New Tattoos

[Newman]

Originally Posted by Margies3

RevRandy, I'm not in favor of tattoos and certainly would never have one myself. But I can't agree with you that they are more about sex than anything else. I've seen far more tattoos that have absolutely nothing to do with sex and are either not on parts of the body that would even be remotely considered "sexual" (ankles!!) or else they are on body parts that are completely hidden away. Ok, those might be sexual, but be real - if you've got a tattoo on your rump and someone is seeing it, it is probably because............. well, you know!

I think they are most often just a way of young people saying, "Look at me. I'm independent. I'm doing something that the older generation will not like". Good grief! We all did things like that when we were younger. In my days, getting your ears pierced (with ONE hole!) made that same kind of statement. So we all did it. It's part of the separation phase that all human beings go through.

Yep. I think Margie nailed it. Furthermore; tatoos are rapidly becoming the norm, not the exception.

If the church chooses to look upon it as evil personified; we are going to make it very hard for the next generation to feel comfortable coming to our churches with bodies that bear tatoos that cannot be easily or painlessly removed.

[Margies3]

Originally Posted by Thad

Randy you are RIGHT and Marg is WRRRRRRONG PERIOD!
tattoos are a sex statis as well as used for gang affiliation, prisoners a good for that and we have so called holy ghost filled people who are fine with this

I find it interesting that someone who is so firmly planted inside the church feels like he knows so much about what those outside of the church are thinking, doing and why. Where did you get all your experience?

[Thad]

Originally Posted by Newman

Yep. I think Margie nailed it. Furthermore; tatoos are rapidly becoming the norm, not the exception.

If the church chooses to look upon it as evil personified; we are going to make it very hard for the next generation to feel comfortable coming to our churches with bodies that bear tatoos that cannot be easily or painlessly removed.

So we allow those within the church to go get a tattoo because those coming out of sin and into the church already have one?
we wouldn't want those raised right to feel left out would we ??????

There is a LOT of things that are rapidly becoming the Norm- is that how we gauge what is right and what is wrong ???????

[Thad]

Originally Posted by Margies3

I find it interesting that someone who is so firmly planted inside the church feels like he knows so much about what those outside of the church are thinking, doing and why. Where did you get all your experience?

you don't have had to lived your life wallowing in sin to know what's up Marg. my father was in Prison ministry for 32 years and could tell you some stuff he heard and saw from prisoners that I could not share here. did he have to be a prisoner himself in order to be educated ?

[TalkLady]

FYI - History of tattoos:

http://www.designboom.com/history/tattoo_history.html

http://www.smithsonianmagazine.com/i...ary/tattoo.php

[Newman]

Originally Posted by Thad

So we allow those within the church to go get a tattoo because those coming out of sin and into the church already have one?
we wouldn't want those raised right to feel left out would we ??????

There is a LOT of things that are rapidly becoming the Norm- is that how we gauge what is right and what is wrong ???????

Not exactly.... But the problem with a tatoo is its permanence. Rather we like it or not; most NEW converts are going to have tatoos. It isn't something they are going to be able to easily change.

So why create an environment; where someone would feel ashamed to raise their tatooed arm to praise the Lord?

Finally, Thad, I might have agreed with you about tatoos 25 years ago; as being a mark of prison or gang affiliation. If that was the sole association of tatoos; I would find them wrong according to 1 Corinthians 11.

However, we are long past the day, where tatoos are only a part of the seamy side of life. Consequently, I find no condemnation in Scripture toward them; although I think that most people are going to regret the choice they made at some time in their future. Who would want to wear the same thing every day?

[Margies3]

Originally Posted by Newman

Not exactly.... But the problem with a tatoo is its permanence. Rather we like it or not; most NEW converts are going to have tatoos. It isn't something they are going to be able to easily change.

So why create an environment; where someone would feel ashamed to raise their tatooed arm to praise the Lord?

Finally, Thad, I might have agreed with you about tatoos 25 years ago; as being a mark of prison or gang affiliation. If that was the sole association of tatoos; I would find them wrong according to 1 Corinthians 11.

However, we are long past the day, where tatoos are only a part of the seamy side of life. Consequently, I find no condemnation in Scripture toward them; although I think that most people are going to regret the choice they made at some time in their future. Who would want to wear the same thing every day?

I think you are making a very good point, Newman. If the Apostolic church holds so tightly to some of the traditions that they've held for years and years, the generation of today is never going to be comfortable coming into an Apostolic church.

I'm not in any way saying that Apostolic people have to let down their standards. If someone truly believes they need to dress a certain way in order for them to be pleasing to God, then they most certainly should do that. But I do think that we need to be careful about being so dogmatic about things - especially things that you can't give positive, clear Scripture for - because today's generation are not a bunch of "followers". They will not just go along with something simply because that's the way the church teaches. They want SOLID GROUND to stand on.

[chosenbyone]

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

The tattooing is not even the issue now, Thad. And, believe me, I'm not picking on you, again I'm using this as a perfect example as to how we were taught and raised.

We take things that have no real scriptural edict, just tradition in most cases, and make them "hell splitting sins".
And, then, we take things that have DIRECT scriptural correlation, and say, "Well, they're just human imperfections".

That's our way of excusing our own actions.

It's perfectly accepted in our ranks, and on this forum, for someone to pass on a story that they heard from a friend that may, or may not be true, and we excuse it by saying, "Well, that's just how they are - human imperfection", etc.

I'm just tired of the double standard. If we're going to castigate people over what we perceive to be "sin", let's be consistent.

Remove the beam from our own eye before we try and get the toothpick out of our brother's eye.

Thank you for your posts today. You have voiced what many of us recognized was a problem when certain people have no issue with speaking ill and gossiping about others when they constantly have judged what people looked like on the outside.

I received an email last week on this very subject from a friend here on AFF where it mentioned the scripture in Matthew 2:34 (KJV): O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. All the gossip and backbiting found in some posts showed the sad reality that many have failed to develop as a Christian. They became stunted by their lack of knowledge of God's word and the traditions of men they have blindly followed. When the outward appearance becomes more important than the fruit of the Spirit we should be alarmed of where we stood with Christ.

22Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;
23And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],
24And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24 (Amplified Bible)

Jesus was a man who laughed, which meant that He liked to have fun. We can be like Him and have fun…just not at the expense of our spiritual walk with Him.

Blessings to you...

chosen

[Thad]

Originally Posted by chosenbyone

Thank you for your posts today. You have voiced what many of us recognized was a problem when certain people have no issue with speaking ill and gossiping about others when they constantly have judged what people looked like on the outside.

I received an email last week on this very subject from a friend here on AFF where it mentioned the scripture in Matthew 2:34 (KJV): O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. All the gossip and backbiting found in some posts showed the sad reality that many have failed to develop as a Christian. They became stunted by their lack of knowledge of God's word and the traditions of men they have blindly followed. When the outward appearance becomes more important than the fruit of the Spirit we should be alarmed of where we stood with Christ.

22Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;
23And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],
24And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24 (Amplified Bible)

Jesus was a man who laughed, which meant that He liked to have fun. We can be like Him and have fun…just not at the expense of our spiritual walk with Him.

Blessings to you...

chosen

So again, because we have those who are hypocrites, who lie, back bite,etc that gives the right to mutilate their bodies ???????
that's that message I am getting from both you and mike

[chosenbyone]

Originally Posted by Thad

[B]So again, because we have those who are hypocrites, who lie, back bite,etc that gives the right to mutilate their bodies ???????[/B]
that's that message I am getting from both you and mike

Huh???

Do you take the time to actually read a post before responding? Slow down a bit there Thad and read MID and my posts again...