My son recently got a tattoo and I am not thrilled. I realize that he is an adult and can make these decisions for himself, but I am still a bit upset with the decision he made.
Do not get me wrong, I find tattoos to be incredible works of art. However, we are not supposed to mark our bodies.
Leviticus 19:28 New International Version (NIV)
28 “‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 New International Version (NIV)
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Furthermore, I find them to be an incredible waste of money. Tattoos can get very expensive costing way into the 100s or even 1000s of dollars. That money could be used for many other things, but I guess to each his own.
I know a lot of people that have tattoos and most regret getting them as they get older. As the skin stretches and gets wrinkly, the tattoo that looked so good when you first got it now looks like crap.
Is getting a tattoo a form of idolatry? I cannot answer this as I am sure that for each person it has a different meaning, but I would suspect that for most the answer is yes.
If you are struggling with the thought of getting a tattoo or some other mark on your body, I suggest that you seriously pray and ask God for guidance. Just remember that His answers may not always be the one you expect. The choice is yours to follow or not, but disobedience can come at a price.