What if the chicks got a tat?

If you go to Biblegateway.com and do a search for "tattoo," one verse will come up.

Leviticus 19:28 "'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

At first glance and without applying any exegetical (fancy Bible college word) skills, it appears the Bible condemns tattoos. However, with a little study it becomes clear something else is going on in this verse.

First off, the passage isn't condemning tattoos in general. It is condemning getting tattoos for the dead. This was a practice of the Cannaanites (neighbors of the nation of Israel). Our culture doesn't have any obvious parallels to this practice.

Second, if we look at the neighboring verses, it becomes difficult to take this verse at face value. Look at the verse before verse 28.

Leviticus 19:27 " 'Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.

We obviously don't follow this command. The reason is that it was given specifically to the nation of Israel. It was meant to make them look different from other nations. This is the same reason they were told not to get tattoos for the dead. They are not to look like their pagan and godless neighbors. These are not commands meant for us.

What if the chicks got a tat?

There is no biblical basis for saying that tattoos are sinful. Therefore, there's nothing inherently wrong with a girl having a tattoo.

In our culture today, tattoos aren't even all that edgy. Thirty years ago tattoos were something which only the rebels and perverts of society got. Today they're extremely common, and they've made the transition from counter-culture to mainstream culture. So many people have gotten them in an effort to stand out that they've become part of popular culture.

Still some still hold tattoos as inherently evil or an act of rebellion. This just isn't true anymore.

If a girl you meet has a tattoo, I would advise you evaluate her based off the principles in these sermons. If she's a godly girl, give her a shot. Don't write off a girl simply because she has a tattoo. That's unbiblical, shallow, and indicates a mind-set which is out of touch with where our culture is actually at.

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