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1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (New International Version)
16Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

a lot of ppl read this passage and enterpite it to mean that tattoos and piercngs, among other things, are unacceptable especialy for christians. they believe that its not only whats on the inside that counts but its also whats on the outside. i must say that personaly to a degree i have to disagree. i mean of course you cant tattoo i love satan on you back side but a butterfly on your arm wont upset God. as far as piercngs go i dont think getting your tongue periced or your eye-brow or anything pierced is really frowned apon by God. now what you do with such outward expressions of individuality may be a prob. if you get a private area pierced still keep that area private. if God is not going to judge you because of your tat or "ring" neither should anyone else.

(please excuse my spelling)

I think some of those points were brought up here.

I like the argument, I just don't like the religious approach.

Though, I'm going to have to disagree. What does a tatoo or nosering have to do with being a good person?

yea... I agree... getting a tattoo or whatever doesn't have anything to do with you being a good person... =/

I received my first four tattoos from the radiation oncologist who used them as markers to aim one of the machines used during my cancer treatment. If that's a sin, God can kiss my ass for giving me the genes that encoded that disease in me. That passage and the people who offer that interpretation of it are full of bullshit.

no it doesn't really... but that's not the point. not all of the bible is to do with simply being a good person. there are a fair few instances where Christians/Jews are encouraged to look as good as possible to encourage others to join the religion.

and no, i'm not going to search the bible for the passages i'm thinking of. there's a decent amount in leviathecus though.

the point has nothing to do wit you being a good person and being a christian/jew is more than being a good person. the religious angle came from the fact that i am a christian and ive been getting mess from ppl b/c i got my tongue pierced. i dont think there is anything wrong with it and i dont think God does either. the point is to get you to think about the subject and figure out what you think. so what do you think?

a year ago i got my ear pierced (big deal right? ) well anyways, i got sick of the back end stabing into my head when i slept, so i took it out for good.

and now, a year later, there is no trace left behind.

my point: if piercings can heal, how is that destroying your temple? Isnt that more like hanging new curtains up by the alter?

You are correct to say that what matters most is the inner self. What lies within a person. But you must not also be blind to obvious physical changes or apperances that change the surrounding around you. Aside from piercings, it goes to clothing too. If you dressed up with a short skirt and very tight clothing people would have a certain perception about you. This is because you are resembling a group of people who use there apperance to show there lifestyle. Hence, as a Christian you are uniting with that appearcing and giving a false image, which is unhealthy. Same I believe goes for piercings and tattoos.

Check up Corinthians where paul says he won't eat any more meat if a brother found it wrong. He dosn't say this to prove that he was amazing, but to show how we must react to the people around us. And that nothing should stand in the way.

Good Luck in finding ur answers. Just offering advice, not debate.

I believe that passage is referring more to drinking. Back in those days it was pretty common to get drunk a lot and our bodies are temples (according to Christians like myself) and it's not right for us to 'ruin our temples' by drinking and doing drugs and things of that sort. It goes back to striving to be pure and holy.

well talking with a "religious approach" god created us and the verse is saying we shouldnt destroy what he created by drinking, smoking, drugs, or even tatoos.
not to mention tatoos look really sick when u get old.

^Thank you for contributing absolutely nothing to the debate. And to disprove your point further, my grandfather is 75 and his tattoo looks fine. It despends where you get it and how your body ages. If I were you, I'd only speak unless spoken to.

well you arent me are you?

the tatoos on old people thing wasnt even the point.
And the topic starter never asked a specific question so i can say whatever i want to.

ur body is not a temple so none of u have anything to worry about.
Thank me later.

Oh, that was a sarcastic implication. Can you read between the lines?

For me, that's kind of hard to answer.

Since you took the religious approach, I'll say this: No man nor woman knows what God means unless you ask Him ((and when you do that you'll be dead on earth)). People will always make up assumptions to some scripture to what God meant. I guess you can say we're trying to make sense of it.

But in the end, its what you think it means. If you think He means to not pierce or tattoo your body, then so be it.

Well, whatever you christians say, MY god (Bacchus) requires that I get drunk and party all the time.

I'm mormon and they tell you not to do that stuff. I know people who are mormon who still do it, but their really good people, so I really don't know what to say besides I'm not getting any.

EDIT: My dad would kill me anyways...

My view on it is thus: If it's my temple, I think I can adorn it anyway I want.

I don't think God is that superficial to care about what you do to your body that isn't going to cause injury to yourself or others.

I'll have to ask my dad, because he knows alot about that kind of stuff, but I think that when your old and lookin a your ugly tattoos you will regret the day you got them. You should keep your body clean and pure, and usually tatoos have nothing to do with that.

*high five!*

Exactly. I believe the body is sacred , (no,im not saying we're gods ourselves here) and that we should look after and enjoy them. get tattoos etc all ye want, its not harming the body. now self mutilation HARMS THE BODY ! like cutting yourself and doin too much alcohol and drugs. it really fucks up your system

There's nothing wrong with tattos and sorts I think that whats in the inside really matters because if youare ugly person then god won't like you. now see doesn't that make since

He, if that's the case my Dad's screwed, his entire body is nearly covered in tattoos and as far as my choice goes he's one of the best people. Not exactly religious but he does his part.

ANd I always thought that it meant as in not killing yourself because my grandfather has a tatoo and he goes to church every sunday and all that the same with my bffs dad.

I believe the people who interpreted that were bent on coming up with another way to show us how we "think" Really free will is a blessing is it not?

(Leviticus 19:28) Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I [am] the LORD.

I think the Bible is rather clear on the issue. God is a jealous egomaniac. Unless the tattoo is of him hanging high on the cross bleeding to death, he will most definately have a shit storm.

God's suppose to love no matter what u look like so some tattos and other crap really shouldn't matter