Here are some considerations behind whether a person should or should not get a tattoo.The history of tattoo goes back over 5,000 years. It has been a socially accepted form of art for most of the world for most of that time. These roots span both time and the globe from the Iceman mummy found between the Austrian and Italian Alps to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, to the incredible art of the Maori, Polynesians and Samoans to the full body suit tattoos of Japan today. The portion of the world that has largely not participated in this illustrious history is the western world. In particular Christians, Jews and Muslims have eschewed tattoos.Leviticus 19:28 is in the Old Testament of the Bible and therefore applies to both Christians and Jews. It states, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord." This has been used many times to argue against the use of tattoos. The context of the text surrounding this verse deals with not following the pagan religious rituals of the people who lived around the Israelites. Verse 26 goes on to say that one should not eat meat that has not been drained of blood, and do not trim your beard or temple hair.
Today these restrictions are disregarded. Why? This is because they are no longer associated with pagan rituals.The New Testament of the Bible goes on to say in Romans 14:23, "...everything that does not come from faith is sin." The door for interpretation is opened right here.In the 12th century, Maimonides, a scholar of Jewish law stated that the ban on tattoos came about as a reaction to pagans who put the names of their Gods all over their bodies. Later on this ban on tattoos became connected with the idea that all humans were created B’Tzelem Elokin or in other words in the image of God. People were expected to treat their bodies as holy and a gift from God. Understandably, this would lead people to believe that you don’t mark the holy vessel of the body up. Another concern facing modern Jews is the belief that you cannot be buried in a Jewish cemetery if tattooed. This is not true.The Quran is equally open to interpretation. It says that the guilty are “recognized by their marks" (55.41). The sayings of the Prophet Muhammad states that ‘The evil eye is a fact,’ He forbade tattooing.
The reality today is that many people whether Christian, Jew or Muslim are either out rightly forsaking these beliefs or they are embracing new interpretations. The continued rise in popularity of tattoos is incredible. It is as if we are experiencing a renaissance in this art form. It is no longer just a part of the stigmatized classes of prisoners, disenfranchised groups, gangs, and deviant youth subcultures. Nor is it seen as a voluntary inflicting of pain to mar the skin for all time. This is the viewpoint that saw tattoo as overtly and intrinsically antisocial.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons people get tattoos today.
People desire to honor their religions by wearing the symbols of their faiths.
It can be an expression of bonding with parents, a lover, child or group.
It signifies accepting and belonging to a cultural standard. It helps people fit in and feel more physically appealing.
Many believe that the body is something to be worked on to achieve an individualized identity. This fits in with the modern world’s focus on diets, body sculpting, plastic surgery, and spas designed to help people get the look that is wanted. Tattoos are used to scream out someone’s uniqueness. It is ironic that in an attempt to do this, many people opt to get copy cat tattoos instead of having an artist who will design something special.
Tattoos are used to draw sexual attention and to be erotic. It is a way for some people to express sexuality in a responsible way instead of through promiscuity.
Other people use tattoos to manage grief. Tattoos are used to commemorate the death of a loved one, a divorce, an exit from a really group of friends or work group. It can be very cathartic form of “self help".
Fears and anxieties can motivate some people to get tattoos. This is particularly true when people face certain diseases such as cancer, Alzheimers or AIDs or when people face social conditions such as war, terrorism, crime, discrimination or poverty. Tattoos can help one face fears and address them in a socially responsible way.
Joy, hope, love, enthusiasm and other powerful emotions typically find expression in tattoo as well.
Today tattoo is finding its way into corporate offices, classrooms (on the teachers and students) and a myriad of other places that would have considered the art deviant and anti-social not too long ago. It is important to note that although more places are accepting tattoo art, many people who get them still cover up and hide them in certain social settings.
So what’s the verdict? Is tattoo still a symbol of social deviance? Yes and no. Oddly enough, part of the thrill of tattoo resides in the fact that the answer to that question is still yes to some degree. So there you have it. Strange as it may seem, tattoo represents individual expression and cultural conformity and defiance all at once. I guess this is just something that a person needs to decide for oneself.
Here is my advice:
Only get a tattoo if you have thought long and hard about it.
Get a customized piece that celebrates your uniqueness and the reason that you want the tattoo in the first place.
Never go cheap on a tattoo. You will get what you pay for.
If you have any doubts about it – wait. You should never be impulsive with a tattoo. It is meant to be enjoyed and last for a life time. Such a decision deserves your careful consideration. |
