In my 7th grader's history curriculum we have been discussing ancient history and came across a discussion question regarding body piercing and tatoos. The curriculum text came out very strongly against piercing and tatoos of any kind because of the association with pagan ritual and the command to keep our bodies (unassulted) as a temple of the Holy Spirit.

So is this the consensus view of the Westminster/Reformed faith? (And if so, how can I graciously answer the question that came up immediately concerning their Christian grandmother's pierced ears? What about the gentleman who works with their father and has nearly the entire gospel story tatooed on his arms in pictures?)

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Moselle
PCA
TN

Piercings are OK, we know that from examples like a nose ring. Tattoos in either the Christian or Jewish community have been almost unheard of, except mainly in the criminal class, until recently. Getting ears pierced has been done forever, and probably the majority of women her have one sort of piercing or another.

Tattoos are forbidden twice in the Bible, but never piercings.

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Tim Vaughan, 48 years old, member Redeemer OPC, Santa Maria CA.

Moselle,

As Tim mentioned, there is a prohibition of making marks on our bodies.

Piercings were used to mark someone off as another's slave. You may puruse the following passage for more detail:

Again, this doesn't serve as a prohibition of piercing, it is merely an instance of such a custom used to degrade a man to a permanent slave status.

As Tim mentioned, women were regularly pierced with ear and nose rings.

Thus, while the tatoo teaching may be supported by Scripture, the piercing teaching may be a bit over-reaching. That said, many piercings today accomplish no good purpose, and some an evil purpose to be like the wicked, and should therefore be avoided for that cause.

Cheers,


Although I don't know that this was an area addressed by the Westminster or Continental confessions, it may be considered a relevant, practical issue covered under "all things we need to know from Scripture alone" kind of thing.

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Adam Brink, Livermore, California
Grace Church of Pleasanton, PCA

He who was punishable by death under the judicial law, is punishable by death still; and he who was not punished by death then, is not to be punished by death now.

So, iff'n one has a tattoo, are they damned? Just wondering...

Our Pastor taught that both body piercing and tatooing are generally sinful, desecration of the body.

There were other basis in Scripture I have heard taught- including worldliness, causing others to stumble, and the identification with sexual immorality.

Somehow, I have understood this not to apply to ladies piercing for earrings as long as it was within biblical parameters of modesty (but I'm thinking about how that can be differentiated biblically, right now).

Medically, both can lead to infection. Several medical doctors I have known are opposed because tattoos often leave life long scaring of the body. Tatoos can be very painful to remove and I have heard can lead to skin cancer of various kinds. Skin cancer is nothing to fool with.

When I was a little boy, I remember my mother telling me that male slaves were identified by earrings- stamped in their ears like they were stamped property. That stuck with me and I have never wanted to be a slave or think of others as being slaves. The notion of that repulses me.

Body piercings and tattoo's are just things and can not damn a soul. My own personal belief is that they are outward expressions of an underlying issue concerning who we think we are and who we think God is. May the Lord look upon US and call us down from our high tree.

Could you give the references please?

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Ian Kemmerer
Covenant Presbetyrian Church,Reading,PA
Fleetwood,PA

"Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart, And all is darkened in the vale of tears, Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart, Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears. Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay From His own fullness all He takes away."

I used to believe that tattoos were always wrong - and then I heard of a couple (in a PCA church in, I think, Oregon) who got their wedding rings tattooed on their fingers as a sign to all that their marriage really is "til death". I am no theologian, but I thought that was just fine.

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Rich Brown
Deacon/Webmaster
Aisquith PCA
Parkville, MD

I'm not sure what the second prohibition Tim was refering to is, but the Leviticus one refers to a pagan death ritual and is in a passage that also prohibits cotton-polyester blend shirts, medium-rare steaks, and cleanshaven men. I don't belive that it prohibits us from getting tattoos.

On the other hand that doesn't mean everyone should run out and get Tweety Bird on their arm. Tattoos are (generally) permanent by design and shouldn't be acquired lightly. Many of the folks in my church have tattoos, some of which are deeply regretted (we have lots of military and youth).

Full disclosure: I got a tattoo as a teenager soon after Christ saved me. It's a large cross on my left leg. I don't desire more at this point (we almost did the wedding bands though), but don't at all regret the decision.

