Graphics up in Woodland. Ric is not a Christian (at least as far as I know) and his shop is a bit more of the traditional R-rated hangout. James Atchley is a Christian and his shop is a bit more PG rated. But the quality of work is beyond compare. Ric’s stuff is 100x better. And believe me…when it comes to tattoos, pay the premium and get good work!
But that gets into another topic of people who only work with Christians, rather than finding the best person for the job regardless. A mistake my wife and I made for the last time recently.
April 24th, 2006 at 11:01 am
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 KJV)
…
Now it’s funny that the Lord who tells us not to make any cuttings of our flesh established circumcision of men. Since the scripture mentions the purpose of such cuttings “for the dead”, the markings the Lord is concerned about must have to do with who owns us, or to whom we are obligated? Certainly circumcision is a symbol of belonging to the Lord and being under the Lord’s covenant with Abraham.
So even with that OT scripture concerning cutting/marking the skin for the dead, perhaps it is OK if it is honoring God? Don’t know - just know people have cited that verse before as forbidding tattoos - but in context, it seems to have more to do with a persons allegience …
I don’t have one, don’t want one - looks painful - and the way I’m putting on weight as I age, a small tattoo now might grow considerably over the years …
April 24th, 2006 at 4:44 pm
Keep reading in Lev 19 and you’ll also see that Hebrews/Israelites were not to cut their beards. Why do we even reference the OT law at all? It’s completely irrelevant since Christ satisfied it.
Re: tatoos, I’m not into them, but know many who are. To tatoo is not a moral issue, so I’m ambivalent about whether people should have them. I do understand they are addictive, however, so could be expensive and/or slowly take over one’s skin mass; and, depending on where they are they can certainly limit one’s professional employability options. But, hey, those are both personal choices, again, not moral ones. So, who cares whether pastors have them or not. They don’t make them more or less effective, qualified or “hip,” so it’s kind of irrelevant.
April 25th, 2006 at 2:43 am
That’s my sister and bro-in-law in the picture on the front page of the Living section. I’m still making fun of her for putting on a show and raising her hands in front of the camera. haha! And he’s playing a hand drum but you can’t really tell so it just looks like he’s going insane. hehe
April 25th, 2006 at 6:38 am
Because WE want a DIFFERENT gospel. We want a gospel where we can take some credit for our own salvation! Oh, Jesus still makes up for what we lack; but in truth, we’d like to rely on Jesus as little as possible. After all, the gospel preached today is a far cry from the one preached by Jesus.
Just look at what a DIFFERENT gospel has done for Christianity! I’m sure Jesus never imagined TBN, Pat Robertson, the Crystal Cathedral, the Bible belt, Christian book and music stores, Republicans and the Moral Majority, etc. A potent mixture of OT law (and legalism) with a dash of the blood of Christ has been great motivation for all kinds of guilt-based works of the flesh. Why, the blood of Christ is hardly necessary these days as we continue to re-define sin and find loopholes in scripture.
Eventually the ACLU will redefine sin as individual choice which lays responsibility for our actions at the feet of God since He’s the one who gave us free will in the first place. In the end, everyone is saved by their works and no one is guilty of anything other than what God made them do through free will.
Thanks for the beard warning as I do want to keep all the OT laws that I can. By Christmas, I should be able to play Santa Claus in the church play.
April 25th, 2006 at 3:56 pm
Unscrupulous, I agree w/everything you said! My question was rhetorical, but thank you for answering. You’re right, of course. People do want a “different” gospel, one in which we can “earn” salvation and favor with God, at least in part. The fact that it does not work that way is both a blesssing and incedibly frustrating. I share your “lack of enthusiasm” for TBN, politicizing Christianity and glitzy churches, and for the work of the ACLU.
GreySheep, I agree 100% with you in being tired of cultural norms or “corporate” standards being pushed as Gospel truth.” Amen and amen. This about sums up CBC’s M.O. I’m also with you that the “Christians who only “do business with” other Christians” group is rather nuts. How about if we live IN the world and actually interact WITH the world so that we might actually have opportunities to love and influence the world?! I agree, get the best person for whatever the job at hand is. Glad you like your tatoos and your freedom to have them. Both are as it should be.
April 25th, 2006 at 9:58 pm
Both my husband and I have tattoos and every time we watch Miami Ink we get all artsy and think up even more ways to permanently scar our bodies. To previous generations, tattoos signified a lifestyle that a Christian would not lead (even if they secretly wanted to). But to our generation, a tattoo doesn’t infer biker/drunken rock star/inmate. Tattoos are a matter of taste, style, and personal significance. At least that’s what I told my dad.
April 26th, 2006 at 5:23 am
A rhetorical question deserves a cynical answer, I always say.
So what’s the difference between people who have a tattoo and those who wear t-shirts with graphics and slogans?
