Nairaland Forum

'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD. (Lev 19:28)


this verse is the same as


Do not cut our bodies or put tattoo marks on yourself for the dead


it is either for the dead or any other idolatrous purpose.

if u choose to put scripture as tattoo it is not bad

@Chinedumo << That is a very good point. However, Leviticus is one of those books that has quite a few laws on sanitation. Can't imagine people back then knew about hydrogen peroxide or antibacterial gel. Getting a tattoo means injecting ink into the skin. If it isn't kept clean, a person can get an infection from it and die. Considering the cleanliness of the people back then, I can understand why God would tell them not to get one. Also, it symbolized devotion to idols, which you mentioned. Of course that wouldn't have been good either, so God definitely had a reason for making this law in the first place.

Today, getting a tattoo is a lot safer now than it used to be. Plus, depending on where you live and what your faith is, people don't normally put tattoos on their body as a tribute to an idol or something. I don't think you'll go to hell just for having a tattoo. I suppose that it comes down to if you really want one (because getting them removed is expensive and painful if you don't end up liking it years down the road) and if you have a high enough pain threshold to actually get one.

there are temporal ones


if u are referring to cleanliness of those days

then it is clear that that scripture is not referring to tattoo at all

No I was only talking about permanent ones. Though considering those ones are used with needles, I suppose it was more likely that it was a temporal one in Biblical times. So yeah, you're right, I guess that cleanliness factor wouldn't really apply to tattoos. Only the ones that honored idols and false gods would be the surrounding reason.

Mind wat u say so u dont bring curses upon urself

tattoo can have a lot to do with idolatry

U dont have to see carved works


anything that takes the place and worship of God is idolatrous

like the "virgin Mary" and celebrities