Besides, Jesus has a tattoo in Rev 19:16 and we strive for Christ-like living, right? (Yes, I'm kidding.)

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Len Flack
Pastor/Elder, North Country Fellowship (CBA)
Carthage, New York, USA

Nothing wrong with neither. There is no biblical support to make piercing or tatooing evil or a sin. It depends what the intention is and what type of tatoo it is as well. Tatoos for remembering the dead are forbidden not tatoo's in general, Rabbinic High priest wore earings, hmmmmmm

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Richard W. Roldan "Ricky"
Member and Teacher of Iglesia Presbiteriana Reformada Berea (PCA)
Winter Haven, FL./ Under Care of the Southwest Presb.(PCA)

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,...” Jesus

" I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel," Paul

The High Priest's did a lot of things that are unlawful today...

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Benjamin P. Glaser
Pittsburgh, PA,
Fairmount ARP Church
Candidate Under Care Pittsburgh Theological Seminary & Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
"The benefit of deliverance becomes the more precious in the same proportion in which we are brought to apprehend the magnitude of the evil from which we have been rescued"
-- Zacharias Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism

I had a lip piercing when I first Joined a Reformed church. After a painfully akward moment with my pastor (who was trying to concetrate on our conversation and not on my piercing) I decided that it was time to take it out. People I talked to were distracted by it on the Lords day at church, my family hated it and I couldnt think of a good reason for keeping it.

I dont know if the scriptures support it or not, but I wouldnt advise anyone to get a facial piercing.

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Josiah Lovett
Member of
Trinity OPC Bothell Wa.
Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Westminster Standards

Ok. Why would God allow them to enter the Holy of Holies defiled if earings are unlawful?

Hi have two holes in each ear and a couple tatoos but then again thats my culture and have studied this subject intensley and have found that many passages used in contra to these things have nothing to do with the issue at hand but taken out of context.

Well scripture doesn't prohibit it but if it went against your conscience and you removed them for a greater good then great but that doesn't mean that its bad for all and that all should remove(not saying your implying that but just wanted to clarify)

The High Priest was also required to sprinkle the blood of bulls on the mercy seat. There are several things the Priests did that we are not required to do now. Should we also wear gowns like the Priests?

Sir, the point is that there is nothing wrong with men wearing earing's yesterday today or tomorrow.

My argument was never that because high priest were required to wear them we ought to too.

The fact of the matter is ITS NOT WRONG PERIOD.

I challenge anyone in contra of wearing earings and having tatoos to produce biblical evidence for that view and we will go through them exegetically one by one.

Correct

Not here to argue, this is more out of a curiosity. Piercings I never saw too much problems with, though I'm sure turning your face into a pin cushion can hardly be edifying to others and/or glorifying to God. But I'm looking at the Leviticus passage 19:28 (You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD. ESV), and wondering why this does not affect us now? I understand that the cleanliness laws were abrogated with Christ, but I can't imagine we can summarily dismiss all the Levitical laws either. Thanks for any info.

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Ed Asano
Center Grove Presbyterian (PCA)
Edwardsville, IL

"You may choose to look the other way, but you can never again say you did not know.” - William Wilberforce (1789) In his conclusion to his three-hour abolition debate in the Houses of Parliament.

I have a tatoo and my wife has pierced ears.

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Jim
1689 LBCF
Independent Bible Church
North Texas, USA

There's nothing about tattooing for the dead in the verse, that's specifically for cutting. The fact that the Jews for 3500 years and the church for 2000 have said that they are sinful isn't proof positive that they are wrong, but it does mean that the subject deserves a bit of thought.

Having a tattoo isn't the sin, it's getting it. In PNG where I used to live the women used to bite off their fingers when someone died, and the Reformed missionaries told them that this practice was a sin. That doesn't mean those that were missing fingers after conversion were living in sin, any more that someone who stole is living in sin after repenting of the theft.

I personally don't think it's anything to rail against from the pulpit, but still I would be careful of encouraging it.

I hope not. ;-) I have my ears each pierced twice and a tattoo.

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Jennifer Wysocki
Presbyterian Church in America
Houston, Texas