What about tattoos and body piercing? (Leviticus 19:23-31)

Speaker: Rev Peter Tan

(47 minutes)

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THE WORD “TATTOO” There are two major derivations: A polynesian word ‘ta’ which means ‘to strike’ something; A tahitian word ‘tatau’ which means ‘to mark something’. Leviticus 19:28  "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Yahweh.” IT’S HISTORY - BRONZE AGE Discovery of a 5000 year old tattooed man ‘ötzi the ice man’. His frozen body was discovered on a mountain between Austria and Italy. IT’S HISTORY - BRONZE AGE His skin bears 57 tattoos: a cross on the inside of the left knee, six straight lines 15 centimeters long above the kidneys and numerous parallel lines on the ankles. ANOTHER DISCOVERY Archaeologists discovered the mummified remains of Amunet, a priestess of the goddess Hathor, at Thebes who lived some time between 2160 BC and 1994 BC. This female mummy displayed several lines and dots tattooed about her body - grouping dots and/or dashes were aligned into abstract geometric patterns. this art form was restricted to women only, and usually these women were associated with ritualistic practice. Japan The earliest evidence of tattooing found in the form of clay figurines which have faces painted or engraved to represent tattoo marks. The oldest figurines of this kind have been recovered from tombs dated 3,000 BC or older. They symbolically accompanied the dead on their journey into the unknown, and it is believed that the tattoo marks had religious or magical significance. TATTOOS IN SINGAPORE 11 December 2011 (Channel News Asia) With youth gangs and other gang-related activities a concern, the authorities are considering imposing a minimum age for getting tattooed. Deputy Superintendent Tan Yong Hong, head of the Singapore Police Force's Secret Societies Branch on Friday said that his team was "very concerned" about the tattoos on some of the teenaged boys arrested for gang-related activities. "They tattoo themselves to show off to others that they are tough and 'protected'. Imposing a minimum age will help prevent the at-risk teens from associating and identifying themselves with hard-core criminals.“ THE CONTEXT OF LEV. 19 “Most of these precepts are binding on us, for they are explanations of the ten commandments. It is required that Israel be a holy people, because the God of Israel is a holy God…” (Matthew Henry’s commentary) TWO PROHIBITIONS “…of an unnatural disfigurement of the body: 'Ye shall not make any cutting in your flesh for the dead, nor any print any marks upon you.” “The latter (Heb. qa aqa, incision) refers to tattooing, and has no reference to idolatrous usages, but was intended to inculcate upon the Israelites a proper reverence for God's creation.“ (Merrill F. Unger, Unger's Bible Dictionary, 1974 ed., p. 696) Jameison-Faussett-Brown Commentary and Explanatory on the Whole Bible "nor print any marks upon you–by tattooing, imprinting figures of flowers, leaves, stars, and other fanciful devices on various parts of their person.” “…in honor of some idols gave occasion to the prohibition in this verse; and they were wisely forbidden, for they were signs of apostasy; and, when once made, they were insuperable obstacles to a return.“ IT’S POPULARITY Popular since ancient times in many cultures, tattoos are becoming increasingly common in the United States and other Western nations. Athletes, musicians and other celebrities, help increase the popularity of tattoos. IT’S USES AND PURPOSES "Respectable Greeks and Romans did not indulge in decorative tattooing, which they associated with barbarians. They used it to mark slaves and criminals so they could be identified if they tried to escape.” (Gilbert, Steve, Tattoo History: A Source Book, p. 15) IT’S CULTURES AND PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD Borneo tattoos were used to ward off harm and disease. In the Polynesian culture, some say tattoos are a right of passage into manhood. Some American Indians believed that "war paint" protected them in battle. IT’S ASSOCIATION Some say that there are those in Burma today who believe that a tattoo over the heart can stop bullets. Some cultures believed that tattoos would give them magical power. Other cultures even believed that tattoos would help them gain admittance into the afterworld. More people from all walks of life are sporting tattoos as a way to tell people about themselves and important events in their lives. "It's a way for people to express themselves artistically and mark different times in their lives.” Eddie Glasner, owner of Chapel Rose Tattoo, Minersville, agreed that a person's tattoos tell a lot about them. "Symbolism is very powerful," he said. "In addition to being a form of self-destruction, the tattoo seals the wearer off from the rest of normal society forever. It’s not all that surprising to note that the largest number of tattooed in Japan belong to the underworld, and in America tattoos are most prevalent either in jail or hard rock bands." (Danny Sugerman, Appetite for Destruction: the Days of Guns N’ Roses, p. 40) Conclusion: Investigations by law enforcement officials "the presence of ornamental body tattoos could serve to indicate the existence of personality disorders which are liable to manifest themselves in criminal behaviour". (Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 117) "Therefore, many authorities link tattooing with aggression, i.e. anti-authoritarianism, and it cannot be disputed that gangs and delinquents, juvenile or otherwise, display massive evidence of aggression“. (Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 114) IT’S DANGER "Hepatitis C is spread by infected blood and infected needles, which is the virus' connection with tattooing. Tattoos involve lots of needles making lots of sticks in the skin. Each stick carries potential for contamination -- and not just with hepatitis, but also HIV, . . .” (Pamela Anderson Says She Has Hepatitis C, WebMD Medical News, March21,2002) IT’S HEALTH RISKS "Tattooing poses health risks because the process exposes blood and body fluids. Because of this a person who gets tattooed risks getting a disease or infection that is carried through blood. These blood-borne diseases include hepatitis B and C, tetanus, and HIV.“ (Bonnie B. Graves, Tattooing and body piercing, p. 40) A WORD OF WARNING Plastic Surgeon Tolbert S. Wilkinson, of San Antonio, Texas, who has removed tattoos warns: “…to remove a tattoo…costly and how painful tattoo removal and recognized that society as a whole still views tattoos as a stigma…Laser removal costs a minimum of $7,000.00 (national average) per tattoo, and takes at least 10 to 15 treatments, spread out over two or more years. Even with this treatment, the tattoo is still visible.“ "Since body art is still not mainstream, having marks on your body that you put there on purpose shows the world your rebellious and unconventional nature". (Jean-Chris Miller, The Body Art Book, p. 32) "In this culture, a tattooed person is still looked at as a rebel, as someone who has very visibly stepped out of the bounds of normal society...“ (Michelle Delio, Tattoo: The Exotic Art of Skin Decoration, p. 75) "Unquestionably tattoos are socially unacceptable.“ (Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 179) IT’S UNACCEPTABLE TO GOD! 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” 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? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” GOD’S DESIRE FOR YOU Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21-23 “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”