Are tattoos allowed in Christianity?
Much of the debate around tattoos in Christianity comes from Leviticus 19:28, which prohibits tattoos. The reason that Leviticus forbade tattoos is that in the ancient world, tattoos were marks that showed to whom you belonged. Tattoos and brands were given to slaves and to beasts of burden. Sometimes, pagan religions would also give tattoos to show that a person belonged to that pagan god. It was a way of “marking territory.” But the God of Israel–the true God–is different. He didn’t treat the Israelites like his slaves or like cattle; he gave them freedom. And the Israelites were not to be like the pagans; they didn’t need tattoos or brands to show that they belonged to God. They would do that by their holiness of life and obedience to him. The law was God’s way of saying to Israel: “Remember, you belong to me.”
So it would seem, on the basis of this verse, that tattoos are prohibited.
Not so fast, though. In the previous verse (19:27), Leviticus forbids trimming the corners of a beard. And the verse before that (19:26) forbids eating any food with blood still in it!
So does that mean that some verses of Leviticus still apply, but others don’t? Well… not exactly. The issue here is that these verses of the Bible have to be taken in context. So let’s take a quick look at that historical context…
Leviticus is a book of legal codes for the ancient Jewish people. These were laws given for the keeping of a just and God-fearing society. In particular, Leviticus speaks a lot about how to properly worship God in Jewish rituals. Israel’s obedience to these laws was their way of keeping their covenant with God.
However, this caused a problem for the early Christians–were they still supposed to follow the old Jewish laws? After much debate, the early Church understood that the legal codes of the old covenant do not apply to the Church (this is actually one of the central themes of St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians). Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the “mediator of a new covenant” (Hebrews 12:24), giving us a new way of relating to God and worshipping him. That is why the old ritual laws no longer apply.
That is one of the beautiful things about being Catholic–the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, is able to come together and show the faithful how to properly interpret various passages of Scripture. If we were to use Leviticus 19:28 as a justification for prohibiting tattoos, we would be taking that verse out of context.
So what do the official Church teachings actually say about tattoos? Well… very little, actually. The Catechism doesn’t even mention tattoos. It turns out that tattoos are neither inherently good nor inherently evil. Actually, tattoos and brandings have shown up here and there throughout the centuries in the Catholic world. Pilgrims to the Holy Land got tattoos to show they made the pilgrimage. Coptic Christians sometimes get tattoos to identify themselves. St. Paul of the Cross branded the Holy Name of Jesus on himself.
What is important to the Church is that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and therefore deserves great dignity and respect. That means you should treat your body with reverence as a gift from God. Does the tattoo you want honor that reality?
If you are thinking of getting a tattoo, then here are three questions that are helpful to consider and will help you to think about whether or not it is sinful:
- What is the tattoo? A tattoo of something good, beautiful, and/or holy is fine. A tattoo that shows images of death, the demonic, other religions, the occult, sexual content, or something sinful is very wrong. It also shouldn’t be any image that is disrespectful or blasphemous toward God or anything holy, or go against the Church.
- Where is the tattoo? Just like clothes or piercings, a tattoo shouldn’t be drawing attention to parts of your body in an inappropriate or immodest way. A tattoo on the arm, shoulder, ankle, etc. is different than a tattoo in less appropriate places. Also bear in mind that the location of a tattoo can affect how others see you–including family, friends, and employers.
- Why are you getting a tattoo? Is it because you are not secure about your body? Are you trying to fit in or be cool? Those are not good reasons for getting a tattoo. Remember: your body is a temple. Does this tattoo respect the dignity of your body?
In short… be prudent. Don’t ever rush into getting a tattoo. Remember–it’s permanent!
And as one last note… If you are a child under the authority of your parents, and they tell you that you can’t get a tattoo… then you can’t get a tattoo. You still have to obey your parents!
Chris Cammarata
Disclaimer!
The views, thoughts, opinions presented here belong solely to the author and are not necessarily the official view of the Jesus youth movement.
