You Don't Need Brain Surgery To Be Open Minded.

this is a rough essay i wrote for class last night. i left it till the last minute, and had a word count to stay under, so it's more so blunt than anything.

Christian Faith and Body Modification

Often times, the person in the church with tattoos and/or piercings is the one whom people tend to judge pretty quickly. They look different than everyone else, as if they’re from an outlandish tribe somewhere in the distant corners of the earth. A general consensus would quite possibly be that the person must have had a bad past life if they love God now; that nobody who willingly does that to themselves would could love our Lord. This could not be further from the truth. Amidst the Old Testament verses thrown headfirst into the argument, is a lack of outside viewpoints and open mindedness that creates a volatile situation which plagues Christian society on issues heavier than just body modification. These ‘mods’ (this term representing tattoos, piercings, and processes alike), are no more or less a sign of faith than dyed hair or anti-aging processes.

There are many arguments within Christian society, and general society as a whole, which are placed against the practice of tattooing and piercing. The easiest and most common argument among believers in Jesus is the verse in Leviticus, where it says,

“You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:28 — New American Standard)

A more universal concern among society is the common connotation with ancient and tribal practices. Stretched earlobes are a great example of this, as they have been practiced since ancient times by many African, South American, and Asian cultures. Spiritual practices that were often partaken by the tribes are commonly associated with stretched earlobes. The biggest problem that someone may have, I feel, is apprehension. It’s something foreign to their everyday lives, and something like that is too often condemned.

What many instigators from the religious side of this argument fail to observe, is that to righteously use this point, they would not be doing such things as eating pork or shellfish; they would be wearing what the Jewish call ‘payos’, or wearing clothes of more than one material. Many also have pierced ears themselves. Yet possible hypocrisy must be put behind us, as someone else is no reason to face our own convictions. No verse in the Bible can be read and fully understood without reading it’s surrounding context. When reading the writing surrounding said excerpt, it’s context is made much clearer. God is instructing His people against the practices of other religious types in the area. It tells them to not practice divination or soothsaying; to not eat anything with it’s blood still part of it; to not make their daughter a harlot. The word translated into tattoo from the original writings is “qa aqa”, which is Hebrew for “to cut”. Taken in context it means to not cut oneself in mourning for the dead, but is nothing about the practice of imagery on the skin.

In ancient eastern culture, such as in Thailand and China, large earlobes were a sign of intelligence and compassion; this is why Siddhārtha Gautama, more commonly known as Buddha, is depicted with large earlobes. Among other cultures, such as some African tribes and many Southern American tribes such as the Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs, they are worn solely for aesthetics. So as these cultures may induce and practice spiritual rituals, that does not mean they are for the same purpose. Just because a murderer may use a knife, or wear jeans as they commit a crime, doesn’t mean we condemn these things because of their association, nor do they distance us in our relationship with God.

Commonly, things that are different from what people generally behold are ridiculed through the apprehension they cause. People are often quite scared of what they don’t know. What’s behind that door, in the dark? What if I don’t make it? Question is the cause for madness in many situations. But we have to live with that, in a liberal society, and that is something I feel the Christian community must really work on. Growth as a whole, because even though God is always the same, humanity is ever changing, with possibilities opening and closing.

^“24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” (Galatians 3:24–25)

As Christ came, we are under His teachings, and they are our law.

Through tattooing, piercing, and such body modifications, we are in no way separating ourselves from God in our relationship with Him. So long as they are done in the right intent, with His glorification in our heart, it is no different than colouring of hair or an anti-aging process like botox. Yes, body mods may be different, and have significance in ancient cultures, but that only stands to give respect as these practices have taken place for thousands of years. Besides, God wouldn’t reject his children based on how they look. Love doesn’t work like that.