What does the Bible teach about "marking your body?" What are your views of tattoos? BIB 547-2 - Session 18-13-7

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “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? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's”

The Bible tells us that our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, bought and paid for by the Blood of Jesus on the Cross. The Bible is quite explicit about not tattooing, cutting or marking our bodies in General.

In some societies it is a common practice to cut the skin as a sign of mourning, however, the Bible warns against it:

Leviticus 21:5, “They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.”

Deuteronomy 14:1, “Ye are the children of the Lord your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.”

In the two plus generations since God was kicked out of schools, our society has become more immoral with each passing decade. Our parents, grandparents and great grandparents of the World War II generation were truly “The Greatest Generation.” In my opinion, the greatest generation also was the last great generation.

The number of depressed and/ or mentally ill people in our society seemingly is accelerating since the days of the Time Magazine 1966 cover story “Is God Dead?” Cutting seems to be one way that people can feel like they're really alive. As for tattoos, not only are they very disfiguring and expensive, one also runs the risk of incurring hepatitis. My views concerning tattoos is that they represent a return to pagan rites and clan identification.

Of course there are the sport fans who declare their support of their football team by painting their faces and even their chests. I don’t think either this or wearing a cheese hat by a cheese-head would be comparable to getting a tattoo, well, maybe. It’s all in who or what your god is.

The following is from the website http://jfb.biblecommenter.com/leviticus/19.htm:

“Leviticus 19:28. Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead-The practice of making deep gashes on the face and arms and legs, in time of bereavement, was universal among the heathen, and it was deemed a becoming mark of respect for the dead, as well as a sort of propitiatory offering to the deities who presided over death and the grave. The Jews learned this custom in Egypt, and though weaned from it, relapsed in a later and degenerate age into this old superstition (Isa 15:2; Jer 16:6; 41:5).”