Thanks for this – it’s really well-written and insightful, and I found it so interesting! I have one slight quibble, though – the bit where you say it’s ‘very wrong’ to get a tattoo of an image relating to death or other religions… I see where you’re coming from, but would beg to differ in that I could imagine that an image relating to death (e.g. a flower with a skull at the centre, or a design in the shape of a coffin) could actually be a beautiful reminder to the person being tattooed that out physical bodies do not last forever, even if our souls live on and we are given new heavenly bodies. For example, I am a Christian from a Church of Ireland background, and I was dedicated at birth, then chose to be baptised when I was 7. This baptism happened to be in an unusual font that is actually designed for full immersion and is in the shape of a coffin, and this represents how we die to ourselves in baptism and the rising up again out of the water represents rising to new life in Christ. For me as a 7-year old, this was extremely powerful and memorable, and remains a beautiful memory for me, despite the imagery of death. So I see what you’re saying, but remember that death has lost it’s sting, so please don’t judge people with tattoos relating to death imagery.
Also, I believe that there is amazing truth and beauty to be found in other religions, such as Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, even though I do not agree with all the teachings of these religions myself. Also, if you look at the meanings behind the symbols for other faiths, it is amazing how much of them seem to line up with teachings and images within Christianity and the Bible. For example, the star and crescent (which are now seen as representing Islam) are actually more representative of the Ottoman empire and the Middle East in general if you go back to it’s origin, but it has been adopted by the Muslim community and included in flags of countries like Libya to represent Islam (according to Wikipedia anyway, but do check this out yourself if you’re interested!). Peronally, I find it fascinating, because God promised Abraham the his descendents would be as numerous as the stars in the sky…Also, remember how God spoke to Ishmael’s mother Hagar in the desert and comforted her with the promise that she would have a son (Ishmael, meaning God hears), who would go on to be a great nation, although he would ‘live in hostility toward all his brothers’ (see Genesis 16:11-12) and He also tells Hagar in Genesis 21:17-18 not to be afraid, because God ‘heard the boy crying’ as he lay in the desert. I think this is so beautiful, because it reminds me of how closely the roots of Islam and Christianity are intertwined – Abraham was the father of the Ishmael as well, as Isaac, so Islam, Judaism and Christianity all share the same roots, which I think is something very beautiful and valuable for us to remember as Christians.
So I hope this doesn’t come across as a rant – it’s meant to be more of a differing opinion and a plea for tolerance and open-mindedness, rather than judgement 🙂 Thanks.
Hi Abigail! Thank you for your response.
To your first point (regarding tattoos with images of death), you make a good point that death can be a reminder of the transient nature of our bodies. Of course, we will also be raised from the dead at the final resurrection. Images of death are not inherently wrong, and the Church uses many for good purposes. For instance, monasteries often kept a human skull for the monks to remember their mortality (often with the Latin phrase memento mori), and of course we adorn our churches with crucifixes. You are right that death has indeed “lost its sting,” but we should also not give glory to death in such a way that it undercuts the Gospel of life. In other words, we don’t want to focus so much on death that it becomes morbid! That is what I meant by saying that tattoos that involve images of death can be wrong. So like mentioned before, it’s important to think about what the tattoo symbolizes and why you’re getting it.
As for your second point, about other religions, that is a more nuanced case. It is true that other religions do contain some things which are true and good and beautiful, though we do believe that only Christianity possesses the fullness of truth and the way to salvation (as Jesus himself says: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6)). Still, when we have interreligious dialogue we should definitely begin by focusing on our similarities and by loving our neighbor as ourselves. When it comes to a tattoo, though, we should think carefully about the statement we are making by using symbols of other religions. When you get a tattoo, you are saying that what that image signifies is so important to you that you would put it as a permanent mark on your body, a part of your very being. A tattoo signifying another religion can easily make it seem that you value that religion like you value Christianity–which is where we should exercise caution. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, not a temple of a Hindu god or of the Buddha. We want our body and all its adornments (piercings, tattoos, clothes, etc.) to give thanks and glory to God! We can still do this and have enlightened and heartfelt conversations with people of other faiths.
As a final word, I’m not making a judgment on anybody with a tattoo! We can still speak with clarity about morals, truth, and what’s right and wrong without condemning.