Hair, Ink and Piercings

I saw how they pierced your tongue and I have 4 words to say about that

I DONT THINK SO !!!!!

 

My wife and I debated ear piercing for a long time after we were married. I was strongly opposed but couldn't find enough evidence in scripture so after many years of marriage acceded to her wishes and supported her decision to have it done. Being the godly wife she is she never considered doing it without my support.

She and my daughter both have one pierce in each ear. None of my sons or myself have any body piercings.

I don't know how one would draw the line. If it is okay for my wife and daughter why is it wrong for my sons? I don't foresee a problem in that regard, they have no desire (two are adults anyway, the others are 16, 14, and 8). Why is one ear pierce okay, but 2,3,4 or other body part piercing wrong?

I don't know, would like to see the debate on this.

 

Leviticus 19:28 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 "'You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Yahweh. (WEB)

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?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Piercing, tattooing, etc. Not only are these practices prohibited by the Bible, they are wrong by virtue of Christian practice and example. So many have the philosophy that it is our body, our lives, to do with whatever we please. But it isn't. That is a wrong and humanistic, selfish way of thinking. As it says in 1Cor.6:19,20, your body is not your own to do with as you please. It belongs to God. He's the one who purchased it, with the price of His own blood. You are not your own. You have a testimony to keep. We are ambassadors for Jesus Christ, and that is the bigger issue here.
DHK

 

Thanks DHK,

But ear piercing is not "cutting your flesh for the dead" imho.

I also had to consider 1 Cor when talking to my wife about her ear piercing. Is it really dishonouring to the temple to add two small decorations. Some may think that tastefully done it enhances the appearance of the temple.

 

I wouldn't be dogmatic on ear piercing myself. I think that that matter is one of soul liberty. In the context of the verse the "cutting of the flesh" was a direct reference associated to mourning for the dead.
But tattooing is a different matter. I take a stronger stand on that. I don't appreciate it when my children start writing messages all over their hands and arms, etc. I discourage that as much as I discourage tattoos. The taboo in the verse is more general. It was customary for heathen nations to make marks on their flesh, especially for special occaisions, just as it is now. In India they put special designs on their flesh when they get married and for other special occaisions. Many tattoos nowadays are unsanitary. And many are permanent, so that ten to twenty years from now one may regret what they did in the past.

Proverbs 27:1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

 

Agreed on the tatoos - I think their pagan origin makes a difference.

 

The following item is taken from Crosswalk.com and their daily religion summary e-mail feature. Can Christians with tattoos make an impact? You decide.

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Tattooed Pastor's In-Your-Face Evangelism Impacts New York
Charisma News Service

New York City preacher Rick Del Rio has redefined what it means to be
Pentecostal, with his tattoos and earring. The pastor of Abounding Grace
Ministries (AGM) doesn't apologize for any of them because he and his
congregation are busy trying to minister to punks, anarchists,
Satanists, vampires, bikers, gays, drug addicts, alcoholics, the
homeless, seniors and families from low-income public housing. "We deal
with people nobody wants, so we kind of look like them," Del Rio, 51,
said. Del Rio's multiracial church is a flagship for creative inner-city
evangelism programs that work. Every year the ministry and its
in-your-face evangelism touches thousands of lives. "Our church is a
clinic where the sick and broken can come," says Del Rio. Marilyn
Martinez, attends the church now, adds: "This is like a little house of
miracles. I'm not doing drugs anymore. It's wonderful to serve Jesus."
Programs include a Christian coffeehouse, youth outreaches, evangelistic
events, block parties, after-school learning programs, creative arts and
a 90-acre camp in the Catskill Mountains. The annual budget for the
church and 11 staffers is $550,000. Nobody gets rich. Because of Del
Rio's connections in the streets, the police call him regularly to help
defuse potentially explosive situations. He once coaxed 12 gang members
to his apartment to prevent a retaliatory gang war. "I prayed with them
and let them vent," he says. "I didn't say, 'Don't curse,' and I got to
build relationships."

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God Bless!!!

Adam

 

I have a few piercings, but only on great occasion use them. If I do, which has been about twice in the last four years, it's two small diamonds in each ear.
Being allergic to cheap jewelry is a large contributor. LOL The rest is just that it's annoying, but I don't have a problem with piercings that aren't distractive to others or call attention to themselves.
Piercings that do, or weird colored hair or styles are part of what I'd call a modesty issue.
It's immodest IMO to wear big flashy piercings or oddly placed ones that others can see, or to walk around with lime green spiked hair.
Tattoos I have a scriptural problem with, but even more so a problem with after working in a nursing home, or seeing women who've had tattoos across the smalls of their backs or on their belly's and then gained a bunch of weight or gotten older and wrinkled and MAN does it look incredibly silly then! LOL! I wish everyone who wanted a tattoo could just see one time what it's gonna look like when it's old, discolored, and partially covered by a big ole age spot on wrinkled skin.
Gina

 

The day my son comes home with an earing is the day his ear is going to REALLY hurt.

 

Your son isn't a teen yet, is he?

 

So far they are 3 and 1 (with a new one on the way).

It wouldn't matter if he was 19.

 

We'll talk again in 10 years. Mine are 32, 28 (the birth mother of the 9 year old), 27 and 9. I pick my battles now. 3 boys and 1 girl. One husband of almost 34 years.

 

The key words here being "for the dead".

Notice that the preceeding verses make it clear that this passage is speaking of fornication, not tattooing.

Once again, as seems to be your custom, you've taken scripture out of context.

 

This passage is quite clearly teaching about fornication. I usually don't find much warrant to use it as blacket comndenation of everything else. We must first determine the "everything else" is indeed not honoring to God.

As for the OT passages, I think the qualification of "for the dead" is probably the key, but I am too cautious on that and therefor am not a fan of tattoos. Either way, I also think they are usually ugly and irreversable so I wouldn't be a fan anyway. Piercing is a bit more tricky, as I will probably allow it for my daughters when they grow up, and wouldn't for my sons, and DHK is correct that there is no scriptual warrant to distinguish the two. I just find piercings on men to be hidious. Indeed, I find piercing on woman to be hidious to, except for possibly the earrings. Noise rings, tounge rings, belly button rings, yuk! But nothing is worse then the dreaded eye ring!!! It just looks so painful.

I don't have any sons, and don't know if I will have any more kids, so am quite thankful I won't have to deal with it as my boy Daniel David will.

 

Pete, I really don't expect this to be an issue. If you raise them to be masculine, you won't have to worry about it.

 

I haven't seen too many seniors lately who fit that type of dress!

 

As far as piercings, I do not go in for them on men. I am tolerable of womens', but too many seems to be gaudy and in bad taste.

Years back a black friend of mine came to church with me. I told him before we went that he would have to take out his earring. He did so, and understood why as well.

IMO, the same goes for wearing too much jewelry, make-up, men wearing a hat in church, etc.

With regards to tatoos, what would you say if the tatoo were of a religious nature? What if it said, "I Love God" or something like that?

I still don't care for them, but if they can not be seen while the person is clothed, then who are we, and where are we looking , to tell that person not to have them?

As far as I'm concerned earrings are part of women's apparal. Tatoos should be no ones. And, hair coloring, well, when you've got hair as beautiful, thick, and red as mine who needs it?