Permanency; thereby suggesting people with tattoos have conviction, while t-shirt wearers are just posers.
April 26th, 2006 at 8:21 am
My parents definitely came from a generation where tattoos were associated with a lifestyle unwanted by Christiandom. When I announced I was getting one (age 25′ish) there was a healthy debate that took place. Eventually, not only did they change their opinion, but came to watch it get done. Kudos to them for being a bit more open minded than the typical CBC’er!
Also…I can confirm that ink is completely addictive! The only reason I don’t have 100 tattoos is cause I can’t afford ‘em, and I’d want each of them to be spiritually significant and don’t have time to draft up that many ideas!
Unscrupulous…you just gave me a great idea. My next tattoo will be the word “poser”!! Cause that’s what I was the entire time I was at BT/TCS/TCHS/PBC/CBC!! Thank God I’m not any more!
April 26th, 2006 at 8:54 am
GreySheep:
How ’bout ex-poser. No need to tattoo ourselves with that which reminds us of our former (and forgiven) self.
April 26th, 2006 at 6:37 pm
Unscrupulous, at least I’m consistent: I don’t wear clothes with slogans and don’t put bumper stickers on my car. It’s not that I don’t have convictions or strong opinions, but for some reason, I just don’t like to broadcast them visually. Just a personal thing. The main reason I can’t do a tatoo is the pain. Many relatives and friends of mine have them and I respect it, but needles completely freak me out, and the fact that I couldn’t drink red wine prior to getting one for relaxation definitively rules it out.
I haven’t heard anyone describe a tatoo as “spiritually significant” until this thread. I’m very curious to hear more about this. Anyone willing to share?
Thanks.
April 26th, 2006 at 7:04 pm
Just had a wonderful thought … you know in 2 Corinthians 3:3 where it says we are a letter written by Christ upon our hearts?
That’s all the tattoo I want.
April 27th, 2006 at 7:43 am
My first tattoo was a crown of thorns and a nail around my right arm. When I got it I was coming out of basically growing up at BT/CBC and was so disillusioned I could hardly stand myself. After a lengthy period of corporate church detox, I was left with one thing….
The childlike truth that when it all boils down all that really matters to me in life is the fact that God was willing to sacrifice himself in the form of man under the burden of sin to forge a path for me to be restored to His presence. If He was willing to take on a crown of thorns and nails in his flesh for me….then I wanted a constant reminder that I should always be willing to do the same for him.
My second tattoo had a bit more duality. It is spiritual in nature, but also a reminder of a time that I failed my wife and hurt her deeply. It is a “sacred heart” (again representing the heart of Jesus that bore the thorns and was pierced for us) that also reminds me of how I tore my wife’s heart. It is topped by three flames (usually they just have one) that are filled with the symbols - lightning bolt (wrath), rain drop (healing) and a cross (forgiveness). The whole thing is encompassed in a modified symbol from a yoga chakra called the “Elohim” that in “my” interpretation represents “hope”. It is located on the top of my left arm (deltoid).
As far as “spiritually significant”….like I said, I pretty much grew up in church (most of which at BT). I went to TCS/TCHS/PBC. I’ve gone to church camps, generation unleashed meetings, revival meetings, yada yada. I’ve prayed, fasted, sang, danced, yada yada. All of which were and are great. But by far the most spiritually significant thing I’ve done (as it relates to me in my mind) was sacrificing my body and the pain associated with it, to receiving permanent markings of my feelings for Christ.
But that’s just me. Others just think it’s “cool”.
April 27th, 2006 at 7:45 am
PS. My tattoos are not so much meant for others, as some kind of show-off thing. They are reminders for me, and I don’t often flaunt them (ala a bumper sticker or Lord’s Gym t-shirt).
April 27th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
thanks for the shout out for my inked pastors article RP. Comments were fun to read.
This was my first time to actually get paid for something of mine that was published. What did I do with my earnings? Yep, got a new tattoo, my bestest and boldest one yet, from Jennifer at www.atlastattoo.com
I don’t think tattoos are addictive anymore than I think collecting good art is addictive. But once you have gotten past the mystique of the needle it’s a whole lot easier to add more body art.
April 27th, 2006 at 11:16 pm
one last thing: why, RP, did you title this post The Smell of St Johns???
April 28th, 2006 at 6:12 am
I love the smell of St. Johns.
August 28th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
its sad that there is a site like this that is designated for christians to bash other christians and even a christian business, or church! From what i have seen at xtat.org (the christian tattoo association) Atchley’s skin graphics has very nice work that compares quite well with other artists work.
August 29th, 2006 at 8:57 pm
I’d like to get Princess tattooed on my derriere but I can’t’ stand pain. Is Painless Ric’s really painless?
September 3rd, 2007 at 8:58 pm
I don’t like carving and scrathing the body. It hurts and doesn’t give you any good looks either.